I have a 1998 SC300, so how can I explain this screw-up.

So I dropped a license plate screw in my cigarette lighter while the car was on (weird story, I'll explain later). It didn't spark or anything just started to heat up, I shut off the car immediately and took the screw out, and the lighter barely gave any current anymore. Now as soon as I move the shift lever to the right like I'm shifting from park my entire center console dies, A/C controls, and radio. I disconnected the lighter, but that didn't fix anything. If I leave the car in park everything works.

I don't even know what to search on the web for this.

I live in Florida, and the temperature is starting to rise. I need your assistance battle brothers.

 

This is odd. I have actually heard of this before but it is strange that it would have caused a wider electrical issue than in just the cigarette lighter circuit.

That circuit is designed with a fuse in the fuse kick panel in the driver's side footwell (check that first as it is most probably blown!) and then a secondary fusible link built right into the cigarette lighter and DC power socket itself. That secondary fuse is actually two copper wafers connected with an extremely short wire with the "fuse" wafer in between them. You can actually remove this center "fuse" wafer from the factory socket and reassemble the thing. It is technically an overkill safety measure that 1990's Toyota and Lexus models had in their DC power sockets and it is normally best to leave it alone if it never blows. However if it does you can remove that section, reassemble and get your DC power socket working again with just the kick panel fuse as your safety measure.

As to your larger issue what is probably happening is that the "Cig"/"Lighter" fuse has blown and there is probably more than just that lighter outlet tied to the same circuit. It should be a common 10A or 15A fuse available at any general auto parts store.

Replace that fuse first and see what happens. So long as there is nothing still stuck in the DC power socket to continue to cause an electrical short you should see your other console functions restored again. Also check the other fuses in the same panel for Radio and A/C. If any electrical functions are still not working then first check all the remaining fuses in that panel to make doubly sure nothing else blew at the same time.

I think the affected fuses will most likely be for the "Cig/Lighter", "Radio" and possibly something A/C related... but I think it is actually the power to your A/C controller panel that is somehow affected... possibly by just a common ground that needs its circuit completed again.

Try this and let us know what your findings are

 

Chech the radio gomrounds as well. I would check all the fuses to be 100% sure its not anything else