1980 Jeep CJ-5 / Electrical questions

Fuses can pass a visual inspection and still not pass current, for a number of reasons. For example the contacts on the end could be corroded. The wire to the cigarette lighter could be cut or corroded. The cigarette lighter could be damaged. If someone actually used it to light cigarettes this is quite common. The interior light problem could be the light switch. I would tend to believe what your manual says, but just from guessing I would think that a cigarette lighter took twenty amps. Could be wrong there. I would start by physically tracing the cigarette lighter feed back to a live terminal. If it goes into a taped harness you could maybe note the color and diameter and figure from that where it came out.

The thing I hate about this type of problem is having to lie one my back looking up at the underside of the dash. I hate that.

Earle

I totally agree Earle, and at my age , it is getting harder and harder for me to do !!

I have tried to trace the cigarette wire back to a point of power source, but after I bend my neck for just a few minutes, I have to give up.

James

I totally agree Earle, and at my age , it is getting harder and harder for me to do !!

I have tried to trace the cigarette wire back to a point of power source, but after I bend my neck for just a few minutes, I have to give up.

James

I would recommend the Haynes CJ manual, it has really good schematics in it.

Most CJ's didn't come with lighters, they are added on. If the lighter is actually working, then it could have been spliced into the under dash lights that are constant power. (the switch just grounds the light circuit to turn them on)

There are also two fuses for the dash lights, one is for the dimmer alone I think. I don't have access to my Haynes right now so I can't tell you exactly which fuse to go after.

Most plastic fuses have their legs poking through their top these days so you can put a multi meter set on volts on the top side of the fuse legs looking for voltage. If you find voltage across the top it is a blown fuse. A good fuse passes current so the meter reads 0.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG AT's, 'glass nose to tail > I have a 1980 Jeep CJ-5. I recently learned that my cigarette

Thanks Mike !!

James

I always thought the cigarette lighter went to a 15 amp fuse. Are you sure it's a 10 amp?

I am sure this is what the manual shows. It shows the radio and the cig lighter on the same, ten amp fuse. And, the radio is working !!

James

You are a very trusting person thinking a 1980 Jeep would still have stock wiring or that a 1980 Jeep even came with a cigarette lighter.

Lighter elements are really cheap and blow out all the time, have you tested it?

Mike

James wrote:

Mike, I am the original owner, and the cig. lighter did come with the vehicle. I have tested the leads behind the lighter, and it is not getting power.

James

Is the radio also new stock? Lots of aftermarket installers like to use a new power line.

You have two under dash items that in theory shouldn't have anything in common that are bad. I am thinking someone made them common.

The ground is even common to both, but it checks out, the switch grounds the lights to the dash (they have constant power to them) and the lighter is grounded to the dash, but the panel instrument lights also are dash grounded and those work so....

Mike

James wrote:

The radio is aftermarket. Your comments are helpful Mike, I will check it out further when I am back to this cabin in May.

James

Good info Bill, thanks !!

James

My 1982 cj-7 definitely came with a cig lighter. I have since removed it and gone to BICS ........ but as I recall the power feed to the lighter was fused in the cable

Oh, lookie, Big Bad Bill is poasting!

Just one lil' question for ya: Why?

Nobody cares except Sheep America, Goatboi.

C U later, I'm shure, poofte.

Buff-

My 95 yj calls for a 20 amp fuse for the lighter.