Surrounding the cigarette lighter socket in this photo are the words "look point". What does that mean?
Do they mean "lock"? Do some cigarette plugs lock into some sockets? I've had trouble with my USB charger coming loose.
If not that, what?
That would be my only guess.
I've never seen one that did.
There's a slight difference in size for a true cigarette lighter socket and an auxiliary power socket. They're not interchangeable as far as use. The article doesn't answer your question about the wording, though.
Googling "locking car aux outlet" produces hits for locking plugs and outlets, so mystery solved.
The main difference is a lighter socket has the retainer to hold the lighter in until it is hot. The arrows in that picture seem to indicate if you turn it left it "looks" (Locks?)
OTOH "look" and "power" may be similar words in Chinese. "Power Point" is a common name for those sockets.
Not really. When I did that, only the first hit had all 4 search timers and locking was about a lock washer. Furthermore, a cigarette lighter or power port/outlet is not AUX.
OTOH, when I searched for locking car cigarette outlet I did get several hits. That must be what you meant. Including one plug, sold on two websites, that is designed to lock
OTOH, I haven't had a problem with plugs coming out, except one time, when I was using a hard-sided Y connnector and pumping up a tire, the Y connector melted and I think I blew the fuse to the socket it was plugged into. Was that because the y-connector wasn't plugged in tight? Probably, but I'm sure they don't make hard-sided Y (or more like a mu) connectors with locking plugs.
Amazon sells several cigarette plugs but only one that locks, and that one is sold and shipped by someone else. OTOH, all but two of its sockets are locking, so I think matching plugs will become more common than now.
Might be more important on a motorcycle, or where people keep tugging or tripping on a cord.
It turns out some cigarette sockets are designed to lock the plug in. If that keeps the connection from being broken, that could be good.
See the video at this page.
The locking point of the arrow is the position of the card slot, you need to rotate it to another position, and then you can pull out the adapter, thank you. By DaMavo Seller on March 27, 2021
How dose this locks in the plug? This is also equipped with an accessory that can be screwed to fix, thank you. By DaMavo Seller on March 8, 2021
Also worth noting that Amazon calls all its power sockets, "cigarette lighter" sockets even though I don't think they can be used that way.
Just because they're the same bssic size and shspe.
This thing has an on/off switch. It looks like it is just for the outlets on the left but who knows.
I'm not knocking Amazon. I call them cigarette lighter sockets too, even when they're not.
I'm sure that's the case because both the ones on the left and right are sold separately. Amazon seems to sell about 20 different models of a built-in USB charger, with 2 usb, 3 usb, usb-a and usb-c, with voltage showing digitally, with voltage showing by a ring of leds, with on/off, without, with a blue case.
Good point. I'm putting in one of the USB chargers, almost like the one on the left, and it will be connected to the ignition switch. When I've used the "lighter" socket and a USB insert, I'd drive for an hour or two and find the phone had been discharging all that time. The insert must not have been making good contact. Yet when I watch it, it seems fine - the little led stays on all the time. But this has happened both times I was using the phone for long periods so I'm not taking any more chances. I'm hoping to take a car trip for a week or two maybe in 2022.
I also installed a cigarette outlet that stays on all the time. I only use that knowingly, like for charging the phone when I'm not in the car, or for pumping up a tire, and if I ever get decent** on the flight simulator, to recharge one airplane battery while I'm using the other to fly. Of course, iiuc it will only fly 3 to 5 minutes on a charge and I suppose it takes much longer to recharge. **Can't afford to fly now because I'm sure to crash the plane. It's been sitting for 4 years and I probably need a new battery now.
This car, a 2005 Solara, has a pretty big box below the radio with one 'power port' and with plenty room for the 2 more I put in, or even a third. One is being replaced by the USB charger and another is being replaced by AUX/USB jacks if the carkit I ordered actually works.
I bought a kit 3 years ago and it didn't work, and Crutchfield gave me free return shipping and promptly refunded my money, but now I think someone there recommended the wrong kit. OTOH, 2 or 3 of those on Toyotanation.clm who bought the right kit somewhere didn't like it. Said music input was fine but telephone was terrible. I'm getting this from GTACarkit. Should arrive Monday.
There is also a cigarette jack in the console, but it's inconvenient. I can't see in when I'm sitting in a seat, have to get out, go in head first, knee on the seat, remove the many things stored there, to plug something in or out. It would be good for a semi-permanent attachement but I try to hardwire those.
These days they usually have power points on the load side of the ignition switch. The lighter was "hot" back in the olden days because it was usually on a 20 or 30a fuse. They could make a cheaper ignition switch if they didn't need to carry that load. Same with the horn and lights. Power points may only have a 10a fuse now. That might blow with a lighter. On my Ford Sport Trac I have moved them around. You can switch to a different bus bar pretty easily. I was going from hot to switched for my MP3 player. I went with a smaller fuse.
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