Cigarette Lighter / Power Source

Stan

Stan

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I don't smke but I would like an operational cigarette lighter for my portable car vacuum. Does the lighter from any new (cheaper) model of BMW fit? Can I separate the parts from the lighter so the new one looks like the original?
:?
 
Hi Stan,

I'm about to look into this as well. My lighter does supply power, but it isn't consisitent. Any slight little road bump disengages whatever I have plugged in and I lose power.

It appears that the circumference of the lighter was never meant to supply power to modern adapters....
 
cigarette lighter power--reality check--

Not surprising--when these cars were built--FACTS

1) many drivers & passengers smoked then--both here and abroad
2) todays plug-ins--don't recall any existing when Coupe was new
 
Power Source

Before you do anything to extreme, buy a cheap replacement 12v cigarette lighter from NAPA or any other car part place and strip out the sleeve. This happens to be the same outside diameter as the inside diameter of the original lighter (which I think is labeled as a cigar lighter in the owners manual). I don't know if they all are this size but it is a perfect fit and stayed in place for the 1800 miles trip I just did.

I use it to recharge my camera batteries and run the iPod. The cell phone stays at home.

4e1f24c73ecff2e28d9b12bc78933217.jpg
 
No, just slide the sleeve (the chrome collar in the photo) that you get with a repalcement lighter unit into the existing lighter socket and then plug in your charger. No need to alter the original this way.
 
But my OEM cigar lighter is not operating. I will not stay down and it does not get hot even if held down. I think it might be dead...
Can I swap the whole unit out?
 
Oops, I missed that part (dead OEM unit). Now the question is, will a modern unit be too small for the hole in the shifter console? Because the OEM is definitely a larger diameter. Sorry can't help with that one.
 
Power

As Stan and others noticed, my car has no lighter socket on the console. Cannot really live these days without a 12 vdc socket for the the cell, GPS, iPod, etc. So I installed a socket as you see. This was to power a portable cooler at the time....I love to fish.
Why do flash pictures make details look worse than they are?
 

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pamp said:
Power

As Stan and others noticed, my car has no lighter socket on the console. Cannot really live these days without a 12 vdc socket for the the cell, GPS, iPod, etc. So I installed a socket as you see. This was to power a portable cooler at the time....I love to fish.
Why do flash pictures make details look worse than they are?
Click to expand...
pamp said:
Power

As Stan and others noticed, my car has no lighter socket on the console. Cannot really live these days without a 12 vdc socket for the the cell, GPS, iPod, etc. So I installed a socket as you see. This was to power a portable cooler at the time....I love to fish.
Why do flash pictures make details look worse than they
pamp said:
Power

As Stan and others noticed, my car has no lighter socket on the console. Cannot really live these days without a 12 vdc socket for the the cell, GPS, iPod, etc. So I installed a socket as you see. This was to power a portable cooler at the time....I love to fish.
Why do flash pictures make details look worse than they are?
Click to expand...
Hi, I am new to the forum and just be bought a 1974 last week. I was wondering if the two push button circuit breakers to the right of the steering wheel were original - I just saw a photo Pamp posted in 2013 about the lighter and it has the same two button circuit breakers - what do you know about them? OEM??
Click to expand...
 
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