Ok, I have had this Vette (1980 L82) for just over three months and the "greatness" of it is starting to wear off. I am starting to notice things that I didn't when I bought it. Today's problem is that of the cigarette lighter and rear defog switch, which don't work. I have taken off the side console panel to find neither are connected to anything and furthermore that "Bubba was here!!" The O-ring for the ground wire has been cut and removed and I believe this orange wire with connector is the power supply for the lighter...am I correct?

Also, there is a larger grey connector with purple, orange and black wires..is this supposed to connect to the defog switch?

 

Yes, orange is the lighter.


Here's the defog switch on my 78' which should be close to your 80'. Here is a link to all the 78' wiring diagrams which may help you figure out what you have.
http://www.corvetteforum.net/c3/tune...l/index6.shtml
Gary

 

You are correct with the wires for the cigarette lighter. Just be careful..because if you hahve an issue with the lighter being incorrectly assembled or damaged...it can blow your courtsey/clock fuse due to the power and ground being together in the lighter assembly.

If you have a ohm meter. Touch the terminal for the power supply terminal on the lighter and then touch the other end of your ohm meter to the housing. There should be NO reading. This is also assuming that you have the lighter out of the housing.

If the fuse blows when you push down on your lighter...it may need to be removed and re-positioned due to BUBBA changing the correct position of the grabbing portion of the lighter on the inside in relation to the open square openiings on the side of the reciever.

If the grab notches are not positioned correctly...when the lighter element is installed and pushed down...the grabbing portion at the bottom of the receiver will make contact with the receiver protion and ground out.

It is unlikely...but it has occured to me in the past....especially when dealing with your year model (78-82) where when trying to remove the cigarette lighter it won't come loose and you have to dis-assemble it to remove the large circular ground terminal....instead of cutting the wire ...like BUBBA did to your car.

When re-assembling the cigarette lighter receiver...the positon of the grabbing portion of the receiver MUST be positioned so the square openings are in line with the grabbing portion of the receiver adn when the element is installed ...the grabbing portion of the receiver can spead out and be so that these grabbing tabs can be allowed to spread into the square holes in the receiver....make sense...or did I loose you. It is simple once you see it..

I do not have my wiring diagram here at home...but GM made the connectors in that area to be able to go to one component and not be confusing. It is idiot proof.....if it fits correctly...then it should work in that area. I do know that the circuit breaker mounted in your fuse panel (square metal looking fuse) is the power source for your rear window defogger. You can pull it and see if the power goes dead when it is removed.
"DUB"

 

You need to get an accurate electrical schematic for your car. The GM diagram is 'handy', but it isn't color coded and doesn't show all possible accessory connections. I think Willcox has some color coded ones. Maybe other folks can recommend the best diagram/chart presently available.