Cigarette Lighter Not Working

Hi All, 
My current radio charges my phone too slowly, so until I swap that out I bought a little cigarette lighter adapter. But no power out. 

• I checked the fuse, seems okay but will buy a new one to check against. 
• Removed the current lighter and it's a bit of a mess, I gave it a bit of a scrub and this is how it looks (see attached below), is it just this thing is probably knackered and I should get a new one?
• Is there anything else I can test?
  • I do have a cheap little volt meter but was unsure which was positive and negative on the cable, can anyone clarify?

Thank you for any help or advice! 

The inner part is positive, the outer part negative. It can be tested with a 12 volt bulb on a wire, If your volt meter is digital then it will just show a minus sign in front of the voltage if the leads are round the wrong way.

It does look a little grotty, nothing odd there, a scruba dub dub with some wire wool should shift the grot; don’t do this whilst connected!
If it’s just a reasonable USB charging system you require, there are any number of ideas to be had for single hole fitting, by looking through eBay. You will, in all probability, need to open up the hole.
Chris is spot on with polarity & it would be a good idea to fit yourself up with a reasonable test meter. A continuity buzzer is an essential for car stuff & make yourself an extra long test lead with an optional crock’ clip.
M

So I tested the cable with a tester and I am getting voltage to the cable end. (see below)
I pulled out the orange clip and noticed that there looks to be another connector on it, nothing was connected to it. Should there be able here. I had a rummage around the cavity and could not see anything. Is this needed to function or is it reduntant? 

Thanks again for the help! Bought the TF so I can actually learn things about cars so I am starting at ground zero. 

 
 


 

That third connector is for illumination. There is a spring clip on the grey fitting, this connects to the earthy side if the socket, a separate positive connects to the third connector & with a T3(?)lamp fitted you can locate the lighter when its dark.
M

I had much the same problem with the cigar lighter in my '04TF.  It was so corroded down there that it wouldn't make decent contact with the USB charger.  

Be careful putting wire wool in there, as in some cars the cigar lighter is permanently live; you could blow the fuse (or worse!).

I replaced the whole thing with a cigar lighter and socket I bought from ebay  

It was a bit of a struggle getting the old one out and even more putting the replacement in but you can get access by removing the ashtray and maybe the cubby.  I had to enlarge the hole a tiny bit with a dremel

I am in the process of installing an extension to the cigar/cigarette circuit for sat nav and dash cam.
To do this I have fitted a relay under the heater motor. There is a tapped hole M6 under the heater that is a swine to utilise but it is there and provides a convenient earth for the relay and the power return.
I used the "push in" adapters into the fuse panel with the power supply coming off the cigarette fuse position and the signal for the relay to function comes from any one of the fuses that is only live with the ignition turned on. I'd need to check which one I used but I think it was the windscreen wiper circuit. The power to operate the relay is milli amps.
From the relay I have two aftermarket cigarette extension sockets.