FireDemonSiC

This problem started just last week when I had my steering column replaced. the day after i got the car out of the shop, I was driving down my street and went to light a cigarette. The lighter popped out and when I went to insert it back in, just as I had barely put any length of it back into the socket I heard a pop and the stereo went dead. I knew I had blown the fuse that went to the cigartte lighter, radio and overhead lights so I went to nearest gas station and bought an assortment pack. I pulled a blown 10 amp out of the socket and put a brand new one in. I went to light another cigarette and just like clockwork as I went to insert the lighter back into the socket it blew the fuse again. So I bought ANOTHER pack and called it a night on the cigarette lighter. The next day, that fuse spontaneously blew. So i bought a 5 pack at autozone and blew one more before I noticed that the guy I had bought the car from has put a 10 amp fuse in a 20 amp socket. 15 amps were all I had at the time so I popped one in and that lasted about a day before it spontaneously blew.

So I put in my second 15 amp which lasted another day before it blew at the exact same time I clicked off my brights (although I think this was coincidental because it was the only time out of dozens of on/off bright cycles this happened). So today I went back to autozone and bought a 20 amp pack. I popped one in and went to try the cigarette lighter again. I pulled it out without lighting it and immdiately
went to insert it back in the socket. The fuse didn't blow this time, but a nice fireworks show came from my lighter socket (Once again the lighter hadn't even been inserted but maybe 1/3 of the way) followed by the stereo going dead briefly and me crapping my pants. Everything is fine for now since I have NOT put the lighter back into the socket. It should also be noted that this is the first time in the two months I've owned the car that there have been any problems of this nature. It should also be noted that attempted to plug in my car charger for my cell phone and that went in and out about 3 times with no problems and the light on the charger lit up.

Short, time for a new lighter, or time for a new socket?

enswrob

new lighter $5 fix