I'm preparing to pull apart the interior of my 09 MCS to find out the reason my 12V outlet in the center console doesn't work. Actually, the rear outlet doesn't work either so I assume it is wired in series with the front, is this correct?

I've already checked and replaced the fuse, it's intact. I've removed the receptacle itself and cleaned the contacts but it seems the issue must be with the wiring.

Where should I start disassembling the interior? I'm not even sure where the harness is running so is there a specific area of the interior I should focus on?

 

Its in the center console, and goes to the wire loom. Pop out the socket base and Check for 12 V at the connections behind the sockets. For both it might be the wrong fuse if they still don't both work, did you check all the fuses in the kick panel and under the hood on the driver side. Some fuses share locations.

 

Before you rip the interior out....
Have you run a continuity check on the wire??
Get a multimeter...and check it...
I'm betting a bad ground...easy to check for.

 

Would I disconnect at the fuse, remove the receptacle, short positive to negative and test across the +ve and -ve at the receptacle terminals?

 

I only checked the fuses in the passenger kick panel. There is only a single fuse there for the auxiliary outlet.

 

have you been using some sort of "adapter" in the socket ....

and now after an 'in/out' cycle it does not work?

You broke the socket ...... it still works but your adapter prongs don't line up right.

As mentioned above you can verify this with a $5 Volt meter . . .

Or a $100 trip to the shop!

btw, I've found MINI wiring diagrams for the AUX sockets to be surprisingly WRONG!!!!

Find the hot wire and the ground with your V meter and go from there . . .

 

When I bought the car used last year the sockets didn't work so I haven't used them at all. The dealer said it must just be a fuse issue so I replaced the fuse but that didn't solve anything. I figured I'd take care of it myself when I got around to it which happens to be now.

I've removed the socket, disassembled it, cleaned it and put it back in. Still nothing. There is no 12V at the socket prongs which is why I figured there would be trouble with the wiring.