Why is the car cigarette lighter not working?
2 Answers
There are several reasons why a car cigarette lighter may not have power: 1. The fuse is blown. 2. The cigarette lighter plug is loose. Here is more information about cigarette lighters: 1. The cigarette lighter draws power from the car's electrical system to heat a metal heating element (such as a heating plate or wire) to provide a flame source for lighting cigarettes. The cigarette lighter socket can usually be configured with a car inverter to charge mobile electronic devices, etc. 2. The cigarette lighter operates at 12 volts, which matches the vehicle's battery voltage. The outer metal shell of the lighter is the negative terminal, while the central heating element is the positive terminal. When the lighter is inserted and pressed down to lock, the heating plate contacts the positive terminal of the socket and begins heating. Once the heating plate reaches the required temperature, the temperature-sensitive spring deforms due to the heat, releasing the lighter plug, which pops out, allowing the user to light a cigarette.
With over a decade of car repair experience, I can tell you that when the cigarette lighter has no power, it's most likely a blown fuse—especially when short circuits occur from using dash cams or charging phones. There are spare fuses in the fuse box under the glove compartment on the passenger side. Just replace it with a 15A small blue fuse, and it should work. If that doesn’t solve the issue, check if the copper contacts inside the socket are loose—use tweezers to adjust them slightly. Recently, I’ve seen several cases where cheap adapters melted the socket, requiring a full replacement of the socket module, which costs around 200-300 yuan. Also, leaving devices plugged in for long periods accelerates wear, so remember to unplug them to extend the lifespan.
