Aux Power/Cigarette Lighter have no power

[AJerman]

Alright, well the problem is simple to say, the cigarette lighter and aux power port on my 97 GT are both dead.

Unfortunately it gets harder after that. The fuse is fine, that's the obvious first check. There is 12V to the hot side of the fuse receptacle, and the fuse shows continuity (the fuse for this is a 30amp, I also tested switching a 25 amp to verify that it wasn't the fuse and it's not).

So anyway, I pulled the shifter panel out and tested the connector itself, there is no power, there is no ground. So that says to me that the line is completely disconnected/broken somewhere.

Has anyone seen this or have any idea why this may be? From what I can tell (and reading the wiring diagram), it looks like the wiring comes from the aux power port, goes down the drivers side of the console, meets up with the cigarette lighter wiring, then continues on to the back of the console somewhere. Does anyone have any experience with this wiring and where I may look to check it's connections?

I'm at a point now where I'm about to have to start yanking things out to follow this wiring inch by inch to see what's wrong, and I'd really rather not have to do that. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[03stanggt]

What wiring diagram are looking at? Alldata,Ford, etc? I looked at the alldata and it shows a point before the lighter where a junction occurs. Did you check the circuit at the aux port or continuity? Just thoughts

 

[AJerman]

Okay, so that's what I'm looking at. It's basically straight from the fuse to the split, one positive to aux and one to cig, then a common ground for the two.

I checked the aux connector while I had the shifter panel out for ground continuity as well as power, and it had neither. The cigarette lighter is out as well and I assume it would show similar results, however I didn't test it's connector since it's a little harder to get to and I was finishing up installing some other new parts.

This is the only thing I've found wrong on my 97 GT that I bought, 77,000 miles so that's not too bad for a 10 year old car. The only reason I even care is for my radar detector, which at the moment is playing the part of a very expensive windshield ornament. I'd like to direct wire anyway eventually, I was just wasn't planning on doing so so soon. If I can't figure out what's wrong I'll probably just get the direct wire kit right now and do that. I was just hoping someone may have some idea but it's not looking like anyone does.

 

[sgarlic]

I think you're right on track about a wire or 2 wires being disconnected somewhere along the line.

Now maybe I missed this, but are you testing for voltage at the connector or at the receptacle? I'd check both (if you didn't.)

Since you obviously have access to diagrams, if it were me personally, I would do just what you say you don't want to do, and that's start tracing wires til you find where the screw up is.

 

[AJerman]

If by connector and receptacle you mean the aux power connector and the fuse receptacle, then yes, I checked at both. A full 12V at the receptacle, nothing at the connector.

I guess I will start digging around. First things first, gotta find out the easiest way to get the center console up to see where the wires go. I probably wont get to mess with it much until Saturday night or Sunday, tonight I'll be at the Hurricanes game and tomorrow I've got my Sooners playing the OU/TX game

 

[sgarlic]

If by connector and receptacle you mean the aux power connector and the fuse receptacle, then yes, I checked at both. A full 12V at the receptacle, nothing at the connector.

By connector I mean the wiring connector that plugs in to the receptacle..

By receptacle I mean the oval shaped opening you'd plug a 12v plug in to.

 

[AJerman]

Ahh, I just checked the connector itself, easier then poking into the receptacle without accidentally touching a side or something. It should give me the exact same thing as testing the receptacle itself so that's all I tried.

 

[AJerman]

Hmm, well, I fixed it. It was just a connector under the center console that was disconnected. Luckily I saw it by peeking through the emergency brake boot and was able to pull the inside compartment out of the arm rest and reach in and connect it.

Now the question is why it was disconnected in the first place. I think I'll email the previous owner and see if they disconnected it for any specific reason, though I did notice that when I reconnected it, it had two latches on the side that snap when it's pushed together completely, and I wasn't able to completely snap it in because of the angle at which my arm was reaching down there. It's pretty tight, but still, it leaves room for the possibility that it just wiggled out last time too.

Ahh well, all is better now. Thanks for the help guys.