I've owned my 1986 Camaro IROC Z since circa 2012. The power to the cigarette light has never worked. Plug in a compressor (now I use on of the battery powered Dewalt style ones), no power, one of those USB conversions, no power. Dome light works, rear hatch switch works and the fuse is fine. Every thread I have read on here going back to circa 2001 has just said "pull the fuse and check, it's likely blown" but it isn't. Replaced it anyway and still no joy. Does anyone sell a replacement for this?

I don't know if it's on the same fuse or not but the defroster works fine. I would love to be able to plug in a radar detector but the lighter has never worked.

 

I find nOS stuff all the time. Get a new element, then try the cricket, check your fuse.
i recently found a cup full of elements, remember there are 2 types. I sold them all at tranny natz

 

so somewhere in the previous 26 years of you not owning it, someone might have disconnected the cigarette lighter for whatever reason.
Since you have done all the easy peasy stuff, id say its time to take things apart and possibly run a new wire to the fuse box.

 

Like BK said, taking things apart is the only way to know. You know you have power at the battery, and you know you don't at the lighter. Pick one of those two spots (I'd pick the lighter) and follow the wires towards the other. Test every so often to see if the power condition remains the same. Once it changes, you have successfully narrowed down the failure point.

I would just start by removing the center console cover and checking that the leads are connected and if they are live. Very serious possibility that one has come disconnected causing the issue.

 

Yeah, I'm betting that's the case. It's probably unplugged. Now that I have a garage and my IROC is no longer a daily driver, it makes it easier to work on these things and I can take stuff apart and leave it apart for awhile.

 

Thank you, yeah I'm betting it's probably unplugged. It's been one of those little things that was never a priority so I just put it off for 14 years compared to all of the under the hood stuff. Plus now that it's no longer my daily driver, I can tinker with it more and not worry.

 

True, but also, it is only four screws. Nothing says it has to stay apart if you find that the issue is deeper than an unplugged wire.

Don't let the endless possibilities of causes dissuade you from checking the 5 minute easy possibility. Nothing feels worse than finding out years late that it was an easy and free fix the whole time.

 

Yes, probably unplugged. But they're not easy to unplug due to a little "tooth" that snaps into a hole in the + and - spades, so a connector can't accidently slip off of the spade. If it's unplugged, then it was unplugged intentionally in the past, probably to remove the shift plate, and a connector either wasn't fully "snapped" back onto a spade, and it slipped off at some point, or it wasn't plugged back in at all. Here's a pic of the socket, and you can see the holes in the spades. And if there is an unplugged orange or black wire (or both) under there, it'll be easy to recognize that they plug onto the socket's spades.

 

Thank you for this. I'll probably take a look tomorrow.

 

We sell a complete new cigarette lighter set up or the parts individually. I'd check it with a test light and see if you have power first, should have power regardless of ignition key position. If you have power then the lighter may have failed over the years. The reproduction set up looks like original and can use the original power connector.
1982-89 Camaro Cigarette Lighter W/ **** & Element – Screaming Chicken



We also sell a round USB port that could install where the lighter was, wouldn't look factory but could be more useful. It just needs power and ground connected to it.
Round Flush Mount Single Port USB 3.0 Cable – Screaming Chicken

 

Thank you. I will take a look at my current set up this weekend and I may order one.