Cant remove tyre inflater plug from 12v socket (cigarette lighter socket)

[JimmyTwotimes]

Just inflated tyres as the sensor suggested they were too low. Inflated fine using normal car inflator plugged into the 12v cigarette light socket.
But bizarrely now i cant pull the plug from the socket. I've given it a good yank but don't wanna try pulling much harder as it feels locked in.

Can it be locked in? I've used the same pump before and it came out no problem.

Could it be the cold?

Stumped!

 

[Jomarkh]

Have you tried twisting it but not anticlockwise as it might unscrew the end?

 

[JimmyTwotimes]

Have you tried twisting it but not anticlockwise as it might unscrew the end?

Yeah it twists a bit but not much. Properly locked solid. Might be a dealer job

 

[Ian Key]

Try spraying a little WD40 into the socket.

 

[JimmyTwotimes]

OK i managed to get the plug out and this is how, as it may help others.

I used a piece of plastic laminating sheet, its super thin but stiff enough not to crumple.

I rolled it in a tube, same diameter as the socket and managed, with a bit of twisting, to push it through and obviously get between the plug pins and the socket.

The plug then came out!

I'm still not sure why it locked in place. I've marked the plug so i now know which way is 'up' on the plug and it now seems to move in and out as designed.

Thanks all for responding. Great to know this forum is properly active and looking to help each other

 

[JonnyG]

Thanks for sharing the answer .

 

[tsedge]

Glad you got it sorted. For future reference they don't lock but they can be stiff in some circumstances (sounds like you were unlucky). Brute force is never normally the solution.

 

[Kithmo]

12v sockets have slots in them and if they are the same width as the spring contacts on the side of the plug then it's easy to jam them in. I always make sure when plugging in to make sure the spring contacts don't line up with the slots in the socket.