One of the two cigarette lighters in my '01 Sentra isn't working. I checked the fuse that is supposed to control it and it is ok. Is there anything else I can do to troubleshoot what the problem is?
Cigarette Lighter Out
Jan 18, 2007
8 Replies
Plug you cell charger into it. If it works, then the socket is good and you just need a new lighter element.
If you can pop the lighter unit out and check the connections. If these are OK then check the voltage on the lighter unit. If voltage on it is OK (12V usually) then it is the unit. If there is 0V on the unit, you have a broken wire but tracing it will be problematic.
bthiede Could it be one socket is live at all times and one is only on with the car running? Sparky
Did it ever work, or is this a new development? Are you sure you found all the fuses? A lot of lighters have a fuse immediately behind them in addition to the one(s) in the fuse box. If you use it to actually light cigarettes/cigars, check in it for accumulated debris that could be insulating it from making contact.
Get the VRN, the unique code for the vehicle and take it to a Nissan Dealer. (You might find it on a plate in the engine bay.) If you can't find it they will be able to find it for you. The dealer can use this to get the original specs and they will be able to tell you if that should have been hooked up or not. As it is an '01, you might have a hard time getting a dealer to sort it if it was meant to have been done in the first place.
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