63 Lark Cigarette Lighter Question

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I can't figure this one out. Maybe someone can give me a clue how to get the cigarette lighter to work in my Lark so that I can run a GPS when we head out for a Studebaker roadtrip to the Boston/Cape area next week.

I started out not having any voltage in the base of the cigarette lighter. I removed it tested the round fuse at the lighter base with an Ohm meter. It had continuity. I screwed the fuse back on the lighter case. I found that there was still no voltage through it. What I found was that the screw base of the lighter inner case was not making contact with the inner copper of the round fuse. I remove a lock washer on the inner case ti make the base screw slightly longer enabling the base screw to make contact with copper in the round fuse. That gave me 12.6 volts through the lighter case.

Great I thought. I popped in a lighter and it didn't work. I went over to my Hawk grabbed the lighter and popped it into the Lark. It didn't work either. Tested both lighters in the Hawk and they both work. Neither work in the Lark.

I'm baffled!

Does anyone have any Ideas to get the lighter to work?

Allen

[Tom Bredehoft]

Seems to me you're testing the wrong piece of equipment. If you want a GPS to work you'd test a GPS, not a lighter.

[silverhawk]

I got the same problem in mine. (Just not for a GPS) I'm looking forward to seeing how you figure this out!

[mbstude]

Just go to your local parts house and pick up a new generic lighter socket, they're dirt cheap. I think they even come with a new wire. Just make sure it's grounded to the instrument panel and you should be set.

[N8N]

Just go to your local parts house and pick up a new generic lighter socket, they're dirt cheap. I think they even come with a new wire. Just make sure it's grounded to the instrument panel and you should be set.

Matt might have the solution... is the dash properly grounded?

Wouldn't hurt to run an aux ground wire anyway.

If you completely replace the lighter socket, you may want to use an inline fuse, as other than the old thermal fuse there is no protection for the lighter socket/wiring.

nate

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I guess I forgot to mention that the socket, wire and thermal fuse is a NOS unit I bought from Tom K. The dash is grounded since I have 12.6 volts in the socket and the auxiliary cigarette lighter light is working...this is one of those electrical mysteries... I'm still stumped. One thing that I have not done yet is try plugging in the GPS which my Girlfriend brought in this morning. If it works it still does not explain why the lighters don't work.

Allen

[N8N]

if the body of the lighter socket doesn't have a good connection to ground, it still won't work... make sure the sleeve that retains it is biting into the metal of the dash

nate

[GTHawk]

This circuit is very simple, just a positive and a neg/ground. The problem is the circuit is open somewhere. Since you have a meter I would find a good ground and check the very center of the socket for 12 volts. If you have it there then carefully measure from the center to the socket rem. If you have it there then you're not getting a good connection when inserting your lighter/gps plug. Most often the problem lies with the ground connections. I suspect in your case you're just not making contact inside the socket, or as suggested your socket is not making good contact with the dash.

Good Luck



Don

[StudeRich]

Lighter Fuse

I got the same problem in mine. (Just not for a GPS) I'm looking forward to seeing how you figure this out!

Dylan, are you aware of the fuse that Allen mentioned as being good on his Lark? It is often missed because it just looks like a NUT! It is right behind the lighter socket and hex shaped, the aftermarket newer (same brand) Cosco lighters, do not have that and require a separate fuse.

The most common problem is a blown fuse from someone inserting one of those drop lights or other accessory plug into the socket, tilted with the hot center pin shorted to the case. Those fuses are Studebaker specific and NLA.

[53k]

I had a pretty weird one with the lighter in t he '64 Avanti. The PO had the lighter loose in the ashtray. I stuck it in the socket and pressed it down. It worked fine. I put it back in the socket and closed the lid over the lighter and ashtray. The dash courtesy light went off. Uh oh!. I tried the horn and it worked so I knew it wasn't a system wide problem. I put the lighter loose in the ashtray as the PO had done and all was well. ???

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

Dylan, are you aware of the fuse that Allen mentioned as being good on his Lark? It is often missed because it just looks like a NUT! It is right behind the lighter socket and hex shaped, the aftermarket newer (same brand) Cosco lighters, do not have that and require a separate fuse.

The most common problem is a blown fuse from someone inserting one of those drop lights or other accessory plug into the socket, tilted with the hot center pin shorted to the case. Those fuses are Studebaker specific and NLA.

Rich, I am questioning whether that round fuse is a indeed a fuse or a thermal overload. I have plugged in the GPS cord and it works fine for about 5 minutes then shuts down with no power. I have a feeling that the GPS adapter is creating enough heat to shut it down. I'm at the point of cutting out the round fuse and splicing in an inline fuse into the NOS original socket. I still have not figured out why either lighters form my Hawk or Lark don't work. My plan this afternoon is to make sure the socket is indeed VERY well grounded.

[Laemmle]

Studebaker Avantis have two fuses to protect the lighter..........one Buss glass fuse in the kick panel, the other a small round silver color fuse that screws onto the bottom of the cig lighter itself.

[GTHawk]

One thing to remember is that the lighter draws much,much more current than your GPS. So if your curcuit is compromised the GPS may still operate while the lighter will not, but since it doesn't stay on, you have a bad connection somewhere. Leave it plugged in until it quits then feel all the connections. If you find one warm or hot, then thats the problem. This is also a good test for a loose battery connection, which begs the next question does everything else keep working when the socket stops operating?

[ronnyb]

One thing to remember is that the lighter draws much,much more current than your GPS...Leave it plugged in until it quits then feel all the connections. If you find one warm or hot, then that's the problem.

If you have a digital meter, you can also connect the negative lead to a good ground somewhere and use the positive lead to trace where you're losing that +12v. It would also help you to find out if that "round fuse" is a fuse or a self-resetting circuit breaker.

This procedure will also work with a 12v test light. All you're looking for is where the 12v stops once you lose power to your GPS.

I sure hope you don't end up just splicing in an inline fuse. This is a good opportunity to learn some basic electrical stuff without having to deal with a serious problem that leaves you without transportation. That's good.

Another good thing is that finding out what's wrong (instead of bypassing the problem) will teach you something you can apply to other situations. There are lots of folks here that want to pass on their knowledge. Future owners are where our cars and trucks are going to be anyway, so passing on info that makes it easier to live with them is in all our best interest.

P.S. Don't be shy about asking questions...that's the reason the SDC is here. o)