I don't know why, but my fuse keeps blowing every time I plug my cell phone charger into my cigarette lighter. There is nothing in the lighter (i checked that first cause I have heard of change shorting things out). The charger works fine in other cars though, so it is something with my car. Why does this happen? How can I fix it?

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91 rs, convertible, K&N, Edelbrock open element cleaner, 3.73, B&M mega-shifter, goodmark cowl-induction hood,tinted windows

 

Your cigarette lighter circuit is screwed up, the wires are probably loose and its shorting out. Hopefully someone else can provide the fix for it, because I dont know.

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1991 Camaro Z28
5.7L 5-Speed (originally 305)
13.25 @ 107.18 MPH
Southern California
Member: SoCal 3rd Gen F-Bodies
Webmaster: SoCal F-Bodies
-=ICON Motorsports=-

 

The fault is in your lighter plug.I have the same problem with mine.Somethings will work fine but others blow my fuse.
Easy fix.....junkyard!Find a lighter from another car to replace yours.You can even goto a local auto store and by one.There are 2 wires connected to your lighter.one 12v and a ground.A metal spring looking clamp is what holds it in your dash.
Most G and F-body lighters should work.

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http://www.camaroforum.com/ http://nethirdgen.org/ http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/tristatecamaro

[This message has been edited by Kevin S (edited January 02, 2001).]

 

thanks, i think that might be it.

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91 rs, convertible, K&N, Edelbrock open element cleaner, 3.73, B&M mega-shifter, goodmark cowl-induction hood,tinted windows

 

so do i replace the part with the wires coming out of it?

 

Same thing happens to my car, but my cig lighter works fine and there are no loose wires. It turns our that my charger (Nokia 51 whatever) is too wide for the hole. It fits in there, but it spreads the connectors inside the socket untill they touch the sides of the lighter. That made my fuse blow. I got out my dremel and a stone and shaved off some of the charger plug. Works like a champ and no blown fuses!!

 

well, this phone works fine in a 92 rs, so i guess it is my lighter

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91 rs, convertible, K&N, Edelbrock open element cleaner, 3.73, B&M mega-shifter, goodmark cowl-induction hood,tinted windows

 

so what part do i replace?

 

The socket where the lighter goes.

 

I had the same problem. The problem lies in the design of the lighter and socket, not the wiring - it's fine. Many accessories have sort of a flange near the end to lock into the lighter socket. It pushes the "wings" if the center electrode outward into contact with the grounded housing. For some reason, our lighters are different than most, and push the "wings" inward when inserted, whereas all others push outward.

If you go to Wal-Mart, Auto Zone, etc. and look at the various replacement lighters, you'll see they have a large slot in the socket in the vicinity of the "wings" so that when they get pushed out, they won't come into contact with anything. Therefore, you have two possible solutions:

1) Modify the snoot of the accessory plug by grinding off that flange. That flange is there to help hold it into the socket, but isn't really necessary.
2) Install one of those replacement lighters with the big slots in the sides. They won't work with you lighter (you'll have to use the one that comes with it), but it will work with all accessories. (This is what I did.) If you're considering future restoration, you can keep your old lighter for later reinstallation.

Why GM did this is beyond me...

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'87 IROC 5.7l TPI - original owner!

 

The problem is the charger plug, NOT the lighter.

Buy a new charger adapter or snip off the ends: heres a picture i guess:

Before (side view of part that inserts into lighter):

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/ \
| |
| |

After:

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| |
| |
| |

I have done this, and it worked. I can elaborate with hand-drawn pictures if needed.

Joe


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86 IROC TPI
700-R4
K&N Air filters

 

Yes, it definitely is the phone charger. A customer brought his car back to my shop after I installed his stereo, and it had stopped working. Turns out that his Nokia charger was causing it to short out.

Either modify the charger as the others here have said, or buy separate, add-on cigarette lighter socket from the auto parts store and mount it under the dash someplace.

 

i had that problem any time i plugged something other than th cigerette lighter into that socket.. i replaced that entire asembly with a uneversal one and soldered the wires to it with a costome made plug to disconncet the wires to it. solved my problem.

try somethign other than the phone charger in it and see if it does it then, like a radar or a cb or something. if it does it with somethign else, its the cigerette lighter asembly,

-Stell

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1988 IROC-Z 305TPI MINT!!
Mods= Accell SuperCoil, MSD 6A, Ported Plenum, No MAF Screans, K & N, 180 Thermostat+ Temp Switch, Relocated MAT, Cold Air. Soon to have Edelbrock TES Headers,MSD Ignition wires and a few other misc goodies

1988 Pontiac Trans Am. 305 TPI Beyond MINT Condition. Dynomax Catback