What is this

[Kodjo]

Hi,

Do you know what this is? It is in the positive connection from the cigaret lighter. It seems broken, it was the cause that the lighter did not get any juice.

Maybe a fuse of some sort?

[Desert Driver]

Looks to be spring loaded and perhaps part of what kicks the lighter out when the element gets hot. The diameter of my original socket was too big for devices that plug in for juice (battery charger, air pump, etc) and wouldn't make a consistent electrical connection. Replaced the whole thing with a new socket and lighter from Amazon - did the trick.  

[Jim78]

That is a fuse. 

[Kodjo]

On 10/2/2021 at 1:46 PM, Jim78 said:

That is a fuse. 

Yes, I have found some on the net. But a temperature or current fuse? It is broken and I want to leaf it out. Would that be a problem?

[Jim78]

On 10/4/2021 at 5:29 AM, Kodjo said:

Yes, I have found some on the net. But a temperature or current fuse? It is broken and I want to leaf it out. Would that be a problem?

That type of fuse was used on the lighter sockets to prevent meltdown or fire if the element didn't pop when it reached the proper temperature.  If you're not using the socket with the heating element, that special fuse really isn't needed.   On my '78, I found that circuit was protected by a 20A fuse in the box.  Since I will not be using the socket for a cigarette lighter, I reduced that to a 10A fuse for powering my plug-in Bluetooth converter/cell phone charger. 

Since you have an early RQA, I would think that your wiring would be the same as the Studebaker.  IIRC, the black 14 ga. wire from the lighter socket is tied into the circuit for the dome/courtesy lamp circuit.  If so, that circuit has a fuse in the panel.  You can verify that by pulling fuses out at the panel.   When you find the one that turns off the courtesy and dome lights, verify that it also turns off power to the lighter socket.

The downside of using the lighter socket for powering phone/electronics is that it (like the courtesy lights) is powered all the time, regardless of the ignition key.  So, if you forget to remove a device when you park, it can run the battery down.  I intend to run a new wire from the lighter socket back to a fuse that is only powered in the ACC key position. 

[Kodjo]

20 minutes ago, Jim78 said:

That type of fuse was used on the lighter sockets to prevent meltdown or fire if the element didn't pop when it reached the proper temperature.  If you're not using the socket with the heating element, that special fuse really isn't needed.   On my '78, I found that circuit was protected by a 20A fuse in the box.  Since I will not be using the socket for a cigarette lighter, I reduced that to a 10A fuse for powering my plug-in Bluetooth converter/cell phone charger. 

Since you have an early RQA, I would think that your wiring would be the same as the Studebaker.  IIRC, the black 14 ga. wire from the lighter socket is tied into the circuit for the dome/courtesy lamp circuit.  If so, that circuit has a fuse in the panel.  You can verify that by pulling fuses out at the panel.   When you find the one that turns off the courtesy and dome lights, verify that it also turns off power to the lighter socket.

The downside of using the lighter socket for powering phone/electronics is that it (like the courtesy lights) is powered all the time, regardless of the ignition key.  So, if you forget to remove a device when you park, it can run the battery down.  I intend to run a new wire from the lighter socket back to a fuse that is only powered in the ACC key position. 

Informative! Yes, my '69 is almost a Studebaker Avanti.

Indeed, the lighter is connected to the courtesy light.

Indeed, I want to use it for a charger. So far, that did not drain the battery in my other cars with the same wiring. W'll see.

It's fused 10A I think. Should do the job (charging, light) nicely.