cigarette lighter has packed up

[frenchmick]

Can any one help me. The cigarette lighter keeps shorting out, how hard would it be to put in a new one. The small centre screw that holds in the clip that holds the lighter down had come out, so this was not seating properly for the lighter or the portable reading light I bought from bmw, at that time it was not blowing the fuse, got a screw and put it in, the light and also the cig lighter will now stay in the clip, but now it blows the fuse.

Any ideas what I can do ?

 

[aquazi]

Sounds like yo uhave shorted it some how with your screw. Did you somehow spin the cig socket when you screwed it? if you did you most likley broke the wire which is connected to the side of the cig barrel... which will require resoldering on.

Removing the entire unit is pretty easy... If you remove the ash tray you will see one phillips screw.. remove this and then you can pull the entire unit out (in the seat heater/ roof controls etc) just lift it upwards tilted towards the dash. Unplug the wiring.

Once out you can inspect the cig socket and its wiring.