Help---Cigarette lighter won't work so I can't charge my cell phone. I've got the problem figured out EXCEPT I can't figure out how to get to the "joint box side" fuse (#17) which runs the cigarette lighter in my 95 Escort. I can SEE it. Does it have a cover over it that needs to be removed? I'm afraid to pull on it too much----don't need more broken parts!

Got it fixed. The Ford dealership helped me out--gratis! Turned out there was a cover over that single fuse---so, if someone's having the same problem as me, get that cover off and then pop in a new 20 fuse---good to go! (they said these fuses are going out a lot, since people started using the cell phone car chargers.)

I think I know why the cigarette lighter fuses blow out when using cell phone chargers. That lighter 'socket' wasnt designed with cell phone chargers in mind. If you push the cellular charger plug into the lighter socket - and the LED doesnt come on, you may get it to work by twisting or wiggling that charger plug. You may also cause a short circuit doing this.
We have the same problem with our other family cars, and its likely to happen with the plugs for DVD players, CD players, map lights, gps units, etc.
So... if the LED doesnt come on, we dont twist the plug - but pull it straight out; then push it back in after rotating it slightly.