Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Kevin, that is exactly what happened to my 56 400. I finally took out the receptacle and cleaned the inside good, to no avail. i then glass beaded the bottom inside area, no luck again. I then installed a new one and everything is now perfect. My GPS is very happy to have power. The good news is that you can have it out and back in in just two minutes after you have done it the first time.

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Correct. The connection at stud is the actual end of center contact. It is probably pretty well corroded as this one is and that is what the adapters use. In the Packard there is a triangular piece of metal bent into tabs and an insulator support riveted to it. This is an earlier unit and the center is fairly flush. On my 56 the center circular part is actually recessed down into the phenolic somewhat. The lighters use the tabs which is probably why they work and adapters don't.

When the lighter slides in the tabs grip the edge around the element providing that contact. The outer shell being ground is connected by the lighter upper shell to the center of the element winding.

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Thanks for the tips. And yes.....I checked the charging cord in the back two lighters and the phone charges. Much appreciated.

Ok. I dug out the liter from my parts car. The centre rivet IS hot if i clean the corrosion from it. It's not really a rivet. It's the end of the connector post that the cigarette liter hot wire connects to.

There is 2 sets of 3 tabs. A long set and a short set. The first pic shows the LONG tabs. Second pic shows short tabs. The long tabs hold the hand held lighter element in place heating up the element until the long tabs themselves get hot enuf to expand thus releasing the hand held element under it's spring pressure.

The 3 shorter tabs are for direct solid contact to the out forward edge of the wound spring element for positive contact.

OR that's how i read it.

On the unit i have here (from 5672 1834) the centre contact does not appear to be recessed at all. In fact it appears to be flush or about even height with the 3hree SHORT tabs.

I don't have a 55-6 socket to look at closely. Too much trouble to take it out of the car and look but operation sounds logical. The one I posted is older.

My center is recessed but could be because of fatigue or distortion on the phenolic. Maybe it is just plain worn out. The car was previously owned by a couple who were very heavy smokers. I expect the lighter saw a great deal of use. One in the back seat is also down but the other is more flush.

Remember 1955-56 are not the same, they each carry their own part numbers.

That's right. I remember a bulletin about the 55 sockets either too large or mismatched in some way and sometimes the hot lighter would pop completely out.

Both work for phone charging in my car. (56 Patrician)