cigarette lighter keeps blowing fuse

I've added a new cigarette lighter to my 69 CJ5. Wired it straight to the Ign switch and I added a in-line fuse with a 20 amp fuse, it worked good of a day or two, then it blew a fuse. I put another 20 amp in there and it blew after two or three uses. I then added a 30 amp fuse and it did the same thing, but lasted alittle longer.

Has anyone ran into the same thing?? If so what did you find?

Should there even be a fuse link on a Cigarette Lighter?:?

 

When I installed a power outlet----(I refuse to call them a ci--- lighter) in my plane, it was blowing fuses too, soon as the master switch was turned on, did not even have anything plugged in.

Turns out the problem was the outer shell, which is the ground was turned a bit and the two side fingers that hold the center "hot" contact was touching the shell. This happened when I tightened up the mounting nut---I had twisted the outer shell just enough to make the parts touch. Easy fix was to rotate the shell a bit so the parts were not touching.

If yours is blowing the fuse without having anything plugged in, then you might have the same issue.

Also, could be wired backwards, and shorting out when something is plugged in.

If you are only blowing a fuse when plugging in something, check the wiring polarity.

Good luck.

 

Yes, you should definitely have a fuse in there.
You have a short somewhere, probably right at the socket like Mike described, and if there wasn’t a fuse in line it would start an electrical fire and burn your Jeep to the ground.

 

You may not be blowing the fuse at all. You may be heating up the fuse and simply melting it. If the center smaller portion of the fuse element is open (curled back both ends) then it is blowing it. If the fuse lets go from one end or the other, then it's heat related and you need to increase the wire size.

 

A multimeter would allow you to check for short to ground. By isolating it on either side of the fuse would split your search by half. The wire size is a good lead (no pun intended) but if it's the wire that came with the device the legal department probably ensured it was adequate.

 

Member PeterC was having this same problem when I went to his place to buy my Meyers top from him in August. I never heard if he got it figured out. Might be worth a PM to him
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Yes it blowing it (curled back both ends) I'll take it out this weekend and check it out, it maybe the case grounding out on the hot clip. I'll let yall know.
Thanks for all the ideas!!

 

Heh, reminds me of a guy I worked with once. Came across him with a pile of blown fuses.....

"these damn fuses aren't any good! I keep putting them in and they keep blowing!"

"Um, it's not wired right Bob."

 

i am gonna remember that trick about the fuses and bigger wire.

thank you o jeep swami's
my mother thanks you
my father thanks you
etc.....

 

Yeah,,That's the ticket...I'll just buy MORE FUSES!!!