Casco fuse for �66 cigarette lighter

[Jeff S.]

1958/ALL - with casco lighter ...". Parts history (Dec '87) shows discontinued with no replacement.

Seems most of the 50's cars you mentioned would be 6V, but perhaps voltage diff doesn't matter when it's amps that would clear the fuse. My Corvette parts catalog (May '80) has no parts group 9.712 - see it in background, 1st image. Might even work to protect that circuit on a midyear, Casco element?

[Gary B.]

IMG_9631.jpg

Some of those later makes/models listed must be 12V cars. But the early ones are probably 6V.

Gary

[Gary B.]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]122618[/ATTACH]

Rich,

Does each of those 4 pointed contactors melt if too much current goes thru the fuse?

Gary

[Richard M.]

Rich,

Does each of those 4 pointed contactors melt if too much current goes thru the fuse?

Gary

Gary,

Further research on the Buick forums indicates this Casco adapter may actually be a "Thermal Breaker" designed to open circuit if the lighter element shorts or overheats.

I wish I knew that when I had it here as I'd have tested it using a heat gun.

That's why I tried the Patent search process as it would describe the "Method and Aparatus to ......" nomenclature. E.G. description of mine back in 2002 when I was a engineer in the electronics industry, HERE.

It appears that the Casco unit is resetable, such that when it overheats, the internal contact mechanism in the below photo retract when heated, opening the circuit.
20240522_064500.jpg

I think that button in the center of the disk opens the contacts to the 4 pointed elements when the disk perimeter retracts with heat. When pushing a small pin/paperclip through the hole, it snaps it back to close the circuit again. This is a assumption, but may be how it works. See similar Thermal Breaker design in my hot water heater below.***
20240522_063753.jpg

It resets by removing it from the lighter, then using a paperclip in the female threaded end, simply push the button inside until a "pop" is heard, thus resetting it.

Maybe you could test it?

Rich
***
I lost power to my Shop HW heater a while back. I took it all apart to diagnose the fault. It turns out all I had to do to reset it was insert a small pin to "snap" the internal disk back to its ambient temperature state.

[Gary B.]

[Richard M.]

Rich,

Do you think I could get it to open by putting it in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes?

Gary

Gary I would connect it to a ohm meter, then use a heat gun while watching the meter to see if it open circuits. A IR gun would be good too, to see at what temperature it fails at.

Rich

[Gary B.]

[Richard M.]

[Gary B.]

[Richard M.]

Ok, Please do. It has a recent 7,000 Frequent Flyer Miles on it so you should get a cheaper fare! LOL

[Gary B.]