hillpc

1997 A8. There seems to be a short in the lighter socket itself, though I haven't yet found any coins or pieces of metal in it. (I've measured a short between the terminals with an ohmmeter. It blows the fuse as soon as I connect the wiring terminals.) I have the console apart and out of the car (for other work), and can't figure out how to remove the lighter socket from the ashtray holder without destroying it. I can get it unclipped by squeezing/lifting a couple of small tabs on the orange part and partially slid out (the metal cylinder and the orange plastic part with lamp socket together) towards the front, but the lamp socket on the orange part hits and stops me from pushing it any farther out. I think if I could get the lamp socket off the orange part it would slip out. Or if I could get the orange part off the metal. I've been poking around trying to find something to unlatch with tiny tools and haven't had any luck yet. I suppose I could buy a new one, destroy the old one to get it out, and replace with the new one; maybe it'll come delivered already apart. Sounds kinda barbaric though.