Although the cigarette lighter is not one of the main parts of the VAZ-2114, its breakdown will cause some inconvenience to smoking drivers. How can such problems be resolved? What is the cigarette lighter fuse for? And how to find its location on a VAZ-2114? The answers to these questions are posted in this article.
Functions and design of the VAZ-2114 cigarette lighter
Drivers often use a device such as a cigarette lighter for other than its intended purpose - as a 12 V car socket. How is this possible? To understand this, you need to know the design of the cigarette lighter. Its constituent elements are:
- the socket, which serves to connect to the ground of the vehicle, is equipped with a central terminal for connection to the “+” conductive on-board circuit;
- insert with nichrome spiral.
Both the socket and the insert are enclosed in a metal case, on which there is a power button that acts as a handle. When you press the handle button, the current begins to move along the nichrome spiral, heating it. You can light a cigarette this way.
But if you remove the insert with the nichrome spiral from the glass socket, the cigarette lighter will become a twelve-volt socket. You will need a suitable cylinder-shaped plug for this. It is not difficult to find: modern electrical appliances for cars are equipped with similar plugs for ease of use. It is from connecting various electronic devices, such as a car vacuum cleaner or a compressor for inflating tires, to the cigarette lighter socket that the fuse of this device can fail.
This is due to the fact that such electrical appliances generally draw not 12 V, but about 15 V.
Repair work
To begin with, we advise you to make room for yourself near the car so that you can open the doors without any problems, nothing prevents them from always being in the open position, and you have the opportunity to approach and move away from the car without overcoming multiple obstacles.
If in summer you can simply drive your car outside, then in winter you will have to limit yourself to the available space of a closed garage.
You are ready? Then you can start repairing.
Dedicated place where the cigarette lighter fuse is located on the VAZ 2114
- The first situation is that the fuse for the VAZ 2114 cigarette lighter has failed. A popular problem that is not so difficult to solve. The primary task is to determine where the cigarette lighter fuse is located on the VAZ 2114. It's simple. Open the hatch where the entire fuse box is located. The element you are looking for is located to the left of the steering column. This is a 20-amp fuse, which has a special marking - F4. It is difficult to confuse it with others, so finding the fuse is not a problem at all. Take a tester and check its functionality. If it works, we continue to look for the problem. If the fuse fails, you can simply purchase a new one. It’s cheap, so there shouldn’t be any problems finding and purchasing it.
- Since the old fuse has burned out, you won’t be able to simply take a new one, put it in place and supposedly complete the repair. It is extremely important to understand exactly why the old fuse blew. Figuring out how to remove the cigarette lighter on a VAZ 2114 is quite simple. Be sure to check the quality of the contacts in the blocks when leaving the mounting block. It is designated X1. This block has connections from the cigarette lighter located in the passenger compartment. If the reason is in the contacts, tighten them.
- The most popular problem with a cigarette lighter malfunction is the car owner’s own mistakes during operation. When connecting external devices to the device, there is no need to unscrew the plugs in different directions. Because of this, the plates short out and the cigarette lighter simply stops working.
- Another fairly common problem is a burnt-out backlight bulb. It is quite simple to replace it, but to do this, our device must first be removed from its socket.
- Pay attention to the moving core of your cigarette lighter. Examine it externally, check the quality and integrity of the spring coils. If there is damage, you will have to replace this element. The problem is that the core is not sold separately; auto parts stores offer only a prefabricated design. The only search option is all kinds of car flea markets, where grandfathers sell spare parts from their old cars. Despite the apparent absurdity, in such places you can often find excellent parts for cars such as the VAZ 2114.
Functions of the fuse for the VAZ-2114 cigarette lighter
The safety device for the VAZ-2114 cigarette lighter is a fusible link. Its marking is F-7, which corresponds to 30 A. The functions of this element include not only protecting the cigarette lighter itself, but also protecting the current-carrying circuit to which the following important automotive devices are connected:
- headlight cleaner motor;
- glove compartment lighting lamp;
- electric motor of the interior heater;
- windshield washer;
- winding of the rear window heating relay.
As you can see, the fuse for the cigarette lighter is a small but necessary detail. If it burns out, then the problem will affect all the listed devices in the electrical circuit of the vehicle.
How to protect the cigarette lighter from damage
In order to protect both the cigarette lighter itself and its electrical circuit from malfunctions, a number of rules should be followed. We have already talked about some of them (for example, careful handling).
It is also worth mentioning the following:
- You can only install a similar fuse to replace the burnt one (it was said at the very beginning which fuse is responsible for the cigarette lighter on the VAZ 2114);
- It is absolutely not advisable to install wires in the electrical circuit of the cigarette lighter (as well as in any other system of the car) using twisting alone, since most often it is this that leads to short circuits and fires. It’s better to take the time and tin all the twists (or use special terminals);
These simple tips will help you avoid mistakes and extend the life of this device.
Where exactly is the fuse for the cigarette lighter of the VAZ-2114
We figured out why the fuse for the cigarette lighter might fail. But how and where to find it? Experts suggest that this safety element is located in the mounting block of the machine, which in turn is located in the engine compartment. In order to find it, you should follow these instructions:
- Open the hood lid of the VAZ-2114.
- Pay attention to the black plastic box on the side of the windshield.
- Open this box.
- Find the required fuse marked F7.
Once the required safety element for the cigarette lighter has been found, it is necessary to diagnose it.
Repair work
To begin with, we advise you to make room for yourself near the car so that you can open the doors without any problems, nothing prevents them from always being in the open position, and you have the opportunity to approach and move away from the car without overcoming multiple obstacles.
If in summer you can simply drive your car outside, then in winter you will have to limit yourself to the available space of a closed garage.
You are ready? Then you can start repairing.
Dedicated place where the cigarette lighter fuse is located on the VAZ 2114
- The first situation is that the fuse for the VAZ 2114 cigarette lighter has failed. A popular problem that is not so difficult to solve. The primary task is to determine where the cigarette lighter fuse is located on the VAZ 2114 . It's simple. Open the hatch where the entire fuse box is located. The element you are looking for is located to the left of the steering column. This is a 20-amp fuse, which has a special marking - F4 . It is difficult to confuse it with others, so finding the fuse is not a problem at all. Take a tester and check its functionality. If it works, we continue to look for the problem. If the fuse fails, you can simply purchase a new one. It’s cheap, so there shouldn’t be any problems finding and purchasing it.
- Since the old fuse has burned out, you won’t be able to simply take a new one, put it in place and supposedly complete the repair. It is extremely important to understand exactly why the old fuse blew. Figuring out how to remove the cigarette lighter on a VAZ 2114 is quite simple. Be sure to check the quality of the contacts in the blocks when leaving the mounting block. It is designated X1. This block has connections from the cigarette lighter located in the passenger compartment. If the reason is in the contacts, tighten them.
- The most popular problem with a cigarette lighter malfunction is the car owner’s own mistakes during operation. When connecting external devices to the device, there is no need to unscrew the plugs in different directions. Because of this, the plates short out and the cigarette lighter simply stops working.
- Another fairly common problem is a burnt-out backlight bulb. It is quite simple to replace it, but to do this, our device must first be removed from its socket.
- Pay attention to the moving core of your cigarette lighter. Examine it externally, check the quality and integrity of the spring coils. If there is damage, you will have to replace this element. The problem is that the core is not sold separately; auto parts stores offer only a prefabricated design. The only search option is all kinds of car flea markets, where grandfathers sell spare parts from their old cars. Despite the apparent absurdity, in such places you can often find excellent parts for cars such as the VAZ 2114.
We carry out diagnostics of the safety element for the VAZ-2114 cigarette lighter
To diagnose the cigarette lighter fuse for a car enthusiast yourself at home, you must follow the following step-by-step instructions.
The first step is to remove the required safety device marked F7.
The second step is a visual inspection of the safety element for malfunctions and flaws:
- damaged body – cracks and chips;
- burnout of internal fusible materials;
- presence of carbon deposits on the internal plates;
- damaged contacts.
The third step is to check the extracted element using a multimeter. This step is divided into several stages:
- connecting the fuse to the probes of the multimeter device;
- it “rings” for a malfunction.
If the driver does not have a multimeter at hand, then you can diagnose the cigarette lighter fuse using improvised means - a homemade tester made from a light bulb. To do this you need:
- The safety element being tested is connected to the gap in one of the conductors.
- The wires are connected to the battery terminals.
- The tester light will light up if the fuse is working properly.
If the fuse fails based on the results of self-diagnosis, then it simply needs to be replaced with a new one.
Causes of malfunction and their elimination
Speaking about why the VAZ 2114 cigarette lighter may fail, it is worth noting the following, most likely reasons:
- fuse is blown;
- the fuse contacts or block sockets have oxidized;
- the contact in the mounting block is broken;
- the light bulb burned out;
- a short circuit has occurred inside the device.
As you might guess, the search for a possible breakdown should start from the first point, namely the fuse. In order to do this, you should carefully inspect the common unit and find the required fuse. It is designated F4 and is designed for a current of 20 A.
After the fuse has been found, it should be carefully removed and checked using a tester (a regular “test” is sufficient). If during the check it turns out that the fuse is working, then it should be replaced and the search should continue. Otherwise, the fuse will have to be replaced with a new, similar one.
You should not replace the fuse with another one, but designed for a lower current strength, because in this case it will burn out much more often, even just when connecting powerful consumers.
If the VAZ 2114 cigarette lighter fuse turns out to be working, then you should check the condition of its contacts, as well as the contacts of the socket into which it is inserted. If oxides are noticeable on them, they should be cleaned.
To do this, the contacts will need to be wiped with a cloth with kerosene or VD-40 or cleaned with very fine sandpaper. After completing this procedure, the fuse should be put back in place and the functionality of the cigarette lighter should be checked. If it turns out that it still does not work, the search should be continued.
The next thing you have to check are the contacts at the outlet of the mounting block (in the same place where the VAZ 2114 cigarette lighter fuse is located). These contacts are marked X1. If their fastening is loose, they should be carefully tightened. Such a seemingly trifle is very often the cause of a cigarette lighter malfunction.
After all the previous points have been checked, and the device still does not work, it is worth checking to see if the light bulb has burned out.
For this you will need:
- Remove the terminals from the battery.
- Unscrew the fastening elements of the cigarette lighter housing (it is held in place by two screws screwed into the central panel).
- Remove the plastic housing.
- Remove the light bulb.
- If it is faulty, replace it with a new, similar one.
- Reinstall the housing.
- Connect the terminals to the battery.
If after this simple procedure it turns out that the light bulb has nothing to do with it, all that remains is to check the cigarette lighter itself. Sometimes its petals close on each other, resulting in a malfunction. You can check this by using a multimeter and testing the device.
If it turns out that there is a short circuit, then the cigarette lighter will most likely have to be replaced (since it is extremely difficult to repair it, especially if the central spring is broken. It will be cheaper and easier to purchase a new one).
In order to extend the life of the cigarette lighter, you need to handle it carefully. The plugs inserted into it should be removed smoothly and without exerting lateral loads - they are the ones that lead to a short circuit inside the device itself.
Recommendations from experts
As already mentioned, the safety element or fuse link is designed for long-term operation, but this element also fails. This most often occurs as a result of a short circuit in the conductive circuits of the vehicle itself. Another common reason for this fuse to blow is when the car owner uses the cigarette lighter as a car socket for additional electrical appliances.
