Dear Jim,

The removal of the cigarette lighter in a Vanagon is one of the great mysteries of life -- I gave up before I did any real damage!!!

Cheers,

MJS

>Anyway, I'm trying to remove my cigarette lighter.

>I don't smoke.  We bought a 12vdc refrig and used it on a short trip to

>Chicago.  Everytime my daughter put her feet on the dash to "relax Dad!" she

>hit the plug with her foot and shorted out a fuse (3 in 500 miles....)  So,

>for the trip we're taking tomorrow out to Colorado I decided I'd just remove

>the whole thing and stick it into the glove box, out sight and away from her

>feet.

>I took out the glove box (big hands, couldn't work on it), removed the radio

>and the air conditioning controls to finally get at it.  I disconnected the

>quik-connect plug on the lighter, popped the lighter body nearly all of the

>way out but there seems to be something blocking me from pulling it totally

>out.  As best I can tell, peering into the ashtray hole (boy I hate trying

>to get used to bifocals!), there looks to be some electrical piggyback.  I'm

>guessing that it would allow you to tap off the lighter for another

>electrical device.  I've tugged and swore and it won't budge.  Until I get

>that dang thing off I can't pull the unit out of the dash.

>

>How in the h*ll do I get this stupid thing out?

>It should be so straight forward and easy and I've already killed 2 hours

>and all of my good karma for the next month.

>

>Any ideas?

<bold>

Michael J. Sullivan

</bold><italic>IPS "SWATteam" Architect

Open Market, Inc.

</italic>

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