Notices
C5 General General C5 Corvette and C5 Z06 Discussion not covered in Tech

12 volt outlets

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 22, 2009 | 08:09 AM
  #1  
elwoodab's Avatar
elwoodab
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Washington PA.
Default 12 volt outlets

I have had my 97 coupe since Jun 1 of this year and as near as I can tell everything seems to work. So I'm getting ready to go on vacation tomorrow night and I plugged my GPS unit into the cigarette lighter outlet and nothing happened, no power, so then I plugged it into the outlet in the armrest box and it didn't work there either. I'm guessing it's a blown fuse, is it possible they are both on the same circuit and how hard is it to get to the fuse box, I don't even know where it is?
Reply
Old Jul 22, 2009 | 08:39 AM
  #2  
TheRadioFlyer97's Avatar
0TheRadioFlyer97
Former Vendor
 
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Originally Posted by elwoodab
I have had my 97 coupe since Jun 1 of this year and as near as I can tell everything seems to work. So I'm getting ready to go on vacation tomorrow night and I plugged my GPS unit into the cigarette lighter outlet and nothing happened, no power, so then I plugged it into the outlet in the armrest box and it didn't work there either. I'm guessing it's a blown fuse, is it possible they are both on the same circuit and how hard is it to get to the fuse box, I don't even know where it is?
First: always check the fuses.
The power outlet in the ash tray doesn't have the most reliable connection. It just snaps on. If you take off the console, you can re-connect it and the power should be restored.
Reply
Old Jul 22, 2009 | 01:40 PM
  #3  
Vetteman Jack's Avatar
Vetteman Jack
Administrator
Supporting Lifetime
Veteran: Navy
St. Jude 20 Year Donor
25 Year Member
Veteran: Reserves
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,320
Likes: 24,777
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Default

Check in your owners manual - it has the fuse box locations and what fuse controls what. If you don't have an owners manual, you can download one from www.gmpartshouse.com.
Reply
Old Jul 22, 2009 | 02:31 PM
  #4  
srs244's Avatar
srs244
Safety Car
Supporting Lifetime
Veteran: Army
St. Jude 15 Year Donor
Active Streak: 120 Days
Loved
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,062
Likes: 103
From: Southeast, Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
Default

this may be dumb, but doesn't the key need to be "on" for power to be active to those outlets. i always thought they were "keyed" connections.
Reply
Old Jul 22, 2009 | 04:00 PM
  #5  
Bill Dearborn's Avatar
Bill Dearborn
Tech Contributor
25 Year Member
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Top Answer: 3
 
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
Likes: 9,817
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Default

Here is the schematic for the lighter and accessory plug:


Here is a diagram of the Instrument Panel Electrical Center which is located in the passenger footwell behind the forward panel.

As you can see in the schematic these two plugs are hot all of the time when the fuses are OK.

Bill
Reply
Old Jul 22, 2009 | 04:11 PM
  #6  
elwoodab's Avatar
elwoodab
Thread Starter
Instructor
 
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Washington PA.
Default

It's either a loose connection or a bad contact. Today while I had my GPS plugged into the armrest outlet the GPS came on but it flickered a couple of times. I need to check that plug. Thanks all for the good advice and I did download the owners manual so I could see where the fuse box is and what fuse it is.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To 12 volt outlets





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:52 AM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE