Found a simple solution for broken cigarette lighter mount -- has factory looking glow

[HayekFan]

This part is designed for E30s but with minor trimming will fit in an E28's broken off cigarette lighter mount:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166587690313?i ... SwuTZmTKzz

It's made of flexible translucent material that gives a nice amber glow.

Just trim the ribs with a razor knife and insert it into the hole in the console. It has a lip that lets it seat without falling through. Then insert your lighter socket/receptacle.

Not perfectly stock looking but pretty close for $20.

[jayjaya29]

Been looking for a solution like this for years. Thanks!

[russellrh72]

This part is designed for E30s but with minor trimming will fit in an E28's broken off cigarette lighter mount:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166587690313?i ... SwuTZmTKzz

It's made of flexible translucent material that gives a nice amber glow.

Just trim the ribs with a razor knife and insert it into the hole in the console. It has a lip that lets it seat without falling through. Then insert your lighter socket/receptacle.

Not perfectly stock looking but pretty close for $20.

How does the lighter receptacle stay in the amber mount? Meaning, when you pull your cigarette lighter out what keeps the receptacle from coming with it?

[1st 5er]

Been looking for a solution like this for years. Thanks!

Mine will be here tomorrow.

[HayekFan]

How does the lighter receptacle stay in the amber mount? Meaning, when you pull your cigarette lighter out what keeps the receptacle from coming with it?

The amber mount has two small tabs that line up with a pair of small rectangular cutouts in the receptacle. You insert the receptacle and then rotate it until they snap into place. At that point the receptacle is locked in and won't pull out.

The caveat is that this amber receptacle is made of a different material than the factory part. It's kind of a rubbery material rather than hard plastic like the original apparently was. So the tabs don't give a super positive locking action. You can defeat them if you work at it but with a normal pull on the lighter element I find it doesn't come out. And I think you could help them lock more positively by slightly flaring the edges of the rectangular openings outward so the tabs have more to catch on. This could be done with a pair of needle nose pliers, I think. I have a spare receptacle and will probably test whether this works.

The other issue as far as the lighter not pulling out is the fit between the amber mount and the console. That is a friction fit. The way my console broke apart left about 1/2" depth of inner bore in the mounting hole and I assume that's how most cars are. The ribs of the amber mount need to press against that inner bore to provide friction to hold it in place. That means you need to trim the ribs down carefully and not make them too short. All four need to have a height of about 1/16" above the surface of the amber mount or maybe a bit more. Probably best to initially cut them slightly tall, and then test the fit and trim more as needed.

I must confess I trimmed the ribs on my mount too much and it tends to pull out of the console -- and in fact I ordered a second one to get the rib height better. In the meantime I'm using some 3M mounting tape applied to the surface of the amber mount to take up the gap, and that actually is working very well.

I also think it may be possible to leave a bit of material towards the back ends of the ribs to hook the back edge of the inner bore of the console mounting hole and thereby secure it. Then you wouldn't be relying on friction to hold it in place.

And of course gluing in the amber mount would be an option too, and would be simple since it could be done from the front rather than from around back like when re-gluing the original parts back together.

[russellrh72]

How does the lighter receptacle stay in the amber mount? Meaning, when you pull your cigarette lighter out what keeps the receptacle from coming with it?

The amber mount has two small tabs that line up with a pair of small rectangular cutouts in the receptacle. You insert the receptacle and then rotate it until they snap into place. At that point the receptacle is locked in and won't pull out.

The caveat is that this amber receptacle is made of a different material than the factory part. It's kind of a rubbery material rather than hard plastic like the original apparently was. So the tabs don't give a super positive locking action. You can defeat them if you work at it but with a normal pull on the lighter element I find it doesn't come out. And I think you could help them lock more positively by slightly flaring the edges of the rectangular openings outward so the tabs have more to catch on. This could be done with a pair of needle nose pliers, I think. I have a spare receptacle and will probably test whether this works.

The other issue as far as the lighter not pulling out is the fit between the amber mount and the console. That is a friction fit. The way my console broke apart left about 1/2" depth of inner bore in the mounting hole and I assume that's how most cars are. The ribs of the amber mount need to press against that inner bore to provide friction to hold it in place. That means you need to trim the ribs down carefully and not make them too short. All four need to have a height of about 1/16" above the surface of the amber mount or maybe a bit more. Probably best to initially cut them slightly tall, and then test the fit and trim more as needed.

I must confess I trimmed the ribs on my mount too much and it tends to pull out of the console -- and in fact I ordered a second one to get the rib height better. In the meantime I'm using some 3M mounting tape applied to the surface of the amber mount to take up the gap, and that actually is working very well.

I also think it may be possible to leave a bit of material towards the back ends of the ribs to hook the back edge of the inner bore of the console mounting hole and thereby secure it. Then you wouldn't be relying on friction to hold it in place.

And of course gluing in the amber mount would be an option too, and would be simple since it could be done from the front rather than from around back like when re-gluing the original parts back together.

Thanks for the detailed explanation my friend. I think I follow what you're getting at but need the piece in my hand to have a full understanding.....which will happen soon enough because I too have ordered one. Thanks for the lead on a fix that I've needed to perform on every e28 I've ever owned.

[HayekFan]

Yep, it'll make sense once you've got it to look at.

BTW, my second mount arrived and this morning I trimmed it and installed it. I got a perfect friction fit this time.

The key is you've got to trim the ribs to the right height. I did this by sticking two layers of 0.8mm thick mounting tape on either side of each rib to act as a guide for my knife. Here's the tape I used:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093Q ... UTF8&psc=1

You'll be cutting a thin slice off each rib, like maybe 1/32" of an inch or so. This will leave about 1/16" of height.

You'll also need to snip off the two springy "wings." Then you'll need trim their bases back so they're flush with the back edge of the flange. This will let the flange sit flush against the face of the hole.

BTW, for anyone who doesn't have a receptacle, the eBay seller sells a combo of amber mount and receptacle. The receptacle is the correct one for both E30 and E28:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166776593974?_ ... 1506.m1851

[HayekFan]

Pics:

[1st 5er]

Pics:

DayUmm... that looks good.
I'm tempted now to work the super glue loose mine is held in with and install mine where it belongs as opposed to the glove box waiting for that rainy day.

[russellrh72]

Turned out pretty nicely I think. I'm a bigger fan of the light orange glow at night than I am of the orange ring during the daylight. But it definitely works. Thanks again for the lead

https://imgur.com/gallery/UnXU2NG

[HayekFan]

Looks good! I notice you've got quite a bit of light spilling from the cig lighter/ashtray area up into the A/C blower area. My car is the same way. A console with an unbroken lighter mount has a structure that kind of shrouds the bulb but I think it gets lost when things get broken. My next move will probably be to make a light barrier of some sort behind the lighter with a small piece of black plastic sheet or something. That way it will be total darkness down there apart from the lighter ring.

[russellrh72]

Looks good! I notice you've got quite a bit of light spilling from the cig lighter/ashtray area up into the A/C blower area. My car is the same way. A console with an unbroken lighter mount has a structure that kind of shrouds the bulb but I think it gets lost when things get broken. My next move will probably be to make a light barrier of some sort behind the lighter with a small piece of black plastic sheet or something. That way it will be total darkness down there apart from the lighter ring.

Yeah I actually still have that piece of black plastic. It gets glued in from behind the console and has fallen out twice on me now. I simply don't care to put it back in if I have a good alternative to holding the receptacle and having a solid, functioning lighter. The black shroud has an orange plastic window that allows orange glow into the receptacle anyway. I'm not sure the difference in brightness because I haven't had it all put together in a while.

This would be a perfect item to have a 3D printed solution for. I considered calling a local guy that has done a few other items for me on this car and others, but this orange sleeve worked so well so easily that I think I'll pass for now. It would need some time put into the design and that's where the cost is. My idea was to have two pieces, one for behind the console and one for in front, that twist and lock together. Each would have a small flange to prevent the locked-together pieces from pulling out or pushing through the console. For an e28 owner who owns a 3D printer it would be a fun project and worthwhile for the community. Every e28 cigarette lighter has broken by now and I bet most are still in pieces.

[HayekFan]

The eBay guy who's selling these mounts is 3D printing them himself and in fact is planning to modify the design to create an E28 specific version that won't need to be trimmed to work. He was going to get hold of an old E28 console to check the dimensions and all that. I think I'll mention to him that he might look at figuring out a way to shroud the bulb as well.

But to me it looks like it should be possible to rig up a pretty decent light barrier with some thin plastic sheet material trimmed and bent to the right shape so its springiness holds itself in place. Or maybe even just stuffing something like sound deadening foam behind the spot where the bulb goes. I haven't gotten in there and started tinkering with it yet but it seems there should be a simple way to block off that light.

[jayjaya29]

Just installed mine, fits great with some trimming. Lighter socket super solid now.

[HayekFan]

Cool -- glad it worked out for you!