The replacement of the 12V car socket is a very easy task. This task is a straight forward job that is easily done by yourself. When you replace a 12V car socket on your own, you will save your money because you do not have to pay another person to do this task of replacing a 12V car socket. Moreover, it also provides you an understanding of your car and its working.
The method of replacing a 12V car socket is an easier process and in this article, I will describe the step by step information about the replacement of 12V car socket.
A 12V car socket:
Before starting the replacement of the 12V car socket, it is important for you to know about the 12V car socket. A 12V car socket is the power outlet that brilliantly performs the function of cigar lighter. This cigarette lighter is made from metal containers. The metal container has a thin and flat coil that is made of a nichrome metal strip.
To start the cigarette lighter, it is pushed into the socket. The lighter is attached to a strip of bi-metallic and is held in place with a clip. The current starts flowing by using the nichrome metal strip when this flat coil makes contact with a positive terminal of 12V sockets.
This cigarette lighter gets heat up with the heating element and it glows to hot orange color. When the bi-metallic strip is released, the contact between the nichrome metal and positive terminal of sockets breaks, and then the process of heating is stopped.
Use of a 12V car socket:
A 12V car socket is the best way to consume power with electronics characteristics. It made the easier for lighting your cigar in a car. The most modern vehicles contain many power outlets for providing great convenience. Those power outlets are mostly covered with a cap of plastic to ensure the safety purpose and 12VDC has written on that plastic cap.
The use of a 12V car socket is increasing day by day. It is a very comfortable way of doing different tasks easily. The 12V car socket delivers the best power supply to different usage of electronics. The examples of using power by this 12V car socket include cooling fans, vacuum cleaners, and chargers, etc. All of such types of use of the 12v car socket is simply done by just plug into the socket.
Replace a 12V car socket: Step by Step
The replacement of a 12V car socket is different and varies from car to car models. But the overall general process of replacing a 12V car socket is common in all cars. The service manual of a car is also provided that contains the instructions about this process of replacement and you have to check that manual.
Yet overall general steps to replace a 12V car socket are described here:
Step 1: Keep the battery safe and prevent from short circuit
First of all, the battery should be disconnected so there are no chances of a short circuit of battery and battery remains safe. The battery is removed by using appropriate precautions.
Before removing the battery it must ensure that the key is removed from the lock of ignition and also wait for a minimum of 15 minutes. Some cars have a very sensitive system of electronics and when there is a sudden loss of power, it could cause many problems that are related to electronics.
Step 2: Use the plastic trim removal tool
This step is for those models of cars that have plastic panels for holding the 12V socket. For the purpose of socket out from the plastic panel, use a tool of plastic trim removal that easily done this step. This step is skipped by those models of cars that do not have plastic panels.
Step 3: Determine the polarity of the wires
Every socket contains two wires that connect with the 12V car socket. From those two wires, one wire is positive and the other is negative. You can easily find the polarity of the wires by using a diagram of the wiring of your vehicle or you can use a multi meter to determine it.
Step 4: New 12V socket
When the polarity of the wires is determined as mentioned in step 3, and then the new 12V socket is easily connected with accurate wires. When the new socket is the best compatible replacement of the exact older model of the car’s socket, then connecting the wires with a new socket is so simplest and easier.
The wires are easily connected with the same terminals of the new socket. The positive wire is connected with the positive terminal of the socket and the negative wire is connected to the negative terminal of the socket.
If the new socket is different from the older one, then its replacement is a little tricky but not very difficult. In this case, the female connectors of the car must be changed to easily connect with the new 12V socket. The installation manual that is provided with a 12V socket must be consulted to easily done this type of replacement.
Step 5: Test the new socket
We test out the new socket to identify if any problem occurs in it and also we test the new socket without reinstalling the plastic trim. By using a multi meter, the voltage of the socket is easily checked.
The inner shell of the outlet must be ground and its terminal deep inside bottom must have power. When the polarity of wires with the 12V socket is correct then you easily get 12 volts at your socket. Then at that point install the trim back.
Step 6: Again install the plastic trim and done
The last step in replacing a 12V car socket is the reinstall of the plastic trim. The reinstall process of plastic trim is easier and much faster. It is more fun to reinstall it as compared to its removing. The process of reinstall the plastic trim is just the reverse process of removal of the plastic trim.
This is the last step of replacing a 12v car socket and surely you will appreciate yourself doing this amazing task. The whole process of replacement also gives you knowledge about your vehicle.