Shouldnt I be able to use my cigarette lighter to plug in 12v stuff?
Do not reach into the socket with any metal object like a screwdriver or tweezers.
Check for power and ground at the socket -This requires a test light or a voltmeter.
Cigarette lighter adapter.Douglas Sacha / Getty Images
If you don’t find power, check the fuses.
If you don’t find power or ground, check the connections that plug into the cigarette lighter socket.
If it pops out, and the coils are red hot, there’s nothing wrong with your socket.
Lifewire.
If it doesn’t heat up, your socket doesn’t have power.
If not, try your charger in a different vehicle.
If it doesn’t work in the other sockets, your charger may be bad.
The easiest way to do this is to grab a flashlight and physically look inside the socket.
However, the foreign object can still prevent an accessory plug from making electrical contact.
The easiest is to simply plug in the cigarette lighter if you have it.
If the lighter heats up and pops out, then the socket has power.
In that case, you’ll have to use a test light or multimeter to actually check for power.
If you found a coin in the socket, then that is probably the end of it.
If it blows immediately, youre dealing with a short somewhere in the circuit.
If you plug in the cigarette lighter and the fuse blows, then that is probably the issue.
