Confused at lighter socket!

[Ethan1996]

Basically I went and bought one of those Belkin USB to cigarette lighter adapters off eBay, as pictured below. All was going well, it arrived and I thought it looked good quality and seemed like a great purchase until I plugged it into the Clio. I've got a Mk3, and for some reason this doesn't work at all in it? I thought it must have been the adapter, but it works fine in loads of other cars I have tested it in all of different makes and models. Likewise, every other accessory works perfectly in my cigarette lighter?

Any ideas? I'm left with a Belkin charger that won't work in my car but will in everything else, while everything else works in my car but the Belkin lighter?

Thanks

 

[AdDaMan]

try widening (bending out) the pins on the side mate.

 

[richd]

try widening (bending out) the pins on the side mate.

take your fuse out first tho before doing this lol

 

[AdDaMan]

take your fuse out first tho before doing this lol

on the belkin not the socket!!

 

[southlegend]

Same prob on a 182 fella. Must just be the way Renault design their sockets. Tis a shame as the Belkin one fits nice and snug and is barely noticeable.

Please post up any solution you find

 

[Ian_s]

I had this problem with a HTC charger. The socket is to deep for the positive pin to touch the positive terminal at the bottom of the socket. I took the charger apart and took it the positive pin so out was just the spring sticking out.

 

[Ethan1996]

try widening (bending out) the pins on the side mate.

Tried that, to the extent where I snapped the plastic to bend the pins out even further!

 

[Ethan1996]

Belkin one I found sticks out around 1CM on every car I've tried it on now - Not sure whats different about my lighter socket or if maybe the bottom of this Belkin one is different? Will post some pics up on Monday of the exact charger.

 

[Ethan1996]

I had this problem with a HTC charger. The socket is to deep for the positive pin to touch the positive terminal at the bottom of the socket. I took the charger apart and took it the positive pin so out was just the spring sticking out.

Tried this too, taken out the bottom and stretched the spring far so I can be certain it is touching the bottom and still no joy! Thanks for everyone's help guys, still baffled!

 

[VXR killer]

Have you tried turning the engine on

 

[Ethan1996]

Have you tried turning the engine on

Yeah tried it when just ignition, then when driving around and still nothing

 

[Mark_P]

I bought one of those of eBay a while back - it was blatantly fake! Bloody thing smelled like it was about to combust whenever I used it. Saw the genuine thing in Halfords and the penny dropped. Was yours a bit cheap by any chance?

 

[Ethan1996]

Was quite cheap yeah, that'd explain it not working at all just don't get why it would work on every other car I've tried it on really. At least it sounds like its saving me from smelling it!

 

[Jekyll]

How much are the genuine ones?

 

[Ethan1996]

£12 in Halfords, only really need it for the occasional charge and with my test and insurance cost coming up, every little saved helps! Opted for the cheaper option on eBay instead but just ordered a different one with two USB ports this time, a Griffin one that i'd say is more genuine than the Belkin.

 

[VXR killer]

Is the socket actually working at all?

 

[Ethan1996]

Is the socket actually working at all?

Yeah works for everything I have apart from this one charger

 

[msremmert]

I had this problem with a HTC charger. The socket is to deep for the positive pin to touch the positive terminal at the bottom of the socket. I took the charger apart and took it the positive pin so out was just the spring sticking out.

/Nail on head.
Have this problem on my 182. Had to find an adapter that was long enough before it would work.

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

I had this problem with a HTC charger. The socket is to deep for the positive pin to touch the positive terminal at the bottom of the socket. I took the charger apart and took it the positive pin so out was just the spring sticking out.

Easier solution is to fold up some tin foil small enough to drop down into the socket to help the connection. Worked fine in mine.

 

[Ian_s]

Easier solution is to fold up some tin foil small enough to drop down into the socket to help the connection. Worked fine in mine.

Indeed. I did consider doing that but was concerned that the foil might move and bridge the positive and negative terminals.

 

[.GAZ.]

Any pics of the actual charger?

 

[l33th3tr33]

Any pics of the actual charger?

First post lol.

 

[ThomasBrentnall]

Any pics of the actual charger?

First post lol.

That's a generic image matey!

I've had this issue on my 1.2 and 182 with these chargers. Everything else works fine and works fine in other cars. Gave up in the end and brought one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal...ccessories_Chargers_Docks&hash=item19e1dca07d

 

[jenic]

It's common knowledge the one in the OP doesn't work with clios.

I have this one - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-T...ories_MobilePhoneChargers&hash=item19e38aed9b

Pricey but I needed it same day and could buy it from argos, turns out to be a great purchase. It can do quick charge, can charge iPads and has the pass through to use other devices at the same time.

 

[.GAZ.]

First post lol.

I'm not stupid. I meant the ACTUAL one he has in his possession.

 

[Sam]

I had this one in my 182.

Works fine and you get 2 x USB.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GRIFFIN-D...ories_MobilePhoneChargers&hash=item3a824ae796

Sam!

 

[...]

What are you charging ? Most smart phones require a 2.1 amp charger to work and a huge amount of these things are 1 amp

 

[Ethan1996]

I had this one in my 182.

Works fine and you get 2 x USB.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GRIFFIN-D...ories_MobilePhoneChargers&hash=item3a824ae796

Sam!

Okay so was fiddling with the belkin one so much ive blown the fuse for the lighter socket! Anyone help at all on changing it? Not by my car at the moment so not sure where but im guessing fuse box is by the steering wheel?

Ordered one of those griffin ones should arrive tommorow and I can get it all sorted will post pics tommorow of the belkin one, and the garmin one hopefully working thanks for all the help guys!

 

[J44KCK]

Mine works fine. Just need to position it properly give it a wiggle lol

 

[Ethan1996]

Okay so pictures as promised!

I started this afternoon by opening my fusebox, a simple job I thought to replace the fuse, but I was faced with this sight...

The fuses are out of line with the door itself? Im assuming the circle shaped one top right and next one down, the 15A one, is the cigarette lighter? This is massively hidden so I don't know how to get to that, any help i'd love!

My Belkin purchase, that managed to blow the fuse and never worked! This also sticks out of the lighter socket by roughly a centimeter.

The Griffin replacement I ordered that fits reasonably flush, sticks out a couple of mm but that's good enough for me. Sorry if all the pictures are rotated weirdly, not sure how that happened?

Thanks again guys

 

[Ethan1996]

Okay so looking at that picture I feel... intelligent? Just noticed the cigarette picture so that was an obvious one. Anyone guess what color my hair is? Haha.

 

[Ethan1996]

With my new knowledge of which fuse it was, and even though I still had to bend the fuse box quite alot to change the fuse, I have changed the fuse! Old one was blown as expected.

All works now with my new Griffin adapter, not even going to risk trying the Belkin one again!

Sticks out just slightly but looks alot better than the Belkin one that stuck right out. Very happy with it, and would recommend it to anyone, now time to buy another fuse for a spare.

 

[Sam]

Glad you liked the griffin one.

 

[Ethan1996]

Glad you liked the griffin one.

Thanks for that recommendation Like it alot and very pleased with it, part of me still wishes it was even shorter and perfectly flush though!

 

[Adam D]

The one I have works pretty well. Fits flush with the top and covers the whole orange ring so looks pretty oem when it's in I don't even notice it. 2.1amp too so charges pretty quick and works with iPads and the like.

http://mobile.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=591370