RoyBlunt

Success!! Unfortunately the ‘finger poking’ method didn’t work. However… I belatedly realised that the +12 volt wire leading to the cigar lighter socket is actually on a snap connector at the back of the cigar lighter. Puling this off freed the dashboard with the cigar socket on it and allowed a better look at it. At the back of the socket there is a brass 4 BA nut which holds the socket together. Undoing this allows the sections to separate and be released from the dashboard with no damage to the veneer. EASY! Once you know how to do it! There again – what isn’t! The photos show the various bits of the socket. I presume that normally the outer section SHOULD unscrew easily from the threaded insert. The two were effectively locked together (cross threaded or dirty?). Once I cleaned it up the two parts now screw/unscrew as they should but I’ll be fitting a new unit as soon as it arrives. Hopefully this might be useful to others. Thanks for all your help. Roy

Thanks for all the info. The 'outer' case rotates freely but doesn't unscrew at all. I'll have another go at rotating the centre section on its own tomorrow - hopefully will be able to 'extract digit' intact and undamaged! I think that the unit has broken anyway - the reason for wanting to remove it is because it has shorted internally - so it is scrap whatever happens. I have ordered a replacement. Thus I'm not too worried if I have to further damage it getting it out - just don't want to damage the veneer on the dashboard. Roy

Is there some special trick to removing the cigar lighter socket from the wooden dashboard? I've released the passenger side dashboard from the fascia but can't remove the cigar lighter socket - it just goes round and round in the mounting hole and doesn't push out. Don't want to use too much force for fear of damaging the veneer. Thanks, Roy