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Can I use my Cigarette lighter to charge a cell phone? I put a cell phone charger made for a 12v outlet and it won't come on, the lighter works though any thoughts?
most likely the center button for the positive 12v connection is rusted/corroded and not making contact...assuming the lighter socket is otherwise working normally.
Some 12V receptacles have a center post that has fingers that protrude a bit on either side. With certain 12V devices that have ground lugs near the tip of the male socket, the ground lugs can short over to the positive fingers. I don't know about our trucks but the cars that I make a living working on occasionally are requested to modify the socket to remedy this problem. The fix is to break the fingers leaving only the very center for positive contact.
