No worries 
68 Electrical Question
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Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Bakersfield CA
68 Electrical Question
Hi, all...I just replaced the cigarette lighter element, and the 20A fuse keeps blowing (I've just gone through 3 in a matter of minutes). While I don't particularly care about the lighter (we don't smoke, and have no need for the thing), it's a great spot to plug in the iPod 
if I can get it to stop blowing the fuse. I've never done anything electrical, any ideas where I should start looking? BTW, replaced the old one because it was fried, so I likely inherited the problem from previous owner. Thanks...
if I can get it to stop blowing the fuse. I've never done anything electrical, any ideas where I should start looking? BTW, replaced the old one because it was fried, so I likely inherited the problem from previous owner. Thanks...
Last edited by rsanglim; Feb 3, 2008 at 04:01 PM. Reason: More information
Race Director
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From: Forked River NJ
What happens when you plug in something besides the lighter element. Could just the element be bad and the fixture itself OK. Try something different in the hole. If it still blows then the fixture is bad. Something is grounding out.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,740
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From: Aurora Ontario
Hi, all...I just replaced the cigarette lighter element, and the 20A fuse keeps blowing (I've just gone through 3 in a matter of minutes). While I don't particularly care about the lighter (we don't smoke, and have no need for the thing), it's a great spot to plug in the iPod if I can get it to stop blowing the fuse. I've never done anything electrical, any ideas where I should start looking? BTW, replaced the old one because it was fried, so I likely inherited the problem from previous owner. Thanks...
if I can get it to stop blowing the fuse. I've never done anything electrical, any ideas where I should start looking? BTW, replaced the old one because it was fried, so I likely inherited the problem from previous owner. Thanks...
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Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Bakersfield CA
It blows all on its own. I blew one fuse when I tried putting it in with everything connected, one when I had the lighter element disconnected (blew as soon as I connected the element), and one when I disconnected the negative battery cable (put the fuse in, connected negative cable, fuse blew immediately). I think something is not grounded properly, but I'm no electrician and am only guessing. There is a ground wire that connects to the underside of the ash tray, but I've been unable to trace it or the hot wire. I suspect the hot wire is fine, since it appears I am getting current there because of the blowing fuse. I was planning on tracing the ground, but I have to go to this stupid Super Bowl party. Would much rather be working on my car 
The same fuse is also responsible for the interior lights. I wonder if this is right, or if it's a Bubba rewiring job and that's part of my problem? Dunno...
The same fuse is also responsible for the interior lights. I wonder if this is right, or if it's a Bubba rewiring job and that's part of my problem? Dunno...
Safety Car
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From: Austin Texas
Corvette of the Year Winner 2017
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
light problem ??
How did you gnd your new harness ?
To the Bird Cage ?
How did you Gnd the Bird cage to Frame ?
Hopefully not with that piddly OEM clip on gnd. braid to frame.
find out whats is missing either Gnd. ...... or +12V
them go chase your answer.
69Vett
To the Bird Cage ?
How did you Gnd the Bird cage to Frame ?
Hopefully not with that piddly OEM clip on gnd. braid to frame.
find out whats is missing either Gnd. ...... or +12V
them go chase your answer.
69Vett
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,740
Likes: 3
From: Aurora Ontario
It blows all on its own. I blew one fuse when I tried putting it in with everything connected, one when I had the lighter element disconnected (blew as soon as I connected the element), and one when I disconnected the negative battery cable (put the fuse in, connected negative cable, fuse blew immediately). I think something is not grounded properly, but I'm no electrician and am only guessing. There is a ground wire that connects to the underside of the ash tray, but I've been unable to trace it or the hot wire. I suspect the hot wire is fine, since it appears I am getting current there because of the blowing fuse. I was planning on tracing the ground, but I have to go to this stupid Super Bowl party. Would much rather be working on my car
The same fuse is also responsible for the interior lights. I wonder if this is right, or if it's a Bubba rewiring job and that's part of my problem? Dunno...
The same fuse is also responsible for the interior lights. I wonder if this is right, or if it's a Bubba rewiring job and that's part of my problem? Dunno...
You can test the theory. Remove the lighter housing from the consol. Hook up the live wire. It shouldn't blow.
Jim
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From: Crossville TN
You definitely have a short somewhere in the system. If you leave the cigarette lighter OUT of its holder, does it still blow? If so, it's not the lighter and you need to search out the short in your wiring. If it doesn't blow the fuse, the lighter you just bought MAY be the problem. Use a volt-ohmeter to check the resistance of the lighter element; it should show something around 1 ohm resistance. If it is less than .5 ohms, it was manufactured with the wrong resistance element; if it shows near 0 ohms, it is shorted and needs to be returned for a 'good' replacement [which should be checked before you put it in].
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From: Bakersfield CA
You definitely have a short somewhere in the system. If you leave the cigarette lighter OUT of its holder, does it still blow? If so, it's not the lighter and you need to search out the short in your wiring. If it doesn't blow the fuse, the lighter you just bought MAY be the problem. Use a volt-ohmeter to check the resistance of the lighter element; it should show something around 1 ohm resistance. If it is less than .5 ohms, it was manufactured with the wrong resistance element; if it shows near 0 ohms, it is shorted and needs to be returned for a 'good' replacement [which should be checked before you put it in].
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Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Bakersfield CA
I think that ground you are talking about is for the lighter. There should be a big ring on it that fits around the collar of the lighter. Is your consol plate metal?
You can test the theory. Remove the lighter housing from the consol. Hook up the live wire. It shouldn't blow.
Jim
You can test the theory. Remove the lighter housing from the consol. Hook up the live wire. It shouldn't blow.
Jim
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From: Bakersfield CA
Well, no luck. Instead of securing the ground wire to the underside of the metal "housing" the lighter / tray sits in, I grounded it to the frame. Much to my surprise, the fuse didn't blow when I connected the lighter. However, I brushed the housing up against the stick shift, and blew the fuse. I think one of two things is happening: 1) the ground wire is loosely connected or not connected at all somewhere along its path, 2) the ground wire connection looks doctored, something I missed before. The end looks like some kind of fashioned "plumber's tape" fix, nicely done but certainly worth investigating as part of the problem. This exercise showed that it's a pretty loose connection, probably enough to cause the problem I'm having (or at least start with this, since it's the simplest fix and probably needs to be done anyway). I'll post the outcome later this week, after I've had a chance to check it out. Thanks, everybody.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,740
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From: Aurora Ontario
The lighter housing should be two parts. One part has the live wire connected to it and the other the ground.
I'm guessing a bit here. But if the part of the housing you have the live connected to is touching a ground source. Like a metal consol plate (is yours metal or plastic?) or the part of the housing the ground attaches to you will blow the fuse. the circuit...live to ground has to be completed by the lighter filiment or what ever it is you plug in. Like a light bulb...live wire on one side and goes to ground on the other but if you touch the live to ground you will blow the fuse.
So the part that has the live is what you touched the stick shift with and that would blow the fuse. It would be like taking the live and touching your frame...fuse blows.
you are getting close. I think that ring attaches to a wire that attaches to the frame mount for the consol plate. some new lighters come with the ring.
Jim
I'm guessing a bit here. But if the part of the housing you have the live connected to is touching a ground source. Like a metal consol plate (is yours metal or plastic?) or the part of the housing the ground attaches to you will blow the fuse. the circuit...live to ground has to be completed by the lighter filiment or what ever it is you plug in. Like a light bulb...live wire on one side and goes to ground on the other but if you touch the live to ground you will blow the fuse.
So the part that has the live is what you touched the stick shift with and that would blow the fuse. It would be like taking the live and touching your frame...fuse blows.
you are getting close. I think that ring attaches to a wire that attaches to the frame mount for the consol plate. some new lighters come with the ring.
Jim
Well, no luck. Instead of securing the ground wire to the underside of the metal "housing" the lighter / tray sits in, I grounded it to the frame. Much to my surprise, the fuse didn't blow when I connected the lighter. However, I brushed the housing up against the stick shift, and blew the fuse. I think one of two things is happening: 1) the ground wire is loosely connected or not connected at all somewhere along its path, 2) the ground wire connection looks doctored, something I missed before. The end looks like some kind of fashioned "plumber's tape" fix, nicely done but certainly worth investigating as part of the problem. This exercise showed that it's a pretty loose connection, probably enough to cause the problem I'm having (or at least start with this, since it's the simplest fix and probably needs to be done anyway). I'll post the outcome later this week, after I've had a chance to check it out. Thanks, everybody.
Last edited by jdp6000; Feb 4, 2008 at 11:53 PM.