Cig Lighter Draws power even with ignition off?

871 Views 9 Replies 5 Participants Last post by DedWrng, Dec 9, 2005

JimHare

Discussion Starter · Nov 10, 2005

Odd thing just happened to me. S/O and I went to the local Cracker Barrel for dinner. Just as we get there to park, she pushed in the cig. lighter, but it didn't pop out before I parked and shut the ignition off. 2 hours later, the battery was stone dead - needed a jump to get going.

It ran fine afterwards, the DIC showed 13.7 - 14.1 volts going in to the battery.

This happened once before when I left my cell phone charger in the cig lighter overnight.

Is this SOP for the lighter to stay "hot" even with the ignition off?

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JimHare

Discussion Starter · #4 · Nov 10, 2005

I don't think so - as soon as we hooked up the jumpers and I turned the key, I heard it pop out.

It seemed odd, because you'd think that if the thing continued to draw power, it would have popped out when it heated, even if the ignition was off. And if it didn't draw power, it wouldn't have drained the battery down.

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JimHare

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 10, 2005

Update: well, it's not the Cig. Lighter. I went out earlier to see what was up in the daylight, and she's dead again. Popped the hood, went around to the battery to check the cables, and the positive cable broke right out of the battery case in my hand....not good.

Now I'm having a devil of a time getting the piece of battery box off the threaded end of the cable so I can put the new battery in....

Electrogalvanic forces appear to have melded the pieces together, and I may need someone whose heart is pure and has the strength of ten to break it loose.... :crying2:

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JimHare

Discussion Starter · #8 · Nov 11, 2005

Eldyfig said:
Melting the insulation would be the least of my worries with an open flame under the hood.

Indeed... I managed, after several applications of NutsOff, baking soda and lemon juice, a ball peen hammer, and three cups of heavily sugared Maxwell House, to break the little bugger loose. Ended up having to file off two flat sides to get a wrench on the damn thing.
Then I had to wrestle with the cable end, which had also frozen in place...but the new batt is in and we're feelin' fine.. :banana:

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