Please tell me Im not the only one experiencing this bizarre phenomena. Now this has happened before, but No Harm, No Foul, I simply dismissed it as a fluke, HOWEVER, this past weekend at the NC chill spot, I put my cig lighter into the lighter thingy....pushed the button, began flipping through CD's. When it was hot enough, the Dam thing Literally Leaped out of that Lighter thingy bounced off my Closed cup holder lid and fell onto my carpet!!! AAARRRGHH!!! Luckily the dealer gave me extra mats, and I was able to replace it, because the mark left behind was just UNSIGHTLY for my creme interior. I've tested the lighter out again with my hand behind it as a precaution, it doesn't jump every time, but every now and then the sucker LEAPS! Has this happened to anyone else? Could there be a problem with my car lighter?

 

This has happened to me before, but at my own fault. It only happens when you push the lighter's top in all the way, yet put the lighter only partly in the socket. The jolt from the "done" signal will pop it out of the socket if it is not in all the way. Just trying to help.

 

Thanks for the input Vyrus, but I don't think that is the case here. Im pretty sure I had it in nice and snug the first time, and if not then, I KNOW it was in there good, when I tested it out after the accident. I think your on to something though. Maybe whatever is supposed to secure the lighter is worn or something, because the few times it did pop out while I was testing it, it REALLY LAUNCHED! Can you imagine if I were on the highway or something and the dam thing popped into my Lap?!!

 

This is something new to me. Please elaborate. Is the Done Signal an electric signal? If so, where does the signal emanate from? Which wire carries the Done Signal to the lighter?

 

Hey D.B. How's things? Honored you choose to take interest in this one. Well this is how it goes:

Off the top, I don't know much about the whole thing. All I know is that traditionally you just plug in your lighter, push it in from the top till it locks and when it's hot enough to light a cigarette it will automatically pop out. Well, mine does all of that, HOWEVER every now and then (it doesn't seem to happen all the time) it not only pops out it really clears/ejects from the whole lighter assembly! I don't know what else to say D.B. I mean it's really weird.

 

Plain Jane (my '99 GXE) doesn't have a cigarette lighter. This response is in the "I think" category, not the "I know" category.

I think your cigarette lighter is working correctly. You can test this hypothesis by temporarily exchanging lighters with another car. I think most lighters are interchangeable, even across makes.

I think the problem is in your lighter socket. Look in there and you will see a U-shaped gripper riveted to the bottom of the cavity. You will also see a pair of metal retaining arms which are formed as part of the cavity walls, on opposite sides. These parts serve two purposes. (1) They resist the inward movement of the lighter, to make it "click" when pushed inward. (2) They retain the lighter in the socket when it heats enough to pop out. It is purpose #2 which is compromised. Look at these retainers to see if they are misshapen or missing. If they look distorted try using a suitable hook-shaped tool to bend them into a better shape. If they are broken replace the socket. I think you can buy a replacement socket at any auto parts store.

 

Have you used any kind of auto accessory which is powered by plugging into the cigarette lighter socket? These accessory plugs may be at the root of your problem, by deforming the socket retaining arms.

 

I took a look at it yesterday and I think your right. All I need now is a good tool to use in reshaping. Auto accessory? Hmmmm.....well there could be my Radar Detector thats in there 99.9% of the time. Didn't think of that one, I'll need to take a look at the part I plug in and see if it looks funny enough in shape/size to have caused this problem. Thanks for the help D.B., much appreciated.

Capitone

 

You may be able to fashion a suitable tool from a wire coat hanger. Cut a straight length of rod and hammer one end flat. Use pliers to bend that flat end into a small hook.

Another approach is to remove the lighter socket from the car and then use fingers or pliers to press those retaining arms inward, from outside the socket. Go easy, don't bend them too far.

 

Just make sure you get the connectors of the lighter on the correct side. My friend installed them backwards on his 2000 camero, which caused a small fire to start. Igniting his dash, then his seats, then the entire interior, building up enough heat to blow all the windows out. All for a damn lighter...

-Craig