Author Topic: Cell Phone Charger and Cigarette Lighter  (Read 4041 times)

Alex D

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Cell Phone Charger and Cigarette Lighter
« on: April 19, 2013, 01:42:56 »
I'm having a problem finding a cell phone charger that fits in the cigarret lighter for my iPhone 5.  Having tried several chargers they all very loose  when plugged into the cigarret lighter and while driving one little bump in the road and it stops charging.   Anyone have any ideas?   Car is 1967 250sl with original cigarret lighter.   
Alex D
1967 250 SL
Original 140K mi
181 Light Beige, with  112 Turquoise Interior

hauser

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Re: Cell Phone Charger and Cigarette Lighter
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2013, 04:26:42 »
Currently I have a Garmin GPS plugged in with no issues.  I also have a splitter I use for longer trips where I can have two sources plugged in at the same time. 

jameshoward

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Re: Cell Phone Charger and Cigarette Lighter
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2013, 06:40:09 »
You can remove the lighter housing quite easily. Haven't done it for a while, but just remove the glove box and then there's a bracket behind the thing that unscrews. Dead easy. With it out - or still in - you will be able to bend the contacts back in a little to improve the 'grip'. It may not have been touched for years and was designed to fit snugly on a metal lighter. Plastic stuff won't form an interference fit nearly so well. Alternatively, run a wire from behind that area under the carpets to the ashtray area between the seats and put a near little wire for your iphone there. Also dead easy.
James Howard
1966 LHD 230SL

mdsalemi

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Re: Cell Phone Charger and Cigarette Lighter
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2013, 13:09:26 »
Alex,

Somewhere along the line the auto industry made a slight dimensional change, which causes "new" power point devices (such as chargers) to not fit so well into "old" cigarette lighters.

The answer is quite simple: a wrap or two of black electrical tape around the barrel of your charger will work perfectly...I did this some years age and it's fine.  I'll show you when you come here.  ;)

For total purity of purpose, Mercedes-Benz sells a USB power point adapter:
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
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