I wanted to take the cigar lighter socket out to clean it properly and check the bulb. Finally I worked out how to do it 
Once I'd got it out, I discovered the bulb can be checked with the lighter socket in place :bang:... However the cleaning's much easier when it's out.
If the bulb doesn't light up (with sidelights on), first check the fuse - F11 on my 1998 Cinq Sporting.
I hope the following notes and pictures will help you.
Once I'd got it out, I discovered the bulb can be checked with the lighter socket in place :bang:... However the cleaning's much easier when it's out.
If the bulb doesn't light up (with sidelights on), first check the fuse - F11 on my 1998 Cinq Sporting.
I hope the following notes and pictures will help you.
Construction
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Here is a pic of the socket components..
The metal socket on the right with its attached black electrical connector slides into the green plastic light housing, and they clip together by means of 2 tabs on the plastic which click into two rectangular slots (about 8mm wide by 3mm deep) in the socket tube. You can see one of the slots in the pic, the other one is diagonally opposite. If you look inside the end of the socket, ideally with some lighting, you'll see them.
The black bulbholder slides into the green plastic bit. The two contacts on the bulbholder are sprung against the metal strip on the black connector and the main metal body of the socket. The bulb is a standard 1.2W, also used for clock lighting. You can see a round 'blip' on the bulbholder shaft which engages with the hole visible in the green plastic bit.
The black plastic light shield clips over the bulbholder socket on the green plastic bit. I think the idea of the hole is to shine some light towards the ashtray for night-time smokers (but not sure..) You need to take it off to get full access to the bulbholder.
Here is a pic of the socket components..
The metal socket on the right with its attached black electrical connector slides into the green plastic light housing, and they clip together by means of 2 tabs on the plastic which click into two rectangular slots (about 8mm wide by 3mm deep) in the socket tube. You can see one of the slots in the pic, the other one is diagonally opposite. If you look inside the end of the socket, ideally with some lighting, you'll see them.
The black bulbholder slides into the green plastic bit. The two contacts on the bulbholder are sprung against the metal strip on the black connector and the main metal body of the socket. The bulb is a standard 1.2W, also used for clock lighting. You can see a round 'blip' on the bulbholder shaft which engages with the hole visible in the green plastic bit.
The black plastic light shield clips over the bulbholder socket on the green plastic bit. I think the idea of the hole is to shine some light towards the ashtray for night-time smokers (but not sure..) You need to take it off to get full access to the bulbholder.
Bulb removal and replacement
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The bulb is a simple push fit into the socket. Just make sure its contacts mate with the socket's when reinserting. Then press the bulbholder fully back into position. Remember to refit the light shield, before replacing your stereo.
Then, when you switch on the sidelights, it should look like this...
- Take out and unplug your stereo unit
- With the aid of a torch or light, reach inside the stereo aperture and unclip the black plastic light shield by hooking a fingernail under one of its 'wings'
- Unclip the bulbholder as follows...
The bulb is a simple push fit into the socket. Just make sure its contacts mate with the socket's when reinserting. Then press the bulbholder fully back into position. Remember to refit the light shield, before replacing your stereo.
Then, when you switch on the sidelights, it should look like this...
Socket removal and refitting
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Removal is as follows (please read and understand it all before starting):
This, as they say, is the reverse of the removal process. However, you may want to tighten up the fit of the tube in the plastic. To do this, you can bend the two tongues on the tube like this...
. Check that they will still clip the heating element tip in place when you push it home. Once you've got the green bit in, you need to align the metal socket correctly.
This pic...
...shows that the long metal contact for the bulbholder should be aligned with a small cutout in the green plastic surround. Then push the metal tube straight in, and the tabs will click into place.
The rest is easy!
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Removal is as follows (please read and understand it all before starting):
- Pull out the lighter element
- Take out and unplug your stereo unit
- Reach inside the stereo aperture and unplug the lighter's electrical connector. There's a sprung plastic catch on the side, press it against the connector to release.
- Unclip the black plastic light shield (see previous section)
- You can leave the bulbholder in place, or remove it as per the previous section
- You need to be able to turn the socket in the dashboard hole. To do this, reach inside the stereo aperture with one hand, and get a grip of the body of the socket, using the light unit 'lump' to get some leverage
- Turn the socket a few degrees clockwise, then you should be able to feel that you can pull it towards you a bit. This is because there's a cutout in the dashboard hole...
...which mates with a tab on the green plastic surround. Then you should be able to turn the whole thing more easily. - BUT you can't pull the whole unit out while the metal socket is inside the green plastic. You have to separate the two, by unclipping the 2 tabs I referred to on p2 from the slots in the socket.
- To do this you need to slide a steel blade (either a stiff knife or a fine screwdriver blade) between the front edge of the steel socket and the plastic surround, like this...
...and twist gently to disengage the tabs and pull the steel part towards you. - Note that the profile of the plastic tabs is designed to be a tight fit in the slots. So the back edge of the slots may catch too hard on the tabs when you twist the blade. If you feel (as I did) that you risk breaking off a bit of the plastic front edge with too much force, use the edge of a screwdriver blade (for instance) to grind away a little of the 'sharpness' of the plastic tabs, so that they slip more easily out of the slots. Preferably, do this just a little, as the more you take off, the looser it will be when you reassemble...
- Once the tabs are detached, the tube will slide out, leaving the green surround still in the hole. Now if you pull the surround towards you, and then pivot it around the 'elbow' of the lighting 'lump', like this...
...it pulls out easily
This, as they say, is the reverse of the removal process. However, you may want to tighten up the fit of the tube in the plastic. To do this, you can bend the two tongues on the tube like this...
. Check that they will still clip the heating element tip in place when you push it home. Once you've got the green bit in, you need to align the metal socket correctly. This pic...
...shows that the long metal contact for the bulbholder should be aligned with a small cutout in the green plastic surround. Then push the metal tube straight in, and the tabs will click into place.
The rest is easy!
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