E36 Cigarette Lighter Prob - pls help

[BluePurpleRed]

Hi,

I am nearly all set for a 2 week trip around Europe. I don't normally use it but have realised that the cigarette lighter isn't working. I have checked the fuse and thats ok, so was just seeing if I could save some time by picking the collective brain about what it may be....

Just to add, when I bought it the guy was swapping the wood trim for the black grained leather, so maybe came unstuck then? Brakes and suspension I am fine with, but I am a little wary with interiors. Would hate for it to be all creaky once I have reassembled it!

[phumy]

Two choices here, either buy a lighter or give up smoking

[henrycrun]

do you actually need to light up or just need a 12v supply for satnav etc ?

[Fer]

phumy said:

Two choices here, either buy a lighter or give up smoking

And extra big batteries for your Tom-Tom, I-pod, etc.

Not everyone uses the cigarette lighter socket for smoking.

[dan101smith]

There are two spade connectors on the underside of it, check they're attached (will require taking some of the centre console apart).

[Allanv]

I know you probably have already done this but, are you just trying the lighter in the socket or have you tried a ipod or tomtom.

The reason I ask is that the lighter itself does not work in mine, but the socket does and powers my stuff.

So you may have a duff lighter or I am talking out of my hat

[BluePurpleRed]

Cheers for the responses. I fixed it, and in an effort to actually contribute to the internet rather than just get stuff from it, I'll write up what I did and put it up, and link here later.

There is a 2nd inline fuse, which although unblown in my case is useful to know. It did have a household 250v one in which promptly got replaced with a proper automotive spec one, thanks to my Dad who has all manner of "bits and bobs" (read Jam Jars and trays of autojumble buys! ) in his garage that come in useful in times like this.

In the end it was a loose clip / wire in the back as dan101 said, I remember the previous owner saying he had the dubious "walnut" trim removed so I guess it got knocked off then. Light housing also broken and now fixed

Oh, and I'm not an anti smoking Nazi, but would a car lover really smoke in their car when it makes it smell so rank, so cheers for the really helpful post and the rolleyes phumy, it clearly made pistonheads a better place. I was going to use it for FM transmitter for iPod, SatNav and phone charging. Seeing as I'm with the Mrs across Europe for a week, SatNav battery dying would not be ideal, althugh randomly she does seem awesome at reading maps..!

Edited by BluePurpleRed on Monday 27th July 15:45

[derin100]

That's a very useful post.Thanks1
Whilst I was away fishing in France with a friend a few weeks ago my wife (she blames the kid!) managed to:

A)Whack a pink paving slab into the side of my E39 540i Touring and scratch it and

B)Break the cigarette lighter which I use as a power source for 'stuff' by apparently one of the kids dropping a sweet paper into the socket!

Hmmm....strange how today I actually found pink paving slab 'crumbs' in the boot space of my Touring when she has almost an exact Touring in virtually the same colour in 528i guise. One wonders why my Touring was chosen preferentially in my absence to transport pink paving slab?....And indeed "drop sweet papers into the lighter socket" when I wasn't there?

What other 'porkies' have yet to be uncovered one wonders?


Anyway....the 'normal' fuse is intact. Where do I look next?

Thanks in advance.

[BluePurpleRed]

I will post up the photos and also a guide on what to do when I get in tonight. An after work "drink" prevented me last night. It seems quite scary at first as you will need to pop out the trip computer to lift out the bit that you need to pull out below it. It comes out like a cartridge so not as bad as I thought at first.

I hope my photos are ok, my Dad was a bit "stopping faffing with the camera and undo that screw" as he always is when I am trying to take phots of what we are doing.

Also I had most of the front in bits as I fixed a problem with one of the vents, as it was wedged closed, and some stuff with the glovebox I wanted to look at so was a bit distracted. I'll stop prattling on here at work and put it all up tonight and link.

Edited by BluePurpleRed on Tuesday 28th July 12:50