BMW E30 Utility Panel and Gauge Pod Cigarette Lighter Socket Installation

Our BMW E30 combination style utility panels, stock style utility panels, and our gauge pod variations that reuse your stock 12V outlets require you to remove your factory cigarette lighter socket from your E30 and install it into your new utility panel or gauge pod.

To do so, you need to first remove the socket from your original ashtray. Once you have done that, the socket can be installed in the new trim panel by aligning the rectangular cutouts on your socket with the rectangular dimples on the orange lens.

Once the socket is installed, these dimples on the lens will hold the socket tight in place. It will take a bit of force to push the socket overtop of the dimples of the lens, this is normal. However, please don't use excessive force to push the socket in place, you may break the lens! If excessive force seems to be required, the dimples are likely not lined up fully with the rectangular cutouts on the socket. Please realign the cutout with the dimples and try installing it again.

This is what it looks like when the socket is fully installed in the lens. The top flange of the socket sits flush with the top of the orange lens.