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Old 04-14-2013, 01:45 PM   #1
bluec10
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Exclamation 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?
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Old 04-14-2013, 01:51 PM   #2
JellyBeanDriver
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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?
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Old 04-14-2013, 01:53 PM   #3
71swb4x4
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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?
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Old 04-14-2013, 01:56 PM   #4
bluec10
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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.
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Present:
2015 Tacoma. Yeah, not a GM, but I love it.
1969 GMC 32,000 - fix, drive, relax, fix...
2019 BMW R1250 GSA - Yahoooooooo
1979 Honda GL 1000 - retro touring at its best.

Past:
'05 Sierra 4x4 - Had 270,000 KM and running well when it was written-off by a stop sign runner.
'94 F-150 from the "F word" company. I'll admit it...good truck. Sold what was left of it for $800 to a guy who came to pick it up at 11:00 PM with cash in hand. Hmm.
'79 Sierra Grande (Black) organ donor - perfect rebuildable 4-bolt 350 and a good TH350.
'76 Sierra Grande (Orange) - hate isn't too strong a word. Kid who bought it turned it into a hot rod.
'68 C-10 R.I.P. - Dad's old truck...too far gone to resurrect.
'59 C-50 - with hoist. Truck is gone, wife isn't. Nuff said.
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Old 04-14-2013, 02:02 PM   #5
BMERDOC
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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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Old 04-14-2013, 04:12 PM   #6
cdowns
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Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!

you might want to put a fuse in the new wire that you run for the lighter
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Old 04-14-2013, 06:36 PM   #7
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Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!

Quote:
Originally Posted by BMERDOC View Post
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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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
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Old 04-14-2013, 09:13 PM   #8
Tinkermc
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Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!

The side of the cylinder are ground and the bottom is hot.
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Old 04-14-2013, 10:04 PM   #9
Square_78
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Re: Fire? I just wanted a lighter!

I agree with the fuse idea
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