Cigarette ligter

So, a penny got into my cigarette/12v outlet in my ashtray, and it doesn't work now, I checked the fuse, even replacing it with another and still nothing. Is there another place for a fuse or relay in the 2003 Jetta? The other posts are not helping as I cannot find anything as posted. Do I need to replace the socket itself with another? Btw, the one in the trunk works just fine. I need it for the GPS and phone charging.

You prob shorted out the cig lighter socket. If you remove it you can check for power and ground at the connector to verify the cig lighter is bad.

I did remove it, I have yet to do the circuit testing, I am in grad school, so time is often quite short, I also need to find my tester, I know it is around somewhere...

Just have to find the right fuse.

Thanks mike, I have removed all the larger fuses in fuse block, I did not think the "micro fuses" along the top would be part of that so I have not messed with them.What I am wondering, is are there any fuses in other locations that could be servicing this outlet?

You did check/replace fuse #41, right? You don't mention the number so I thought I'd ask. No other fuses in-line that I know of.

Yes, #41 has been replaced,

Did the new fuse fail as soon as you plugged it in after removing the penny?
If it did, the socket is likely bad....bet the penny got hot before the fuse blew, and melted something.(maybe the solder for the ground or + ).....must have been in there at the funny angle since the side/bottom is used as conductors....I just ask cause a immediate fuse blow would indicate a short circuit in the plug, but a zero power, good fuse would indicate open connection...like a solder tab melted and fell off from the heat...an easy fix...
Like in fixing anything, you just have too look too see what is broke....
If the circirt is desgined right, the wiring should be intact....

How are you checking the cigarette lighter? If you are plugging something into it, the device you are plugging in may be what is broken or the male plug may have a burned out fuse in it.

What I plugged into the cigarette lighter (double USB adapter)I also plugged into the courtesy in the trunk to make sure it was the lighter, and the light on it works, so it is still good.

ChapCody said:

Yes, #41 has been replaced,

Click to expand...

did you verify the old one was bad?

(if not, a check with a meter is advised)

are there fuses in two locations on your car?

mine has a batch under the hood, and some at the end of the dashboard, where you open the left side front passenger door to access.

Meerschm,

The only fuses I found under the hood are on top of the battery, but do not know what they go to, I need to research that. I metered the plug that goes into the lighter/ac outlet, and get nothing. As far as I know, there are is only the one fuse in the block on the Driver's door. If there is another, I don't know about it. I wouldn't think the wiring would get fried and the fuse not blow, yet anything is possible.

A few options... you need to test the center contact at the base of the lighter socket itself to eliminate any problems with the plug you're using. You need to be careful as you can short your lead to the surrounding housing if you're not careful. I'd ground your negative lead somewhere else. You can also remove the center console and test the actual wire connected to the center of the lighter itself. Safer but more work. It will also let you see if, somehow, the connector to the back of the lighter got damaged.

There are no other fuses shown for the lighter. It's unlikely you melted a wire completely through before the fuse blew unless it's something way bigger than the 15A called for. See the wiring diagram for the lighter circuit up to the fuse panel.

I would go back to the fuse and check voltage.


then pull the fuse and check resistance of the fuse.

not impossible to have a bad fuse, even out of the box.

do you have a volt meter?

I used a light tester (and a volt meter) and get nothing on any of the leads on the pigtail (I removed the ashtray and everything to see if there was a buss fuse on the lighter). I am sure I will need to replace the lighter socket as the penny did arc on the body of it. I did replace the fuse, I have not tested it but I have done so twice to make sure it wasn't a bad fuse. So I still get no power coming in to that point, however I get power to the one in the trunk.

I would go back to fuse 41, pretty sure you can check voltage at the fuse.

with the trouble light or meter, you can connect the negative to a good frame ground and use the probe on each side of the fuse, while still installed, and verify voltage. there should be two little dots you can see in the plastic for this purpose.

Keep in mind if the circuit is only active with the ignition key on.

it could be that the ground side of the lighter circuit has trouble too, but the fuse is the first suspect.

every fuse should read the same voltage on each side, so check em all while you are at it. would not be the first time a different number fuse ended up being the one blown.

O.K. thanks Mike I will look into that. This is turning into something crazy that should be simple for sure. Along with the Fuel Injection pump issue (timing, I think)

O.K. So finally got the situation sorted, I did as suggested with the light probe and found a fuse that was burned by testing both sides of the fuse as suggested. Surprisingly the only fuse that did not light on both sides was fuse #40 versus #41 (that one lit up no issues) changed out #40 as it would need to be anyway and viola' the lighter now works. interestingly the fuse panel marks it with a book icon and #41 as the lighter. Either way, now the outlet works as it should.

Yea!

always the last thing you check.