Not every one smokes but almost every one has a mobile phone that requires a hands free kit,
or a sat nav system to tell you where to go and they all require a power source,
The poverty models of the ford fiesta did not come equipped with a cigarette lighter as standard,
so its up to me to show you how to fit one correctly, or near to correctly as you can get.
Tools Needed:
Screw drivers
Torx bits
Socket set
Soldering equipment
Insulation tape.
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Burn baby burn!
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Spark up!
Feel the power!
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What you require
A cigarette lighter socket
A cigarette lighter button end
High amperage wiring and plugs
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Assuming that you have the parts needed lets start with removing the centre switch panel.
This is done by popping off the heater control knobs and dials and pulling out the ashtray.
This reveals the screws that need to be removed, 3 in total.
With the screws removed the panel can be pulled forward. Don’t worry about the radio,
as it will come out with the panel. Twist out the illumination bulb for the heater controls
then unplug the radio and set to one side.
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To make the loom removal easier, remove the radio runner guide, one screw at the front and two at the back.
Cut all the tie wraps that hold the loom to the dash and make it slack and remove the fuse box,
yes it looks a mess but it wont for long.
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Get hold of the radio power plug (the one with the hard plastic wrap) and remove the wrap from the base to gain access to the wires.
Follow the red wire from this bundle into the main loom. This wire connects to other red wires for the
clock and interior light which intern connects to fuse 2, this is the fuse that you require,
but on poverty models of the fiesta this wire from the fuse to the radio is only light gauge
and the cigarette lighter requires heavy gauge. So you will have to either get a single connector
for the fuse box end and a length of wire long enough new or go and find the connector and wire from a scrap car.
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The method I use here is the scrap method, the connector and wire I managed to get hold of wasn’t from fuse 2
but from another fuse, it has the same gauge wire and a single connector.
Cut the wire to the required length making sure that you keep the connector on the end.
Solder the red wire from the cigarette lighter plug to the end of the wire mentioned above and heat shrink it to insulate it.
Extend the earth wire as required from the back of the cigarette lighter to reach the earth point on the back
of the steering column, terminate with a correct sized ring.
Wrap the wires together to form a loom.
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Solder the illumination wire from the cigarette lighter socket to the illumination wire from the radio loom.
The illumination being the wire colour grey with a yellow stripe. Insulate the join.
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Push all the wires through the hole in the dash plastic where the lighter should go.
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Route the rest of the loom to the fuse box via the earth point on the steering column,
taping as you go to keep it neat. Screw the earth wire to the left hand side of the column.
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At the fuse box you will notice that the wire from fuse 2 is still there.
You will need to remove the fuse and poke down the sides of the connector to release the barbs and push it free.
Push the new thicker wire and connector into the position that was taken.
The thinner wire that you just removed will need its connector cutting off the end and the wire
splicing into the thicker one. Do this by using a knife to cut a section of the insulation from around
the thicker wire and from the end of the thinner wire, then simply twist the thinner wire around the thicker one and solder and insulate it.
Pop the fuse back in and the interior light and clock should come back on.
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Rewrap all the exposed loom and tie wrap back up to the dashboard and refit the radio guide rail.
Where the wire comes out of the dash for the lighter, there was a blanking plug on the heater control panel
that needs to be removed and the lighter housing inserted in its place.
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That sounds easier than it actually is! The lighter needs to be dismantled like in the picture below.
To do this you need brute force and ignorance! It will come apart.
Once it is apart you need to fit the green ring into the panel first then push the metal body into it,
it will only go one way! Once inserted then the bulb can be pushed onto the case,
taking note of the little metal tab that needs to be touching the metal case of the lighter.
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Connect the multiplug to the back of the lighter; it will only go one way.
Then make sure that all the wires for the radio are connected back up then push the heater panel back
into place, remembering to reconnect the bulb to the heater control.
Push the knobs back on and screw into place.
The lighter will work with the ignition off so give it a go, simply push the end in and wait a few seconds
for it to pop back out glowing, now turn the lights on and see the green ring light up.
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Job done, happy charging and what ever you use it for!
Hope this guide is of some help.
Guide Written and © On 01 Oct 2005 by Andrew Whiteman (AW3K)
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