popping 30 amp fuse for cig lighter

[MrSport]

Over the last week i have popped the 30amp fuse that controls my ciggy lighter and with the car off when u open your e30 doors your electric windows still work.

I have replaced it about 5 times, and after a little while it pops again.

Cig lighter is a pain due to charging my phone etc and the electric windows that work with no key in ignition by opening door is also needed for passengers in the car with this heat of late.

How do i sort this out

p.s its a 325i cab

cheers in advance folks

[smithy318i]

the windows are supposed to work like that.

not sure about the fuse though. check the conections to the fag lighter for "looseness"

[MrSport]

i know they are supposed to work like this, sorry think i made it sound like it was wrong.

Everything is perfect when the fuse is good. As soon as the fuse pops the windows stop working with they key out of ignition barrel and the cig lighter stops working also.

cheers again

[Brianmoooore]

Remove the access panel above the glovebox to expose the wiring.
You now have two choices:
1/ Find a two pin plug and socket in the wiring above the glovebox with red/yellow wires to one pin and probably a blue/brown wire to one side of the other pin and nothing to the other.
Pull this connector apart, which will remove the supply to the cig lighter and the part of its loom included in the heater loom.
Run the car like this and see if the fuse blows.
2/ Other option is to pull the plug out of the top left socket on the accessories connector at the back left of the glovebox, which feeds the windows and see if this cures the fuse blowing.
Do these one at a time, and you'll be a bit nearer to finding the fault.

[Martinaston]

I had a paper clip that slipped under the ashtray and kept shorting the pins to the cigaret lighter giving me the same problem.
Pull the lighter out and make sure theres nothing under there.

[eRgal]

I also had a 2 pence in my torch holder in the glove box that kept popping fuse, Cant remember if this was same fuse or not but it took me ages to work out why this blew at random, (depended on corner and how quick i took it)

[Brianmoooore]

I had a paper clip that slipped under the ashtray and kept shorting the pins to the cigaret lighter giving me the same problem.
Pull the lighter out and make sure theres nothing under there.

It's a good idea NOT to touch the area where an electrical fault actually is until you have proven as accurately as possible exactly where the problem is. Thing is, by disturbing things, you can clear a fault temporarily, without knowing actually why, only for the fault to reappear later.
I like to nail faults 100% without a shadow of doubt.