Car socket for Satnav?

spookylukey

I've ordered a Satnav online and have just remembered that my cigar lighter doesn't work! When you push the button in it pops straight back out - I think it's the socket rather than the cigar lighting bit as a few years ago I had a portable vacuum and speed camera detector that both used that socket and both coincidentally stopped working!

I've checked the fuse which supposedly corresponds to the cigar lighter and it looks OK to me. Are the sockets replaceable and if so is it something I could do myself or would it need to be done at a garage?

If it makes any difference the car is a Fiat Stilo, thanks in advance for any thoughts

matthewn.green

Shouldn't have thought it was the socket to be honest, if it's springing back out that would be a problem with the lighter element itself. If it wasn't working, the element should stay in forever.

If you have one handy, or a mate with one, put a multimeter over the socket. One tip of the probe should go into the centre of the socket (right at the bottom), and the other to the side of the socket. Should get around 12 - 13v reading on the meter. If not, its the socket itself.

They are replaceable, depends on how handy you are with screwdrivers and so forth.

goldspanners

i fixed a peugeot 406 like this,lost all power to the socket,kept blowing fuses,just swaped the illumination wire with the other wire and it worked (with the side lights on obviously)would have rewired it properly if the owner used the cigar lighter or anything else drawing a bit more current than his satnav.he was trading the car in soon anyway.

boatman

As has been said check the voltage or plug in something cheap before the satnav!!

spookylukey

Thanks for all the help I'm going to buy a multi meter to test it, can someone tell me which one of these two is the right thing for the job?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=30584&C=Maplin&U=SearchTop&T=multi%20meter&doy=25m2

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ITAG=FAQ&ModuleNo=37279&doy=25m2#faq

anewman

The voltage will be controlled by the alternator and be the same throughout the car's electrics. The lighter socket will either work or it won't. An easy way to test if it works is to get a cheapie mobile phone charger thingie from poundland. If it has a light on it it doesn't matter if it's one for your phone, just plug it in if light comes on it works.

KeithP

Either of those will do this particular job.
I would choose this one myself, because it has so many other uses, like continuity testing for example, that your other choice does not.

pompeyrich

KeithP wrote: »

Either of those will do this particular job.
I would choose this one myself, because it has so many other uses, like continuity testing for example, that your other choice does not.

As Keith says, that's the better of the 2 and on buy 1 get 1 free at the moment.