Hi,
The cigarette lighter power source is not working in my 95 E class. I checked voltage with a multimeter and sure enough it reads 12.xx V DC. The reading is no different than it is in the other 94 E or the 93 190.
However the phone charger or the Valentine wont work - yet will work all day in the other cars.
What gives?
Appreciate any help.
Thanks
farrukh

ps. fuse is fine.

I have 2 guesses.
One is that the clip in the bottom of the socket that provide the 12 volts has loosened up so it won't contact your lighter or radar detector power lead. This would seem logical given that you state the 12 volts is actually present in the socket.
Another possiblity is that when you tested for 12 volts, you used a ground other than the outer shield (inside the power socket for the lighter) and that in fact there is 12 volts present, but not a ground.
Are you testing it by inserting the tip of the positive lead on your meter to the bottom center of the plug, and the gound lead to the inside of the socket along the side wall?

If the clip that has the 12 volt power has loosened up, you can tighten them up again with a screwdriver if you first remove the fuse, or with a non-metallic object such as a plastic wedge.

Gilly

I don't smoke, but want everything in the car to be working. The socket works as my battery checker which slots into the same hole works all the time. However the cigarette lighter won't power up. Therefore, my guess is that the lighter is not working, has shorted out or has a broken heater wire inside? The fuse in the box is ok. Whats happenning? The lighter looks perfectly ok. Will try one from another car and also try this one in another car.