The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay How to wire a cigarette lighter??

The lighter was missing in my 66 C10 so I ordered a new one from Brothers. I looked in my '63 shop manual (don't have the '66 suplement), but I can't find anything on the lighter wiring. New new lighter comes with black and white wires. The white wire is pluged into a connector on the outside of the lighter barrel. The black wire connects to the center connector on the barrel. At the other end there is a plastic connector on the black wire. The white wire has 2 connectors; one on the end and the other about 2" back from the end connector.

Where do these 3 connections on the ends go??

Also on the outside of the lighter barrel is a spade terminal that looks like its for a ground. Does this need to be connected to ground somewhere?

It seems like there are as many as 4 connections to hook up the lighter - jeez, I didn't think a lighter would be so complicated.

Last question - the lighter came with 3 spring clips that I guess are used to lock the lighter into place in the dash. How do these work?

Of course there were no directions included with the new lighter....

Help!

Thanks,
Steve

Just quit smoking. It will be easier.

well you do make it sound complicated!
center black to +, body white to ground, and it's prolly prewired for any old generic application
the spring clips may be the ones that tension the element so it doesn't just spring back out when you punch it in, or they fit around the outside of the main unit so when you poke the assembly in the hole they 'wedge' against the back of the dash

Chief, more likely needs to get rid of all the modern accessories that use the lighter for their chargers

Bill

Thanks guys. I think the clips are suppose to hold the barrel into the dash somehow, but I haven't figured out how they go. Its indo of like a Rubic's cube.

Steve

Pull the clips off if on. slide the barell into hole reach under and push clips up against dash. The clips hold it tight. The wiring spade is for ground if your dash is not allready grounded (metal dashes are usually grounded already. The spade is more commonly use for plastic dashes and you ground it to a metal brace.

Been a long time since I installed one they use to come with a red or black lead and ground.

popcorn The Truth is Out There (Really its been a long time)

Bill is right. I put a cigarette lighter in my 55 2nd to fuel my cell phone. It also comes in handy for my son's gameboy. It should be called a "power port," not a cigarette lighter.

And thank you bill for posting the accessory installation manual. It is extremely usefull. I use it a lot.

yer welcome Dennis, I've found that book really useful too - and I really like that 'power port' label!! gotta tell my skipper buddy that's what those 3 sockets are I installed on his boat for all the gadgets he powers that way!

Bill

make sure your hot wire is fused

cigarette lighter is basically a dead short hot wire to the center post and make sure the housing is grounded and it will work.