[DragonBuddha06]

Hey Guys. 98 TJ 4.0. Aftermarket Kenwood Stereo. Stock cigarette lighter.

I've spent the last hour searching for an answer to this one. A while back my cigarette lighter stopped working. Thought I had checked all fuses, but my friend made me realize I was wrong on that. While tearing apart the dash, I noticed that the radio had been wired into my cigarette lighter.

Replaced the bad fuse; cig lighter works fine now. But that has almost left me with more questions than answers. Is it normal for someone to wire the radio into the cigarette lighter? Why would the radio keep working even when the lighter didn't?

I was thinking about running the radio wire back to the fuze box and attaching it to the proper radio fuse. Good idea? Though, when I have made that wire contact that #15 spot (even without a fuse in it), it hear a click that sounds like it's coming from the steering column/ignition switch area. Again, normal?

Thanks guys

 

[Jerry Bransford]

The lighter receptacle shuts off when you shut the key off.

Radios are typically equipped with two power wires... one needs to be always live to keep the clock and radio station presets alive. The other power lead is supposed to be powered by a circuit that turns off when the ignition is shut off.

 

[DragonBuddha06]

Right, I understand both of those concepts. Except I still feel confused overall. If one of the power wires was connected to a circuit with a blown fuse, why would it still work at all?

My wiring diagram (granted, from the Chilton) does not show power drawing from the cigarette lighter. Unless I'm reading it wrong, it seems the IGN (I'm assuming that means ignition) line runs to to the fuse panel in the glove box; I have seen a pink line that seems to join the spots there. Then it just says FUSED B (+) running directly from the radio to "POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER" (I'm assuming that means battery).

To me, that means that the one from the fuse box should be the intermittent, and the one that was connected to my cigarette lighter should have been constant. But that doesn't make much sense either... I'm really lost here.

and Jerry, I know you have helped me out more than a a few times. Thank you so much for your patience. You've helped me learn a lot about my Jeep

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Right, I understand both of those concepts. Except I still feel confused overall. If one of the power wires was connected to a circuit with a blown fuse, why would it still work at all?

Because the radio only needs the switched power lead to have power for you to be able to turn the radio on and listen to it. The lead that goes to constant power is only there to keep the clock ticking and the radio station presets from being lost.

The cigarette lighter circuit drawing will never show a radio being connected to it, there are other circuits meant for that type of use. But you CAN use the cigarette lighter power as the switched power source, if your cigarette lighter works that way.

My TJ has two different cigarette lighter jacks, now called power receptacles. One of mine is always on, the other goes on and off with the ignition switch. Yours might work like either of them, I don't know. But if you have just one, odds are it goes on and off with the ignition switch.

 

[RUBI 4 MY MRS]

What the Chilton manual may not be showing is you have a relay for the cig lighter & that is probably what is confusing you. That clicking you hear when you tap into fuse 15 is probably that relay clicking. Go to this link & find the proper cig lighter diagram for your '98 & it may be clearer what is happening.

See online read only FSMs here: (the Chilton is way too general covering too many yrs to be accurate)


Jeep Information Center, Jeep Parts Catalog, Jeep Repair Manual & More
You may have to go to the bottom of the page & pick Jeep Resources & online manuals if it directs you to home page rather than the knowledge base.
Pick your model & year then on the drop down menu pick the chapter you need.

If you still can't figure it out post which fuse was blown & what cig wire the radio was tapped into.

 

[Digger84]

Yep the 04 has a power outlet with image of battery on its cover and is always on and to the left is what the owner's manual calls a cigar lighter outlet that is only on with key in accessory or run

The key controlled one is where I got power for the seat warmers in my wife's TJ

 

[DragonBuddha06]

Ok. It's clicked now. I get it.

Last question: is there a better place to attach that splice? Or is this one of those "if it ain't broke don't fix it" situations?

Thanks again for all your help. Next time I make it down to the SD area, I'll have to let you know so I can buy you a beer :drinks:

 

[DragonBuddha06]

I just now realized that while chewing on Jerry's response, and then writing mine that two others responded. Thanks, guys! I'm checking out the repair guides, and except that I somehow managed to mess up my splice back into the cigarette lighter. Radio was flickering in and out on my drive in this morning. I'll just have to take out the dash and fix it again quickly this afternoon.

Just wish it wasn't windy and cold. and that I had a proper garage in which to work