Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

[Mark E.]

What does the electrical connection to the cigarette lighter look like? Left photo shows the threaded post on the bottom of my lighter socket; right photo shows the spade terminal on the wiring harness:

IMG_20200822_162656901.jpg IMG_20200822_162452778.jpg

Adding to my confusion:
- AIM diagram suggests a female barrel connector is used on the harness
- Doc Rebuild's wiring diagram shows a photo of a female spade terminal that looks like the one on my harness
- Parts houses sell lighter sockets with a post similar to what I have
- For sale on eBay are "original" lighter sockets with spade and post connectors:

lighter.jpg s-l1600.jpg

Which is it? And what part(s) do I need to make this connection?

[Mike E.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

Yours is missing the male spade connector. It has been removed from below the small nut on the end of the shaft. Your orange wire with brown terminal is the female connector.

[Mark E.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

After shopping for awhile, it seems the parts suppliers sell lighters with the threaded stud like I already have, but don't offer the male spade connector.

Did these cars originally have lighters with the connector riveted (not fastened with a nut) like the last photo?

[Sal C.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

They were L-shaped male spades held on by the nut.

[Edward D.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

Last place I got these connectors was at local Ace Hardware in the bulk fasteners section. They have various electrical connectors there as well.

[David L.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?


Mark,
You should be able to find one of these in Walmart, etc., for $3 or $4, If not, let me know. I have some.
Dave

[Mark E.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

Thanks Edward and Dave. I'll check the local hardware store.

The original lighter socket is long gone. What I have is a replacement I purchased years ago. In hindsight, I should have looked for a lighter socket with a blade connector already attached, as Dave shows.

BTW, The housing Dave shows has a ground wire terminal which I believe C3s do NOT have. The only ground wire for the console attaches to the HVAC control housing. The other thing to check when looking for a Corvette lighter housing is if it has mounting holes for the courtesy lamp.

[Joe L.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

Thanks Edward and Dave. I'll check the local hardware store.

The original lighter socket is long gone. What I have is a replacement I purchased years ago. In hindsight, I should have looked for a lighter socket with a blade connector already attached, as Dave shows.

BTW, The housing Dave shows has a ground wire terminal which I believe C3s do NOT have. The only ground wire for the console attaches to the HVAC control housing. The other thing to check when looking for a Corvette lighter housing is if it has mounting holes for the courtesy lamp.

Mark-----


I do not know what's going on here. My original 1969 cigarette lighter housing uses a single pin terminal. The connector is a single barrel connector which slips onto the pin terminal. There is no ground attached to the housing, blade type or otherwise. This same type of housing was used for all 1963-75 Corvettes. It's also the style shown in the AIM's.

The housing part numbers were as follows:

GM #3794298------1963-69; discontinued June, 1970 and replaced by:

GM #3972036------1970-71; discontinued June, 1971 and replaced by:

GM #3986869------1972-75; discontinued October, 1996 and replaced by:

GM #11516142-----SERVICE only; remains available

ALL of the above have a pin type terminal.

For 1977-82 the housing became GM #459394. This housing is not interchangeable with the above. However, it also uses a pin type terminal. The 459394 is discontinued.

[Mark E.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

Mark-----

I do not know what's going on here. My original 1969 cigarette lighter housing uses a single pin terminal. The connector is a single barrel connector which slips onto the pin terminal. There is no ground attached to the housing, blade type or otherwise. This same type of housing was used for all 1963-75 Corvettes. It's also the style shown in the AIM's.

The housing part numbers were as follows:

GM #3794298------1963-69; discontinued June, 1970 and replaced by:

GM #3972036------1970-71; discontinued June, 1971 and replaced by:

GM #3986869------1972-75; discontinued October, 1996 and replaced by:

GM #11516142-----SERVICE only; remains available

ALL of the above have a pin type terminal.

For 1977-82 the housing became GM #459394. This housing is not interchangeable with the above. However, it also uses a pin type terminal. The 459394 is discontinued.

There is conflicting information about the type of terminal for the lighter:
- The two C3s I've owned ('70 and '73) had a female spade terminal on the harness
- The photo in Doc Rebuild's "Osoeasy" wiring diagram shows a spade terminal on the harness (for 1970)
BUT
- The 1970 AIM shows a pin terminal (it's a small, faint, hand drawn diagram but I believe it shows a pin terminal)

Given your '69 uses a pin terminal, maybe the harness changed to spade in 1970? And maybe a male spade was added to the housing using a nut?

OR maybe a different housing with an integral male spade terminal was used (like the one shown in David's post)? Could it have the same part number as the housing with a post terminal?

[Mike E.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

Pretty sure yours had male spade terminals, not female.

[Mark E.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

Pretty sure yours had male spade terminals, not female.

Female on the harness; male on the lighter housing.

[David L.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

The 1970 Camaro Assembly Manual shows a female spade terminal on the harness and a male connector on the lighter harness.
Dave

[Mark E.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

Joe,

David's Camaro AIM shows #3972036 with a blade terminal.

[Joe L.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

There is conflicting information about the type of terminal for the lighter:
- The two C3s I've owned ('70 and '73) had a female spade terminal on the harness
- The photo in Doc Rebuild's "Osoeasy" wiring diagram shows a spade terminal on the harness (for 1970)
BUT
- The 1970 AIM shows a pin terminal (it's a small, faint, hand drawn diagram but I believe it shows a pin terminal)

Given your '69 uses a pin terminal, maybe the harness changed to spade in 1970? And maybe a male spade was added to the housing using a nut?

OR maybe a different housing with an integral male spade terminal was used (like the one shown in David's post)? Could it have the same part number as the housing with a post terminal?

Mark-------


Well, it's like this:

All of the 1963-82 Corvette AIM diagrams, equivalent to the Camaro diagram posted by David, show a pin terminal on the lighter housing and barrel connector (the 1963-67 AIM drawings are not too clear but the 1968-82 drawings are VERY clear and equally clear and concise as the Camaro AIM drawing).

I have a known original example of the 1963-69 GM #3794298 in my original owner car. I am 100% certain that it has a pin terminal (with a barrel connector). I could remove the console plate to check but I don't have to as I am 100% certain it's a pin terminal.

I have an NOS example of the 1972-82 GM #3986869. It is pictured below. You will note that it has a pin terminal. You will also note that it has what could be described as male blade terminals on either side but spaced out almost to the perimeter of the "threaded" portion of the housing. There is no way that I can see the female connector with or without insulator could be attached to either of these "terminals" even if the terminals were bent inward. In fact, the "terminals" appear too wide to me to be compatible with the type of female blade connector shown above.

DSCN3735.jpgDSCN3736.jpgDSCN3737.jpg


Attached below are photos of the 1963-82 Corvette cigarette lighter SERVICE-only housing, GM #11516142. You will note that it is virtually identical to the 3986869. Also keep in mind that both the 3986869 and 11516142 are said by GM to be SERVICE for all 1963-71 Corvettes (as well as later, of course). I do not understand how these could be SERVICE for 1970-71 if a blade terminal is required for those model years. As I previously mentioned and will repeat, I do not see how a female blade connector with or without insulator could be attached to either of these "terminals". You will also note that in the Camaro AIM drawing, it shows the male blade connector protruding from the rear of the housing. This is how it would have to be if the female connector you apparently have were to physically connect to it.

GM#11516142 CIGARETTELIGHTERHOUSING(4).jpgGM#11516142(2).jpgGM#11516142(3).jpg


Unfortunately, I do not have an example of the 1970-71 GM #3972036 so, correctly or incorrectly, I have to infer its configuration. Based upon the diagrams shown in the AIM's as well as the fact that the 3986869 and 11516142 were SERVICE for 1970-71(as well as earlier), I have inferred that it used a pin connector. However, if you have a blade connector and if it appears original to the car then I suppose that the original 3972036 housing was configured as shown in the Camaro AIM with an exposed male blade terminal. I still do not understand, though, how the 3986869 or 11516142 could SERVICE an application originally using the supposed configuration of the 3972036. And, consequently, I don't know where you could obtain a housing that would work with your female blade connector.

[Patrick B.]

Re: Barrel or spade terminal for 1970 cigarette lighter?

My July 3 1970 had the same orange wire and female spade terminal in the wiring harness as shown in Mark's picture. It had a male spade terminal on the lighter body but I do not remember how it was attached. It was certainly different from the lighter with the barrel terminal that was in my 67.