A901341 2010353-

Technical Service Bulletin
90 Cigarette lighter element does not eject or cigarette lighter socket INOP
90 13 41 2010353/5 September 23, 2013. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 90 number 10-14 dated
August 10, 2010 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)
Year
VIN Range
Vehicle-Specific Equipment
All
1994 - 2015
All
Not Applicable
Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision
Date
Purpose
5
-
Revised title
Revised header data (Added model years)
Revised all sections with additional content and for formatting
4
8/10/2010
Revised header data (Added MY)
Revised all sections for formatting
Cigarette lighter element will not lock into the lighter socket -U1- to begin the heating process, or the lighter
element will not automatically release once the heating process has completed. As a result, the socket can
become inoperative when used as a power outlet.
© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.
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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Technical Service Bulletin
Technical Background
The two conditions that are most commonly seen are:
• The two retaining tabs in the lighter socket can become pushed out too far, preventing the socket from holding
the lighter element in place for the heating process.
• The two retaining tabs in the lighter socket become deformed, causing the lighter element to be stuck in the
socket, which causes the fuse to blow.
These conditions can be caused when the customer uses
an accessory adapter that has a wide lip and/or an
aggressive edge on the adapter head (Figure 1, A).
These types of adapters can damage the cigarette lighter
socket upon removal.
Figure 1. Accessory adapter head with a wide,
aggressive lip (A) on the end of the adapter head.
When the customer removes the accessory adapter from
the cigarette lighter socket too quickly at any angle that is
not perpendicular to the console surface (Figure 2, arrow),
it can cause damage to the retaining tabs inside the socket.
Figure 2. The arrow shows the proper angle to
remove any accessory adapter.
© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.
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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Technical Service Bulletin
The cigarette lighter socket was designed to be used with
the OEM lighter element, which has a smaller adapter head
relative to the lighter housing (Figure 3, B) and a rounder,
less-aggressive edge (Figure 3, C).
Figure 3. OEM lighter with smaller adapter head
relative to lighter housing (B) and rounded edge (C).
The power outlet was designed for use with accessory
adapters with a wider range of head designs. The tabs
inside the power outlet are flatter and allow for the use of
adapters with wider and more aggressive adapter heads,
as compared to the more rounded lighter socket tabs
(Figure 4).
Figure 4. Power outlet (left) versus lighter socket
(right).
© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.
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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Technical Service Bulletin
Production Solution
Not applicable.
Service
If the lighter element does not stay secure in the lighter socket -U1- or does not automatically release, follow the
repair instructions below.
1. Remove cigarette lighter fuse. Verify by testing the socket with an adapter that has a light to ensure no power
is going to the socket after the fuse is removed.
2. Using a flat blade screwdriver, bend retaining tabs (Figure 5,
arrow) inward or outward, depending on the failure
mode. Removal of the lighter element may be required.
Figure 5. Retaining tabs (arrow). The socket
shown is removed for clarity. Do not remove
lighter socket from vehicle.
3. Install fuse. Install lighter element if removed.
4. Test operation several times to ensure that the lighter stays secure and will eject properly after the heating
cycle completes.
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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Technical Service Bulletin
5. Advise the customer to take care when removing the accessory
plug from the cigarette lighter power socket. Additionally, advise
the customer to seek out a different adapter with a less
aggressive head style (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Power adapters with optimized
head designs for use with a cigarette lighter
socket.
Warranty
This damage is due to outside influence and is not covered by any Audi warranty.
Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2010353) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and service manuals for the latest information.
© 2013 Audi of America, Inc.
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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.