raulotero91

hey guys, this is nothing big, but i was wondering how i could fix the lighter in my 1979 corvette so i can charge my phone/ipod. thanks in advanced

0Willcox Corvette

The lighter is a pretty simple circuit. You have the lighter housing, the lighter, a ground ring and a power wire. The ground ring is part of the harness and is mashed between the lighter housing retainer and the shift plate.

The most common issues would be a broken wire at either the ground ring or the 12 volt power supply or a defective element in the lighter combined with a defective housing.

To access this you will only need to remove the three screws from the shifter console side panel.

Once you are in, verify the ground and power wires are good. If so, then you have a defective lighter housing or a bad element in the know.

Willcox Inc.

Glassbowtie77

Where can you buy the ring that goes into the black ground wire and what color is the power wire? Mine is not working on my 77 because one of the last a**holes that owned the car decided to chop off the wires and put spade connectors on them so that they could hook up an aftermarket piece of crap that doesn't work. When I connect the wires to lighter receptacle it blows the fuse. I would also like to get the original lighter receptacle if possible as well, any ideas?

7T1vette

Try www.lectriclimited.com for the electrical components; they might carry the ground ring. The power feed wire is 10 ga. orange wire, if I recall correctly.

Glassbowtie77

I checked them, they don't have it,thanks though I'll keep looking. Maybe an electrical supply house might it, I'll bring the lighter with me.

0Willcox Corvette

All you need to make the lighter work is a good 12 volt supply and a ground. The lighter is hot at all times too!

For a ground, remove the lighter and solder a wire on the side of the retainer. Doing this will serve the same funtion as if you had the ring.

This part is not available separate from anyone so you'll have to come up with something or solder a wire to it for a ground.

Willcox

irongate

Is it safe to use the cigarette lighter on a 77 for charging a phone?

jackson

So long as it's functional properly as a cig lighter; yes.

AFAIK ... Same applies to all OE 12vdc cig lighters.

irongate

Thank You, just want to be sure it is safe to use that way.

lakerider57

GlassBowtie77,

If you still need the ground ring, I can probably pull it off my old wiring harness and send it to you, just let me know,

Richard

Kacyc3

I hope he doesnt that was 10 yrs ago.

lakerider57

Oh how funny, that would be a long wait....


A lot of times I see a thread and just start reading it thru and then you react to the contents not realizing that it is so.. so... old. I wish threads older than 6 months were locked down so new posts can't be made against them and therefore force the individual to create a new thread....

Richard

Kacyc3

6 months is a short period for it to be locked.

Redvette2

I like to search and find posts that are specific to the issue I am having...even if they are old. Sometimes I will add my 2 cents in anyway for the next person that might read the old one. I usually start with "Old post but....". I have been fooled also...maybe a "Initial post created on xx/xx/xx" flag would help.

Redvette2

Goody

I agree, have you seen the age of some of the restoration threads. Can't lump all threads into the same group. People just need to pay a bit more attention.

lakerider57

Yes, I agree that 6 months is a bit too short after you mentioned restoration threads that go on for years.

How about a compromise, when you go to post, it prompts you "This thread is older than 1 year, do you really want to continue this post ?"

Seems like an easy fix...

Richard