2003 Mercury Grand Marquis - Power Outlet Help

[tony1679]

So this car is fairly new to me. I tried googling my issue but there were no similar problems. To my knowledge, there is only 1 power outlet which is below the cup holders on the dash. **It works**, but has very low output. When I try to hook up my cell phone, it states it is charging slowly, use the original charger. It is. And it's supposed to put out a measly 1A. Not using it at all, I'll gain 5% (2100MAh battery) after a 40 minute drive. This seems unacceptable to me, but I also understand this is an '03 and that electrical demand wasn't as high back then. And yes, I've tried countless high quality chargers and cords with the same results. I also get the same results with multiple phones as well. It's definitely the car's outlet.

So my questions are:
1. Is there only 1 port like I think? Are there hidden ones I don't know about?
2. Is there something wrong with it?
3. If not, can it be upgraded (by someone who understands electrical concepts, but is challenged hands-on. Plug and play highly preferred.)?
4. If it can be upgraded, what is a safe maximum amperage to upgrade to?

Thanks in advance, this problem has really been irritating.

 

[Ethan1]

Does the phone charge at full speed with the same charger in a different vehicle? Do other 12V accessories work in this outlet? Have you put a DVOM to the outlet yet? Give us some info

 

[bullwinkle]

Will it work with a lighter? There's only one outlet, but it should have pretty high amp rating. It has that funky flip-up design, maybe the socket is getting dirty/burned up?

 

[Nick1994]

Pull out the plug from the dash and check all of the electrical connections, maybe the wire is pulling out or the ground is loose.

 

[dogememe]

The problem is your phone charger or your charging cable, not the socket itself. I have a 99 Crown Vic (basically the same car) and I have no trouble with charging phones and other stuff with that one socket. I do wish it had more 12v sockets (heck, my 99 Suburban had THREE) but the one it has is just a typical 15A socket like in most other vehicles.

 

[Colt45ws]

There are two outlets.
There is a cigarette lighter plug in the cup holder you can use along with the power port below it.
IIRC, they are both fused for 20 amps, though on separate circuts.

Agree. Not much information. I would like to see voltage readings at the socket under load.

 

[tony1679]

Originally Posted By: dogememe
The problem is your phone charger or your charging cable, not the socket itself. I have a 99 Crown Vic (basically the same car) and I have no trouble with charging phones and other stuff with that one socket. I do wish it had more 12v sockets (heck, my 99 Suburban had THREE) but the one it has is just a typical 15A socket like in most other vehicles.

In my post, I clearly said it wasn't my equipment. But just for laughs I just took 4 different chargers, 3 different phones, and 3 different cables out there and tried every possible combination. ALL COMBINATIONS gave the "charging slowly" message. It IS the port...
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Does the phone charge at full speed with the same charger in a different vehicle? Do other 12V accessories work in this outlet? Have you put a DVOM to the outlet yet? Give us some info
Yes, all charge normally in other vehicles. Others? Not sure. Don't use any other devices. But I've tried several other phones, chargers, and cables with the same results. DVOM? I'm guessing voltmeter? Nope. Wouldn't know how. Again, challenged hands-on. What info do you want?
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Will it work with a lighter? There's only one outlet, but it should have pretty high amp rating. It has that funky flip-up design, maybe the socket is getting dirty/burned up?
Well, I forgot it also had the lighter port in the cup holder area. But it is 100% dead. Nothing works at all on that port. But the one below that, which I referred to in my OP, is confirmed low output. But neither at first glance appears worn out/burnt.
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Pull out the plug from the dash and check all of the electrical connections, maybe the wire is pulling out or the ground is loose.
I'll try this. Thanks.
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
There are two outlets.
There is a cigarette lighter plug in the cup holder you can use along with the power port below it.
IIRC, they are both fused for 20 amps, though on separate circuts.

Agree. Not much information. I would like to see voltage readings at the socket under load.
Idk what further info I can provide. The lighter port is dead, the lower port has very low output. Help me help you?


Thanks for all the replies!

 

[Colt45ws]

The port in the cup holder is fed from the fuse box under the steering column, specifically fuse F2.25, 15 amp.
The port under the cup holder is fed from the fuse box under the hood, near the battery. F1.2, 20 amp.
They share a common ground. There is a three pin connector which has both hots and the single ground.
You can remove the cupholder by pulling it all the way out, and there are two tabs on each side that are bent at a 45 degree angle.
You press down on them, you will push the stop out of the way and can then pull out the cup holder completely. Kinda fidgety, need three hands really.
Make sure the harness is secure on both the upper and lower points, not melted or anything. and make sure the harness connects to the dash harness well.

Without a voltmeter, Im kinda just guessing. I wouldn't know what to do beyond checking those things. I mean, I could have you check all the connectors and ground points all the way back to the source, but thats not even guaranteed if the fault is somewhere in the harness. If you can find someone to help you with multimeter use (or even just straight take the readings) that would be best. I could tell you what to check.

 

[Ethan1]

You're not going to get far in electrical diagnosis without a voltmeter