Hey everyone,
So I bought my jag as a project car back in December, and just working out the little things. On the top of the bucket list is the 12 volt socket (cigarette lighter). The woman who owned the car did smoke, meaning the lighter itself and the socket is pretty crusty. The lighter does work just fine, but when I plug a voltage reader or phone charger in, nothing. The fuse is fine. My main goal is to be able to have a working FM transmitter so I can play music off of my phone. In theory it should work...I was watching a Back to the Garage video on the FM transmitter, and it seems that John's socket does have the power to support one. Maybe the connection points are just corroded over?

1. Should I attempt to clean the socket with some steel wool? 2. Does the little socket come out easily / at all? 3. Any other ideas on what I could do?

Thanks...JagWRLD

 

You've obviously got 12 volts available at the socket so it's only a matter of contact.
The lighter quite likely has kept the contact points it uses clear simply by it's use, now you come along and shove a strange device in the socket likely with totally different contact points(most likely just the ground).
Try cleaning the inner walls of the socket where the ground is established, be carefully not to have steel wool or similar contact that surface and centre live together. That would be like an old time flash bulb going off, better to pull battery lead or fuse first.

 

Thank you for the advice....I pulled the fuse and cleaned up the inside with steel wool and a bit of solution. Works great