I have a 2000 Chevrolet and a 2002 Chevrolet. The cigarette lighter
socket was apparently shortened in the 2002 Chevy to save costs. My
lighter plug-in's fit in the 2000 model -- but not in the 2002 car.
What I need is a converter that will fit the shortened 2002 socket so
plug-in's will fit!
Can you help? |
Request for Question Clarification by
juggler-ga
on
19 Sep 2003 21:59 PDT
In model Chevrolet (Impala? Corvette?) is this "shortened" socket?
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Request for Question Clarification by
juggler-ga
on
19 Sep 2003 23:07 PDT
Meant to say:
In what model... ?
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Clarification of Question by
acarney123-ga
on
20 Sep 2003 08:22 PDT
It is a Chevy Cavalier 2002, and it has a short lighter socket as
opposed to the longer lighter sockets that were previously in past
models. The cigarette lighter sockets advertised on the web were
presumably also the longer type. I have seen plenty of ads for lighter
adapters, but they are not what I'm after. They give you three
sockets, for example, when you plug them in. I need a short insert
that will accept a longer appliance.
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
21 Sep 2003 16:09 PDT
acarney123-ga:
Is the problem that the plug for your appliances will no longer make
an electrical connection due to the shorter socket, or is the problem
that the shorter socket cannot provide mechanical support for your
appliances? If the former, then it is possible to point you towards
extension cords that have a different plug on them that would be
compatible with the socket. If the latter, then it will be difficult
to find a solution that does not involve replacing the existing
socket, as there is not enough clearance in the socket/plug interface
to add an extension tube of any reasonable strength.
Please advise which of the two situations you are trying to solve, and
I will do what I can to find you a solution.
Regards,
aht-ga
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Clarification of Question by
acarney123-ga
on
22 Sep 2003 10:13 PDT
When I try to plug an appliance into the lighter socket of the 2002
Chevy Cavalier, the plug will not fit all the way into the socket --
the socket of the cigarette lighter is too short. When I plug the
appliance into the lighter socket of a 2000 Chevy Cavelier, the
appliance plug inserts all the way in and makes the connection. The
lighter socket on the 2002 is too short to accomodate the appliance
plug. I need an adapter with a short INSERT on one end and a long
SOCKET on the other end. If I can't find such a thing, I will have to
replace the whole lighter socket on the 2002, and that will be quite
expensive.
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
22 Sep 2003 22:24 PDT
acarney123-ga:
My apologies for dwelling on this point, but I'd really like to get a
clarification on what exactly it is you are looking for. You mention
an adapter with a short plug and a long socket.
Can you please specify whether the adapter has to be a single, rigid
assembly, or can it be simply a short plug and a long socket, with a
cable in between them?
Thanks,
aht-ga
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Clarification of Question by
acarney123-ga
on
23 Sep 2003 08:18 PDT
It doesn't matter whether the adapter is a short rigid assembly or if
it has a cable. I simply want to plug an appliance into the long
socket and have it fit into the short socket. What I have is a
cushion that heats and vibrates when I sit on it. I have severe
arthritis, and I want to use the cushion in my car. Right now I can't
because the cigarette lighter insert is to long to fit into the
lighter socket -- it inserts about 3/4 of the way into the socket. It
is extremely frustrating. Thanks for your help.
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
23 Sep 2003 14:42 PDT
acarney123-ga:
Thank you for describing the application, it helps to clear things up
for me.
There are several possible solutions for you, but all of them require
some work on your part. As a result, I am posting this as a
clarification first, in case none of them end up being possible for
you due to your access to stores in your area.
The problem you are facing is partly due to the shortened cigarette
lighter socket in the 2002 Cavalier, and partly due to the fact that
there is no standard defining the distance from the tip of the
cigarette lighter power plug, and the "negative" contact found on the
side of the power plug. If the negative contact is too far up the
plug, then it will not make contact with the metal wall of the socket.
The first solution is based on retail products available through Radio
Shack (and many other retailers for that matter). Since there is no
standard for the design of the plug, you will need to bring your
heating pad with you into the store, and visually compare the position
of the negative contact on the side of the various products available,
with the position of the contact on your heating pad's plug:
Radio Shack - Extensions & Y Adapters
http://www.radioshack.com/category.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&category_name=CTLG_009_001_002_002&Page=1
The idea is to find the extension or Y-adapter that has the negative
contact as close to the tip of the plug as possible. While I realize
that you do not need the additional socket(s), this is actually the
most economical approach. Note that there is also a 10-foot-long
extension cable on that page.
The second solution is to bring the car and the heating pad to your
local electrical surplus parts and ask them for some assistance. They
will usually carry surplus quantities of the cigarette lighter plug,
and being surplus will most likely have an assortment of different
designs. If one of them works in your car (again, compare the position
of the negative contact on the side of the plug), they should be able
to help you remove the plug from the heating pad's cable, and replace
it with the plug that fits. This is a little more work, but depending
on the surplus store they may charge you only for the cost of the plug
(which is $1.50 Canadian / $1.20 US at the stores I frequent in
Canada).
I'm sorry that I cannot provide an instant solution that you can just
buy online. There's just no guarantee that what arrives will work, as
there is no standard for the position of that negative contact!
However, one of these solutions I've described helps you.
If you feel that this information serves to answer your question,
please let me know and I will post it as the official Answer. If you
do not feel that this information is sufficient, please also let me
know and I will see what other ideas I have that may help you.
Regards,
aht-ga
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