Removing stuck cigarette lighter?

Yup, that's the noise / trigger. Sometimes you don't actually hear it but find your car has been written off by one the next day. ;-(

I think there is a link between say turning on the GPS (or car engine) and turning off your common sense and sense of reason.

Ok.

I've updated map information (online) on both but have no idea if my input was ever used.

Cheers, T i m

Do you have anything to support that OOI please Chris? I ask because something I found from (admittedly) 2012 suggested otherwise:

"Garmin still holds the lead in sales ..."

The article also seems to reflect my feelings around the UI:

"Garmin's user interface is still unparalleled."

Or this even:

;-) The thing is nearly all my Garmin GPS's have a 'Truck' type setting and whilst they didn't differentiate what size 'truck' it was catering for, I'm guessing it would consider those things that might typically affect trucks, like weight, height or width restrictions.

The other things is, across a reasonably wide range of Garmin GPS's (GPS III+, GPS V, Quest, Streetpilot III / 2610/20, Nuvi 215 [1]) used (battery / Ext 12V etc) when walking, cycling, boating, motorcycling and driving (and even flying (only as a passenger), none of them have ever sent me up a road that was unsuitable for the 'type' setting.

Cheers, T i m

[1] I believe all but the Nuvi were waterproof and therefore suitable for 'outdoor use as is.

Ah, here I can help.

I went onto the TomTom website to try to find a way of contacting them, to report the problem. I could not find a way then, in early 2011, of doing it online, and none was offered to me. The problem was not one of inaccurate data, but how the data was used to get from A to B.

I eventually contacted somebody, and was told that in fact the mapping information came from a different company, Terraserver, and I would have to contact them. Terraserver also apparently supplied all the GPS companies with the same data, according to TomTom.

So I found how to contact Terraserver, and told them the problem. They agreed to update their info, but pointed out that it would only be effective when each device was updated, which could be unpredictable. But the number of lorries trying to make the impossible turn has certainly decreased since then.

Interesting.

I think I can confirm that from Garmin c/s. I was asking them about the idea of 'Lifetime' free map updates and why it wasn't tied to the user, rather than the device (eg, what if the device fails and needs replacing or becomes unsupported etc). Part of the answer was that they (as you say) have to buy the maps off a 3rd party and so couldn't give them away under such circumstances.

Of course, unless the process is made near automatic then I guess it would rarely get done.

Cool. Well done for making the effort. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

... Is the right answer although we (as in 'I' as I haven't had a chance to look at it) don't know if it was a fault with the lighter that caused the fuse to blow (as it should) or the fuse blew when it shouldn't (because it was weak) or the incorrect (too low) rating. So, whilst she resolved the stuck lighter somehow, she still couldn't use the socket for the GPS but got home on it in any case. Now, had she let me know she had got the lighter out but the socket was dead I would have tried to talk her though finding and replacing the fuse (as there could have been a spare or she could have nicked one from another role) but I guess she didn't need to.

Unfortunately, stepdaughter is one of those people (the majority these days) who to some degree treats a car as an appliance, rather than possibly from a more old skool 'roll yer sleeves up and have a look' POV.

That said, if she knows how to do something on the car (like check the fluids / tyre pressures) she will, but not necessarily as often as she might / should (but then I guess that could go for many of us these days).

And I think any reticence to say checking the fusebox and finding / replacing the fuse would be down to not wanting to break anything ... and we know that is possible, especially if the plastic is getting old or it's not a very god design (retaining tabs breaking off if not 'eased' undone in the right direction / way).

The cover for the fuses must have got knocked off the Meriva the other day and because it was right over the n/s of the passenger footwell, I just picked it up off the floor and tucked it out of the way for a couple of days (so it didn't get broken) till I remembered to put it back on properly. 'Years ago' I would have dealt with that sort of thing asap.

Anyway, thanks to all who offered a solution. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

New luxury cars have lighters. My maserati and mercedes have them

You waited 5 years to wave your willy?

Tim

assuming "jen" is a bloke ?

A true luxury car has them as an option - same as ashtrays. And has for a very long time.

These days ??.

I wonder how long it is before we see the back of the dreadful 12v socket and a better designed one?

There is a need for a 12V socket but the cigarette one and the one common in Europe really are terrible.