Hello,
I am looking for an internal part to restore the cigarette lighter assemblies in my 1970 Deville Convertible. I just need the internal post/spring steel part. (The post that has the two spring steel clips) It is the part that unscrews from the bottom and rests on the ceramic seat inside the assembly. Does anyone know the proper name for it, and where I could find just those parts. (need four of them) My cigarette lighter assemblies are restoreable except for the internal post and spring steel pieces as they have corroded over the years and if I try put naval jelly on the spring steel part it just disintegrates.
I am wondering if any similar vintage full size GM car would have the same parts, as I know of a large boneyard not to far away that has lots and lots of old cars.
I am excited to start diagnosing and fixing various other items on this car ( backup lights, AC/climate control system, cruise control system, high beams, windshield washer system, radio and speakers) as I want everything it has on it to work. I thought I would start with something simple, like the cigarette lighter assemblies, but alas.
Nick
Cigarette lighter sockets are standard parts. You might first try a soak in Evaporust. If the base contactor is too far gone, these are available at most common parts stores:
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorman-help-lighter-socket-and-removal-tool-56457/10721161-P?isAllVehicle=false&vehicleIdSearch=16508&utm_medium=ymme
Nick,
I assume you're looking for the sockets. I have good lighter assys. but no sockets.
Bob
Thank you for the responses and suggestions, I will look into the socket assemblies at Advance. I found some usable parts at the boneyard today, so those might work also once I get them cleaned up.
Additional question, are all the cigarette lighters on the same fuse?
My clock/LTR fuse is good and the driver dash lighter works, but the lighters in the front passenger door, and the rear seat armrest lighters on both the passenger and drivers sides don't work. The power windows and power door locks all work good.
Doesn't have to be Advance, btw. That was just the first place that popped up on a search. Point was that they are readily available.
You would need to look at a 1970 wiring diagram, but on a 1974, all the lighters are on the same fuse.
All of the cigarette lighters are on the same fuse, labeled "body feed" on the fuse panel. In addition, each lighter is separately protected by a circuit breaker, screwed to the center stud of the "well" or socket. The power wire connects to the circuit breaker. Some circuit breakers have a small "pin hole" into which something such as a paper clip can be inserted to reset it. Others, without the hole, will reset on their own. All types are known to fail over a period of years, so replacements may be in order.
Charles Fares
Thank you for the info on the circuit breaker, (which I think is the screw-on item at the bottom of the photos) that is likely the culprit in deducing why they aren't working, as the fuse is good.
Here are three pictures of the cigarette lighter assembly;
one is the assembly assembled,
the other is the assembly partially assembled,
the other is the assembly completely disassembled
The circuit breaker is likely bad on all my door panel lighters (front passenger side armrest, rearseat passenger side armrest, rearseat driver side arm rest, the dash lighter works, so I will try unscrewing the circuit breaker from that one and see if it causes the other ones to work.
It is the circuit breaker that must be bad or defective, easy to disassemble, but not sure exactly how it works, visibly doesn't seem to be any internal parts that are bad. The spring must must somehow be the key item that determines whether it cuts out or completes the circuit.