SiliconAngel
1 AYC Bar
I plugged a cheap 12V pump into my accessory port the other day and after 10 seconds it stopped and the port stopped working altogether. The 15 Amp fuse in the fuse box was fine, none of the other fuses had popped, so I realised there had to be another fuseable link somewhere.
After removing the centre console panel and doing some testing, I discovered a wire fuse on the back of the port housing. This fuse is covered in black insulation and just looks like a short (less than 20mm) piece of wire, and even when the fuse pops the insulation may be left in tact (as it was in my case). The way the brass fittings are wrapped around this fuse suggests the only way to replace it is to replace the whole housing, so I simply bridged it with a short length of wire, which is still perfectly safe as the circuit is protected by the other 15 Amp fuse in the fuse box (which I tested by deliberately shorting the port once it was fixed).
So if your cigarette lighter / accessory port isn't working and your fuses are ok, check the back of the port housing in case the auxiliary fuse has gone.
After removing the centre console panel and doing some testing, I discovered a wire fuse on the back of the port housing. This fuse is covered in black insulation and just looks like a short (less than 20mm) piece of wire, and even when the fuse pops the insulation may be left in tact (as it was in my case). The way the brass fittings are wrapped around this fuse suggests the only way to replace it is to replace the whole housing, so I simply bridged it with a short length of wire, which is still perfectly safe as the circuit is protected by the other 15 Amp fuse in the fuse box (which I tested by deliberately shorting the port once it was fixed).
So if your cigarette lighter / accessory port isn't working and your fuses are ok, check the back of the port housing in case the auxiliary fuse has gone.
