Sundance_Actual

Does the cigarette lighter in a 74 c3 work to power any electrical devices? I didn't think that it did but a few buddies are saying it should work. I tested it with a phone charger and got nothing. I figure theres probably some voltage difference or something, Im not too electrical savvy and was wondering if I'd be able to find an fm transmitter that could be powered off it so I can keep the stock radio but still listen to music off of my phone.

DB Cooper

It's simply a 12v source; as long as it's working and the contacts are clean, it'll power any 12v accessory like phone charger etc. Most likely the center contact at the bottom of the lighter hole (that's the positive 12v terminal) has a little corrosion on it that needs to be cleaned off. Just don't use a metal instrument to clean it off unless you pull the fuse first.

speaking of which, have you checked the cig lighter fuse to see if it's blown?

Sundance_Actual

The cig lighter works fine thats why I never checked the fuse, it heats up fast. Maybe it was the phone charger itself. It works in my truck fine but its a mini one, the contact at the bottom of it might not be making a good connection.

For future reference though do you know what fuse the cig lighter runs off of?

DB Cooper

I know it's a little tough to see down there, but it should have cig lighter printed next to it. I'm not sure which one it is though.

if the lighter heats up, but phone charger doesnt work, it's likely the nose of the phone charger plug isnt making good contact with that bottom pin. Might be that the ground tabs on the sides are too stiff to smoothly slide all the way in, or the spring loaded pin on the nose is a little short. Are you sure you had the charger plugged in as far as it can go? If so, Try to find one with a longer nose pin on it, and that should work. I have a couple 12v accessory plugs that don't like to touch bottom.

my radar detector plug goes in really tight, and I have to shove it in there pretty good to get that positive pin to touch bottom.

Sundance_Actual

Yeah I'll give it another shot tonight and pickup one with a longer pin. My first suspicion was it wasn't in all the way but i put a lot of pressure on it and it still wasn't giving any power.

DB Cooper

The pin on the accessory plug is usually not flat like the bottom of the actual cig lighter either. If the center part of the lighter socket in the car has some corrosion on it, that can prevent a good connection on that center pin too. Lots of electrical gremlins on these old cars can be solved with a little fine grit sandpaper... in this case, a little piece rolled up to reach down in there and be stiff enough to work it around a little.

HeadsU.P.

I believe you are talking two different things here. The cig lighter port was designed to lite a cig, thats all. Todays modern electrical power port is designed to run mobile devices. I believe the modern unit is shallower and makes no mention of lighting a cig.
I think you would be light years ahead going to AutoZone or Advance and buy a 2018 universal, 12 volt power source port. Remove the old and install new. May have to solder a wire on there, but I believe that will solve the problem.

Metalhead140

My cigarette lighter powers phone chargers just fine. It should work.

Sundance_Actual

Well it was just the specific charger I had. It definitely wasn't long enough to make the proper connection.

Sundance_Actual

Its a 12V power source, thats what make the cig lighter hot, the 12V

HeadsU.P.

I know. But what I am saying is the modern 12V ports are same diameter but more shallow.

DB Cooper

There's a wide variety of accessories out there; it's not hard to find a $5 cig lighter usb adapter that touches down in the older style lighter socket.