V70: Electrical Cigarette Lighter/12v Socket Fuses

[sye73]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could point me to likely causes/solutions to the following issue please?

My '62 plate V70 D2 R-Design has a total of three cigarette Lighter/12v sockets: 1 in the front part of the centre console, 1 facing the rear passenger compartment and 1 in the luggage area at the rear of the car.
It would appear that the rear-most socket is fused separately and works fine. However, the front pair (running off the same fuse) are both inoperative. I tried replacing the fuse, but as soon as I depressed the lighter into the socket, it blew. Any ideas as to what might be causing this? Wondered if it was a common V70 issue??

Thanks

[october37]

As long as you are using the heavier fuse say at least a 15 or 20amp fuse it sounds like its the Lighter thats at fault. Try using something with less power requirement, as Ciggi Lighters draw a lot if power, and it may be that the fuse isnt heavy enough to take it.

[sye73]

Many thanks for your reply.
My understanding is that the OE fuse is a 15amp; I replaced the blown one with a new one of the same rating.
I also plugged in my sat nav using its cigarette lighter connector to see if would draw less current than the lighter and keep the fuse intact, but it blew again straight away.

Would that imply it can only be the lighter socket itself that's causing the issue? If so, it doesn't look like it can be accessed without removing the whole centre console..

[Zutroy]

Probably a short to earth somewhere, check the items your plugging in is puka

[sye73]

Thanks for your reply.
I've tried the cigarette lighter, the sat nav and one other device and all of them blow the fuse..

[Peter2400]

Can you test it with a multimeter? Don't know if that's possibble but if somehow it gets too much voltage maybe it can blow the fuse. Or if you switch to the connection checking on the multimeter and it beeps that would mean there is a short somewhere. I would start with these.

[MCFastybloke]

If its fine when dormant but blowing when ANY device is inserted the fault is between fuse and lighter, Start by swapping out the orifice and work back.

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by MCFastybloke

If its fine when dormant but blowing when ANY device is inserted the fault is between fuse and lighter, Start by swapping out the orifice and work back.

Surely if it's fine when 'dormant' ( i.e.fuse in, power on but nothing plugged in) then that must prove that all wiring to the socket is OK?

If I've understood the fault correctly then the problem must be with the actual socket, perhaps a loose part causing a short whenever a plug is inserted. Such a fault would almost certainly only affect ONE of the two cabin sockets though... does the fuse blow whichever one of those sockets is used?

[Maurice Mynah]

If you have a plug with no device attached to it, try plugging that in. It does sound like the socket itself to me too

[sye73]

Thanks again for everyone's help -

I bought a cheap multi-meter to attempt some testing (not really used one before).

Whilst I couldn't get the unit to 'beep' (which, if I understand correctly, means there is a continuous circuit present), I did stick probe in the cigarette lighter socket and once earthed on a door check-strap registered between 14.7v and 14.9v with the engine running. I assume that is OK?

I tried a variety of adaptors, devices etc and it seems the one constant is that it's always the cigarette lighter itself that blows the fuse when inserted into the socket. Could it be that just this component is faulty? I'd be surprised if it was (there's not much to them, is there?), but nothing else plugged into the same socket seems to blow fuses with such regularity....