"2001 KIA Rio: Can You Plug In GPS on Cigarette Lighter?"

Red 2001 KIA Rio Front View

I drive a 2001 Kia Rio. It is real basic car. In the owners manual, it says not to plug anything in the cigarette lighter. I just bought a GPS thing and was wondering what would happen if I did plug it in. Would I fry everything? Whats the worst that I could do? What does it mean to pop a fuse? would it be expensive to fix, and what would stop working if it did happen?

Answer: I’ve never heard of not being able to plug things into the lighter. The lighter itself draws a lot of power. Just plug your GPS in, if it works great, if it doesn’t then that’s just one more thing to add to my list of reasons why no one should buy a KIA. If you plug it in and it doesn’t work then try using the lighter, if the lighter doesn’t work then you popped a fuse. Fuse boxes are usually underneath the steering wheel somewhere, closer to the door. There should be a little panel or door that opens and there’s your fuse box. Read the fuse diagram and locate the lighter fuse, pull the corresponding fuse and look at it from the side, there’s a little piece of metal connecting the 2 bigger pieces, if its not connected then it’s blown. Go to an auto parts store and make sure you remember the number on the top of the fuse its probably 10 15 or 20. Ask for a (the number) amp fuse (ex: “can you help me find a 20 amp fuse?”) then replace it, the fuses will come in a little pack and shouldn’t cost more than 5 dollars.