Another Electrical Question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 182
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Another Electrical Question
Again a newbie with a 1975 coupe. I am trying to fix some of the electrical issues , but I always seem to get one step forward and 2 back. I try to read the wire diagram, but some of it is confusing to someone new. I been working on the cigarette lighter and the cigarette lighter light. I do have constant power to lighter and power to light when the light switch is on. Makes sense that it should work. I put in a new bulb, nothing. I plug in lighter unit, nothing. Now someone said that it could be a ground issue. this is where I get confused. Would it be a ground issue to just these two things,? is it a ground in the main harness.? I do have everything disconnected from the harness except for the gauges, which I got to work and the light switch, courtesy lights(working) . I am pulling the little hair that I have left out of my head. Appreciate any assistance.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 283
From: cary Il
the cigarette lighter is a constant power no ground, maybe lighter element is bad
cig light bulb is grounded by the metal shield that its in, so the shift plate
should be grounded there should be a ground wire there
cig light bulb is grounded by the metal shield that its in, so the shift plate
should be grounded there should be a ground wire there
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 182
Likes: 2
appreciate your response. lighter element is good, I tried it in another car and it works. Could it be the housing? Bulb in shield, still nothing. So your saying in order to work, the shift plate has to be grounded? I currently have entire console out.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
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From: South Western Ontario
Yes, the housing has to be connected to ground.
As posted above. After you install the light bulb or plug in the element, connect your test light ground clip to a known good ground (negative of the battery is good). Now, touch the probe to the shell/housing of the lighter. If the test light lights up then you know the housing is not connected to ground. You can do that with a meter too. The housing is not grounded if you measure battery voltage.
As posted above. After you install the light bulb or plug in the element, connect your test light ground clip to a known good ground (negative of the battery is good). Now, touch the probe to the shell/housing of the lighter. If the test light lights up then you know the housing is not connected to ground. You can do that with a meter too. The housing is not grounded if you measure battery voltage.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 182
Likes: 2
YES!! , it is the ground. took a piece a wire and touched it against the light shield and the lighter housing and the both work. light on, lighter working. Just one more question on this, where do you ground the lighter housing permanently?
