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-   -   Fire? I just wanted a lighter! (https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=575622)

bluec10 04-14-2013 01:45 PM
Fire? I just wanted a lighter!
 
Just came in from the garage where I experienced some minor heart palpatations! On Friday I received an order from LMC that included a new cigarette lighter for my '69. Hey - gotta charge my phone Jack! (Si Robertson reference)

Anyway, I disconnected the battery and slid the spade connector on the red wire from the lighter onto the "Cig" prong in the fuse cluster. Reconnected the battery and the cab was filled with smoke by the time went back to check. The red wire was completely fried - I disconnected it before it did any collateral damage. The lighter assembly is OK.

What the heck just happened?

JellyBeanDriver 04-14-2013 01:51 PM
Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!
 
Sounds like that cig lighter was either wired wrong or has a short.
Look down inside of it - do you see any conductor from the center bent out to the side?

Where does the red wire come off the lighter socket? Should come off the center rear. maybe it was attached to the barrel instead?

71swb4x4 04-14-2013 01:53 PM
Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!
 
Sounds like you grounded the red wire out. Was the lighter installed in the dash? Anything inside the socket causing it to ground out?

bluec10 04-14-2013 01:56 PM
Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!
 
That must be it. I had the wire attached to a tab on the side of the barrel. Just didn't think about it - looked like that's where it went. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Thanks for the tip. I always find that I learn well when my mistakes involve fire.

BMERDOC 04-14-2013 02:02 PM
Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!
 
Ha! Yup, short to ground. That poor wire did all it could to empty the battery to ground. I'm sure that was a butt clencher! No matter how much I know about cars I'm always worried that a truck that lasted 46 years before I got it is gonna meet its demise because I did something stupid. Live and learn.
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cdowns 04-14-2013 04:12 PM
Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!
 
you might want to put a fuse in the new wire that you run for the lighter

Stevo427 04-14-2013 06:36 PM
Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BMERDOC (Post 6011098)
Ha! Yup, short to ground. That poor wire did all it could to empty the battery to ground. I'm sure that was a butt clencher! No matter how much I know about cars I'm always worried that a truck that lasted 46 years before I got it is gonna meet its demise because I did something stupid. Live and learn.
Posted via Mobile Device
Tell me about it. My first truck lived for over 40 years. I got it for 2 weeks and it burnt to the ground because of a fuel leak. Felt bad for months:smoke:

Tinkermc 04-14-2013 09:13 PM
Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!
 
The side of the cylinder are ground and the bottom is hot.

Square_78 04-14-2013 10:04 PM
Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!
 
I agree with the fuse idea
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