2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Dead Cigar Lighter and Aux Power Outlet?

[Sasquatch]

This is probably a no-brainer for somebody who's good with wiring, but I'm stumped.



I went out to plug in my new "Roadie," XM radio, and I have no power in either my cigarette lighter (never used for smoking) or the other, auxilliary outlet. Both of these are fed out of the fuse panel on the driver's side, and I checked the 20 amp fuses associated with them. Both fuses are fine.



Does anyone know what the problem might be, or where these two fuses might be fed from, like another relay/fuse in the power distribution center. . ?



Thanks in advance for your help/advice.

 

[bighammer]

Anybody been in the dash lately? If it's like my 94, they have to be unplugged to pull it apart. (and it's real easy to forget to plug in those 2 stupid little plugs) Just a thought...

 

[C4gan]

Have you checked out on the drivers fender? Had the same problem with my 01' and i found a dead fuse out there... .

Chris

 

[y-knot]

Looking up your '97 I see a couple possibilities. The Power distribution block has two fuses that power the junction block fuse panel located on the left side lower dash accessed by the removal of a plastic door. Fuse-1 a 50A fuse powers the junction block fuse panel, and fuse-2 and -3 also power the fuse block both are 40A. It is highly unlikely that these have blown, they control many other things they just the cigar lighter and power point.



On the inside fuse block the fuses 1 and 5 (20A) control the power to the cigar lighter and power point. if these appear fine, then I would check the electrical connector that plugs into the back of the cigar lighter/power point. It might have come loose or better yet, was forgotten when someone had to access the back of the dash. Good luck.

 

[Dbeilstein]

I had the same problem with my 98. Turned out the fuse was not making a good connection in the fuse block under the hood. Bent the connection in the socket and it works fine now.

 

[MChildress]

This was a first for me and I dont know if this will help you out but my key has to be own for the cig. lighter to work. All the cig lighters on my previous fords and chevys were hot all the time.

 

[Sasquatch]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. The problems were related to old "T-taps" behind the dash, where I'd tapped into both the cigarette lighter and the power-point for gauge installs, CB radios, etc.



This was before "Geno's" offered the painless wiring system, which is a much better way to go.



I've found out the hard way that doing things fast and cheap almost always ends up costing more in money and effort down the road.

 

[FourBarR]

ban t-taps, it would prevent a lot of problems.

 

[SBillinson]

You won't believe this

I have a '97 and when I pulled off the dash panel to look at why the lighter and auxillary plug didn't work, I found that there were no wires connected to either of them. I had to rifle around a bit inside the dash to find a lead with a plug, and only found the one for the auxillary plug not the lighter. It seems like one of our NAFTA partners didn't connect the one plug when they were assembling the truck and probably didn't even run the other for the lighter.



Take the dash face off and see. You may be very surprized.



Steve