Known fault - Cigarette Lighter

**james_tiger_woo** · 10-09-2009,09:21 AM

I've just dropped off my car for its first service (12k) and I commented on the cigarette lighter no longer working - the response surprised me a little:

Me: Can you check the cigarette lighter as it's no longer working
Service Bloke (SB): Have you had a Sat-Nav plugged in to it?
Me: Er, yes (I don't smoke y'see)
SB: **sigh** Yes, it's a known problem - the fuse has probably gone
Me: Really - I wouldn't have expected that
SB: Yes, it happens quite a lot on the new Golf

So there you go - if the cig lighter stops working - check the fuse.

When the car comes back, I'll verify this - of course....

**JohnVulcan** · 10-09-2009,01:49 PM

That is surprising James, especially considering the hefty current a cigarette light draws compared with that required by a Sat-Nav!

**james_tiger_woo** · 10-09-2009,02:02 PM

It has been confirmed as a fuse, all working for now :-)

**AdamInKent** · 10-09-2009,11:55 PM

Originally Posted by james_tiger_woo

It has been confirmed as a fuse, all working for now :-)

You might have caused a short circuit when inserting the plug into the lighter socket. I did a similar thing to my Focus a couple of weeks ago.

**james_tiger_woo** · 11-09-2009,08:43 AM

Odd, I was careful and everything - strange how the dealer recognised it as a known fault though...

**AdamInKent** · 11-09-2009,04:44 PM

Originally Posted by james_tiger_woo

Odd, I was careful and everything - strange how the dealer recognised it as a known fault though...

Careful or not, the only way the fuse would blow is if the power was shorted to ground as the plug for your sat-nav was inserted. Cigarette lighter sockets weren't really designed for powering sat-navs (or kettles, or fridges, or phones, etc) so there are flaws in the plugs and sockets which are common to all cars.

(I wasn't knocking your original post, btw. I was just adding more info.)

**dmw76** · 11-09-2009,10:00 PM

This happened to me the day i picked my car up! We planned to pick it up and drive down to brighton to see my brother in law, went over everything with the sales guy, plugged in the sat nav and set off. 20 minutes later i noticed that the sat nav wasnt charging and when we got to brighton i noticed the fuse had blown.

**Crasher** · 11-09-2009,10:14 PM

This has been going on for years now, ever since mobile phones had cig lighter car chargers. Now mobile batteries last much longer, it is usually the sat nav adapter that is the problem. Blame it on the cheap sat nav plug, not the cars gig lighter socket.

**netherfield** · 11-09-2009,10:34 PM

Ditto ^^^^^^^^^

Blown one or myself with a phone charger.

**jaypr** · 12-09-2009,10:50 AM

What Sat Navs are people using that are blowing fuses?

Is it specific to certain models or manufacturers?

I have a 1997 Polo and a Tomtom that have been working perfectly for years, i'm about to get a Golf on the scrappage so it'll be nice if the fuse didn't keep blowing.

Jason