Cig lighter doesn't work in car

Tia_Maria06

I think I need to redo my original message, I arent getting any new responses and I know you'll know the answer to my problem I arent really bothered about the cig adapter not working, I was needing something that can power my sat nav... I have found this on Amazon, brilliant price too, is this what I need?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TomTom-USB-Home-Charger-Adapter/dp/B000H82NI2

Thanks

[original post....Hi, my cig lighter thingy doesnt work in the car, I did try putting a new fuse in it, but still doesnt... Anyway my question is; I have a sat nav I was given about 4 years ago, and all I got was a cable to go to that to charge it. Is there anything I can buy to get it working. Thanks :beer:]

pendulum

Can you get the prongs of a multimeter down there and check for voltage (with ignition on), as it could just be a bad connection between the socket and whatever you plug in there?

Tia_Maria06

Oh crikey, thats gone right over my head... I thought I did well by putting a red fuse in the slot haha! Maybe I should take it to a garage, they wouldnt charge me much would they???? Thanks pendulum

flashg67

Just a thought, have you tried charging the sat-nav using the lead you have plugged into a USB port on your computer/laptop? I'm sure my Garmin will charge that way?

If not, then the Amazon item will charge it at home.

Worth getting a garage or auto-ekectrician to have a look at the lighter though - they're not too expensive unless the fault is in the wiring and needs tracing and some distmantling.

Or, buy a map like in the olden times

rev_henry

If you can't get it going yourself, don't go to a garage, go to an Auto Electrician. Don't tend to be too expensive, and if you want, he could hardwire the satnav cable into the car if you wanted, so it looks neat.

Tia_Maria06

Thanks guys..I dont have a USB all I got when I inherited the sat nav was a plug-in-to-cig-adapter

I'll go bat my eyelids at the nice mechanic lol..

Many thanks, I was gonna just get the Amazon adapter but i cant even see if its a tomtom1 or 2 or whatever.. So cant even just buy one of those, tut

Now where did I put that map

pompeyrich

Have you tried to charge it in another car? There is a fuse in the plug on the charger lead, that goes into the lighter socket, if it charges ok in the other car then that fuse is ok.

birkee

Silly question, but are you sure it isn't the Sat Nav that's faulty?......... Long time left uncharged can kill batteries.

Cig lighter......wire via a fuse to the centre pin,..... and the outerbody to the metalwork in the car body. How is the cig lighter mounted? In a plastic panel? A metal dash? Can't be MUCH to go wrong can there? Loose connection on the back of the socket?
Have you got, or can you borrow, something else that connects into a cig lighter socket? Phone charger? Another sat nav? Electric tyre pump?

wba31

problem with charging the tomtom at home, is that if it is anything like my tomtom (bought in 2008) even once fully charged the battery only ever last about 1 hour from new...

try the sat nav and charger in another car before you go see any mechanics...

rev_henry

wba31 wrote: »

problem with charging the tomtom at home, is that if it is anything like my tomtom (bought in 2008) even once fully charged the battery only ever last about 1 hour from new...

try the sat nav and charger in another car before you go see any mechanics...

I find this on my Navman, so its not really practical to not be able to charge in the car.

Why hasn't anyone thought of this before - does the actual cig lighter work?!

wba31

rev_henry wrote: »

I find this on my Navman, so its not really practical to not be able to charge in the car.

Why hasn't anyone thought of this before - does the actual cig lighter work?!

Is that not what we're trying to establish though? cig lighter or sat nav? if the sat nav charges in another car, its the cig lighter. if it doesnt, it's either the cable or the sat nav unit, then opens up a whole new thread... i look forward to it!