HELP!! My Cig Lighter Does Not Work!

Cheekz185 · 07-28-2005, 10:03 PM

OK so I bought a 140W AC-DC cigarette lighter adapter from RadioShack. I was going to use it to plug in my laptop. So I hooked everything up and i started driving and after 10 min the adapter stopped charging my laptop. There is a little green light on the AC-DC adapter and when it is getting power it lights up so after 10 minutes that light went out. SO i was like OK thats really weird. SO the DUMBASS that i am i decided to plug it into the bottom cig lighter (cuz there are 2 one for the cig lighter and another for whatever) and after a half hour it did the same thing!. I tried pluging other things into the cig lighter and nothing. Doesnt heat up the cig lighter.

SO here is what i did....I checked the fuses in the fuse panel and they are all good! Every one it still working. I checked them all. I also checked under my hood and found nothing.

What can i do to fix this?

Batmanatthenewb · 07-28-2005, 10:18 PM

Try it in a different car and see if you have the same results. If not, the problem is in your car. If the problem still happens, there is a problem with the inverter.

Batman

Cheekz185 · 07-28-2005, 10:20 PM

It is my car, cuz nothing works when i plug anything into my cig lighter, not the inverter. Inverter doesnt even power any more. I just tried changing the fuses but nothing....

Wiredwrx · 07-28-2005, 10:41 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Cheekz185

It is my car, cuz nothing works when i plug anything into my cig lighter, not the inverter. Inverter doesnt even power any more. I just tried changing the fuses but nothing....

Hope you didn't burn up any fusible links. You should check to see if your car has them.

Michael

jjh221 · 07-28-2005, 10:43 PM

have you tried turning the key?

dont know much about them but if were me id take it out of your dash or where ever and have a look see and maybe buy a new one?

Quote: Originally Posted by Wiredwrx

Hope you didn't burn up any fusible links. You should check to see if your car has them.

Michael

oh yeah inline fuses? is that what ya mean. I never thought of that.
Just take the car back, say its defective.

/
holly blasting caps batman, your back!
Ok im off to bed
night

Cheekz185 · 07-28-2005, 10:45 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Wiredwrx

Hope you didn't burn up any fusible links. You should check to see if your car has them.

Michael

What are fusible links, and where would they be

markopolo311 · 07-28-2005, 10:59 PM

an inline fuse holder?

could look like this?

https://secure1.nexternal.com/ae/images/90-811.jpg

just follow the wire that the powers the cigarette lighter socket

kevinlekiller · 07-28-2005, 11:05 PM

12 amps on a Im guessing 10 amps cigarette lighter = blown fuse.

Check the fuse box and see if the fuse is burnt. Next time hardwire it to the battery.

Cheekz185 · 07-28-2005, 11:05 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by markopolo311

an inline fuse holder?

could look like this?

https://secure1.nexternal.com/ae/images/90-811.jpg

just follow the wire that the powers the cigarette lighter socket

But why would there be 2 fuses on the same line?

Cheekz185 · 07-28-2005, 11:09 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by kevinlekiller

12 amps on a Im guessing 10 amps cigarette lighter = blown fuse.

Check the fuse box and see if the fuse is burnt. Next time hardwire it to the battery.

it is a 15amp line

techeros · 07-28-2005, 11:15 PM

dude if you have poped a fuse in your vehice fuse box, don't be so quick to replace it. Your cig adaptor might have a fuse in it as well. Think of it as protection. Why not 2.

so if you replace both lets say, still got to figure out why they blew.
My guess is you have too many watts/amps being drawn and that may have blown the fuse. Don't put a bigger fuse in. The wire connected to your cig lighteer in your car may not be able to handle the watts/amps and overheat/melt/catch fire.

You should consider running a dedicated/ thicker awg (gage) wire for your inverter.

How many watts is your inverter (peak)??

Cheekz185 · 07-28-2005, 11:18 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by techeros

dude if you have poped a fuse in your vehice fuse box, don't be so quick to replace it. Your cig adaptor might have a fuse in it as well. Think of it as protection. Why not 2.

so if you replace both lets say, still got to figure out why they blew.
My guess is you have too many watts/amps being drawn and that may have blown the fuse. Don't put a bigger fuse in. The wire connected to your cig lighteer in your car may not be able to handle the watts/amps and overheat/melt/catch fire.

You should consider running a dedicated/ thicker awg (gage) wire for your inverter.

How many watts is your inverter (peak)??

So your saying that there should be another fuse? And that is prolly the fuse that blew? How would i find out if there is another fuse? I gotta follow the wire i guess....

Here is the inverter:

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct%5Fid=22-148

techeros · 07-28-2005, 11:25 PM

ok look at his link
http://www.electerm.com/gfx/fusegfx/cig-m.jpg

this one will more than likely twist off at the end. if you unscrew it, you will probably find a fuse in there. Your inverter sounds like it's ok, but my guess still is that it is pulling too much wattage/amps.

Your inverter is good for 20 amps. thats all it will provide. tops
most cig adaptors (not all) will carry a lod of 5 to 10 amps.

If each cig adapter in your car have a fuse, then that explains why blew and the other worked for a short time.

It could also be a protective circuit in the inverter. hard to say.

What are you connecting to the inverter?