How To Fix The Cigarette Lighter In Your Car When It's Not Working

in Service and Maintenance
Cigarette lighter in a car

Source: Pixabay

There are many different components at the front of your car, and one that sits front and center is the cigarette lighter. Unfortunately, there are instances where the cigarette lighter can break, impacting the features you paid for in your vehicle. If this happened to you, you might wonder how to fix a cigarette lighter in the car. What’s wrong with the component?

If you’re interested in learning more about how to fix the cigarette lighter, you’re in the right place. The more you know about how to deal with issues in this area of your car, the easier it will be to take care of it before anything gets out of control. Read on to learn the symptoms of a broken cigarette lighter, what happens with this fractured component, and more.

Symptoms of a Broken Cigarette Lighter

If you’re worried about a cigarette lighter, it’s helpful to know what to keep an eye out for. There are a few clear things that might happen if you think there is something wrong with your cigarette lighter. 

According to lifewire.com, there are two general indications of a broken cigarette lighter: 

  • Complete lack of connection of power to your device
  • Fluttering power connection to your device

These show there is something wrong with your cigarette lighter.

The cigarette lighter in a car might once have been used for its namesake, but now it’s used to charge devices in a vehicle. If you aren’t getting power from the cigarette lighter, there is probably a blockage, trouble with the charger, or the cigarette lighter has blown a fuse. Each is relatively simple to address. 

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What Will A Broken Cigarette Lighter Do?

Unlike other broken components in a car, issues with a cigarette lighter won’t necessarily destroy your car or ruin your driving experience. However, it will get in the way of experiences you might want to undergo as a driver.

Without a cigarette lighter, you won’t be able to charge your device. While this issue isn’t the end of the world, you won’t get to keep your phone charged if you’re going on a long trip. To keep your directions and music going, you must bring a portable charger to make up for what the cigarette lighter system would have offered.

So, a broken cigarette lighter will not destroy your driving experience. However, it will make your car less functional, especially if you don’t know how to fix a cigarette lighter in your car.

How To Fix A Broken Cigarette Lighter

If you encounter a broken cigarette lighter in your car, it’s helpful to learn how to repair it or diagnose it yourself. The most common faults are issues with foreign objects, a need for a replacement, or trouble with the wiring and fuse. How do you deal with them?

Let’s dive into further details about how to deal with each item that could cause your cigarette lighter to stop working. The more you know about each tactic, the easier it will be to test out all possibilities and get your broken cigarette lighter back in proper working condition as soon as possible. Of course, you can also get a mechanic to make the repairs if you can’t.

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Remove Foreign Objects

When considering how to fix a cigarette lighter in your car, the first and easiest solution is to remove foreign objects that have become lodged inside. Dust, crumbs, and other debris can easily become trapped inside the cigarette lighter, blocking power from being able to move from one location to another.

Check inside the cigarette lighter area and use a Q-tip to gently dislodge and remove anything that got clogged inside. Once it looks clean, test it out and see if things are back in working condition.

Test and Replace System

There also might be a need to test and replace the cigarette lighter completely. If you have a multimeter on hand, perform a test. Turn the car off, set the multimeter to DC voltage, and attach the red wire lead to the “V” red socket and the black to the “COM” socket. Hold the probed red lead to the metal circle on the bottom and black to the side of the socket.

Once each wire is in place, check out the voltage reading. If it’s anything below 12V, it’s time for a replacement.

According to getjerry.com, here is the process for replacing a cigarette lighter:

  • Turn off the engine and remove the key.
  • Locate the fuse box in the car.
  • Use needle-nose pliers to remove the fuse box.
  • Use a socket removal tool to take out the socket.
  • Unplug the wire connector.
  • Place the new one inside.
  • Plug in and reconnect the new system.

Everything should be working after this point.

If you don’t feel confident in your ability to replace the cigarette lighter, reach out to a professional. It’s always better to get help than to break the system further.

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Repair Issues With Wiring or Fuse

The final option when determining how to fix a cigarette lighter in your car is to repair troubles with the wiring or fuse. They can blow when the wrong device is plugged in, so check to see if this trouble is why you aren’t getting any charge.

Typically, you can see if a fuse or wiring needs replacement if it looks fried and burned. If there are errors here, no power will flow through the system.

Final Thoughts

A broken cigarette lighter in a car can be frustrating, but it isn’t the end of the world. Most likely, there is something wrong with the system or fuses, or there is a foreign item stuck inside the system. Once you determine the trouble, you can repair it yourself or take it to a professional. 

We hope this information comes in handy! It can be frustrating to see something wrong in your vehicle, even if it’s something as small as an issue with a cigarette lighter. However, there are ways to address the problem yourself. You can also diagnose it and take it to a mechanic if you’re unsure how to handle it alone.

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