cigarette lighter socket - OK for other uses?

[J A Blazer]

I just bought a 2000 Outback wagon. Owner's manual says that the cigarette lighter socket in the dash is not for use with any electric accessories such as cell phones and the like; should only use the accessory outlet in the back. And, because I have heated seats, I don't have and can't install the other accessory outlet near the parking brake handle.

 

Is this warning for real? What do other people do? Keeping a cell phone in the back of a wagon while it charges is not realistic.

[hohieu]

It's fine. Under heavier load, the bridge wire in the back of the socket can burn out, but a cell phone will not cause this to happen. In the event that it does happen, it is a fairly simple issue to remedy.

[Subarian]

You're only likely to burn it out if you run something like a high-watt inverter (I burned up my Isuzu's after 5 hours on a 450 watt inverter). A cell phone charger draws very little amperage.

[cookie]

Actually they had to put that warning on. there have been a number of problems with subaru sockets with folks pulling adapters in and out. The best is the one H mentioned. I just put my adapter in once and I leave it. That way the little suff in there can't bend and short. If I do screw up and short it out I'll install a better quality socket.

[mtsmiths]

As pointed out, general use is fine. It's basically a CYA warning. We've been plugging cell phones and a CD player into our '00 for years with no trouble whatsoever.

 

Just be gentle, please.

[cookie]

The little strip that holds the lighter in tends to get stuck on some adapters. Then you yank it out and you have a short. Like MT says careful use should be OK.

[tcolar]

On my 04 outback i fried it :-)

We ran a baby bottle warmer of an inverter on it, that thing was probably lke 500W, so now that i think about it, that would be 500/12 =~ 40 Amps !

Anyhow, the crazy thing, is the inverter fuse did not blow, no subaru fuses blew either (wether under steering column or motor comp) which does not seem right btw.

Yet the Plug does not work anymore (though the "backlight" on it still works).

 

By the way, the mirror lights and the "trunk" outlet which are supposed to be on the same circuit do work.

Anyhow obviously, there is either an hidden fuse behind the plug(did not find one), or a "wire" itself burned.

 

I saw on that post a comment about "bridge wire" would that be the likely culprit ?

Also any tip on accesing/removing the front cigarett ligthter.

So far i removed the small storage/trim in front of the shifter and also the ashtray, but can't figure out how to remove the rest of the central console (cd storage), or at least the lighter itself,

 

I need it just to run the radar detector, won't pull 500W of it again :-)

 

Thanks for any tip about what could be wrong, and how to gain better access.

[PAezb]

On my 04 outback i fried it :-)

We ran a baby bottle warmer of an inverter on it, that thing was probably lke 500W, so now that i think about it, that would be 500/12 =~ 40 Amps !

Anyhow, the crazy thing, is the inverter fuse did not blow, no subaru fuses blew either (wether under steering column or motor comp) which does not seem right btw.

Yet the Plug does not work anymore (though the "backlight" on it still works).

 

By the way, the mirror lights and the "trunk" outlet which are supposed to be on the same circuit do work.

Anyhow obviously, there is either an hidden fuse behind the plug(did not find one), or a "wire" itself burned.

 

I saw on that post a comment about "bridge wire" would that be the likely culprit ?

Also any tip on accesing/removing the front cigarett ligthter.

So far i removed the small storage/trim in front of the shifter and also the ashtray, but can't figure out how to remove the rest of the central console (cd storage), or at least the lighter itself,

 

I need it just to run the radar detector, won't pull 500W of it again :-)

 

Thanks for any tip about what could be wrong, and how to gain better access.

 

There is what I call a "bridge" wire that is connected between two posts on the back of the socket. It acts like a secondary fuse and is heat sensitive to avoid prolong heat buildup and possible fire in and around the socket. This wire appears to have the properties of electrical solder as touching it with a soldering iron it will quickly melt. Replace the bridge wire with a small section of 60/40 solder (tricky, but can be done) or regular wire - which will defeat the heat-sensitive protection the original "bridge" wire provided, so you'll need to be more mindful of the kind of power draw you're using from the socket in the future. Most common accessories (cell phones, pagers, palm pilots, mp3 players, radar detector, GPS, etc.) designed with a 12volt plug should be fine. Its the coffee makers, hair dryers, power inverters that may cause problems - you should use the rear accessory socket which is supposedly wired and fused for these heavier power demands.

 

If I remember correctly, on 2004 MY and earlier, the front cigarette lighter is fused (at the driver side fuse box) for 15 or 20amp, and the rear accessory socket is 20amp or greater - I need to recheck the specs and report back. I know on my 05 OBW the front cigarette lighter is fused for something less, like 10amp, because I had to replace the fuse (again the main fuse, not the bridge wire), which blew right away when attempting to run my 350watt converter. I need to check the fuse specs again on the 05 also, but I know the 05 was fused for less than my 96' (being somewhat disgusted with Subaru for doing that on the new models...)

 

Anyone with their owner's manual handy report on the fuse ratings for 2004 and earlier (should all be the same) and 05/06 model years (are different)?

[Tiny Clark]

If the inverter is rated at 500W, you aren't pulling 500W or 40 amps from the 12 volt source. You are supplying >4 amps of 115V power, but not if you use the cigarette lighter adaptor.

 

I run a 400 Watt all the time on my '96 for the laptop and 12 Volt cooler box, there is no problem.

[PAezb]

If the inverter is rated at 500W, you aren't pulling 500W or 40 amps from the 12 volt source. You are supplying >4 amps of 115V power, but not if you use the cigarette lighter adaptor.

 

I run a 400 Watt all the time on my '96 for the laptop and 12 Volt cooler box, there is no problem.

 

Your statment is correct, but maybe in another way, it is better to say you are not necessarily pulling the full 500watts off the inverter for whatever load source is connected to the inverter.

 

General rule is, since most 12volt DC to 115volt AC inverters require 10 to 15 volts DC to operate, is to divide the full rated capacity by 10:

 

So, a 500watt inverter divided by 10 would cause a draw of 50amps on the DC supply side (at the full 500watt load - possibly a 120volt coffee maker, hair dryer, power tools may draw that, or more). That obviously makes the 50amp DC an overload possibility on a 20amp rated 12volt DC socket (at full load).

 

I don't think car coolers in general draw too much current, maybe a couple of amps? (DC).

 

I blew the bridge wire on the back of the cigarette socket (96' OBW) running my Toshiba Satellite A75 (A power hog by laptop standards) off a 350watt inverter

[vic/se]

If the inverter is rated at 500W, you aren't pulling 500W or 40 amps from the 12 volt source. You are supplying >4 amps of 115V power, but not if you use the cigarette lighter adaptor.

 

I run a 400 Watt all the time on my '96 for the laptop and 12 Volt cooler box, there is no problem.

 

I have the same, well I had burnt fuse once

[tcolar]

If the inverter is rated at 500W, you aren't pulling 500W or 40 amps from the 12 volt source. You are supplying >4 amps of 115V power, but not if you use the cigarette lighter adaptor.

 

I run a 400 Watt all the time on my '96 for the laptop and 12 Volt cooler box, there is no problem.

 

Actually i'm not sure of the actual wattage of the tjing, but anyhow it warms a baby bottel in a mn, so this is the kind of thing whoch is probably 500-1500W @110V

 

In any case it did not burn any fuses, so it's probably that "fuse wire" bridge thing.

 

I'll have a look at this tonight, if i can figure out how to text the rest of the console out and get access.

[Tiny Clark]

Your statment is correct, but maybe in another way, it is better to say you are not necessarily pulling the full 500watts off the inverter for whatever load source is connected to the inverter.

 

General rule is, since most 12volt DC to 115volt AC inverters require 10 to 15 volts DC to operate, is to divide the full rated capacity by 10:

 

So, a 500watt inverter divided by 10 would cause a draw of 50amps on the DC supply side (at the full 500watt load - possibly a 120volt coffee maker, hair dryer, power tools may draw that, or more). That obviously makes the 50amp DC an overload possibility on a 20amp rated 12volt DC socket (at full load).

 

I don't think car coolers in general draw too much current, maybe a couple of amps? (DC).

 

I blew the bridge wire on the back of the cigarette socket (96' OBW) running my Toshiba Satellite A75 (A power hog by laptop standards) off a 350watt inverter

 

OK, I'm wrong again, I though the 500 watts was output power of the inverter.

[PAezb]

OK, I'm wrong again, I though the 500 watts was output power of the inverter.

 

Well, it is. Its maximum, full load output capacity. But what it puts out it has to take in. You just have to remember there are two power sides to an inverter - the 12 volt DC supply side and the 110/115 volt AC output side:

 

Supply side - 500 watts divided by 12 volts DC = 41.6 amps (DC)

Output side - 500 watts divided by 115 volts AC = 4.3 amps (AC)

 

Again, this is at "full load" capacity. If you plug in a 115volt AC appliance on this inverter that uses only 250 watts, it will only use half of the full load values:

 

in this case, 20.8 DC amps on the supply side, 2.15 AC amps on the output side.

 

Most cars that have 12 volt cigarette/accessory sockets use wiring and are fused for no more 20 amps (DC). Thats why you don't see many inverters rated above 400watts with a 12 volt adaptor 'plug' - because at full-load they'd draw too much 12 volt DC current for the average 12 volt socket to handle. Most of the higher wattage inverters use allegator clips to connect directly to the battery.

 

 

Sorry for being so long winded on this - it's the electronic's major in me that likes to ramble on....

[e4620]

No one is taking into account the efficiancy of the inverter, I know since these things are >90% it isn't much, but since its becoming a bit of a subject...

[PAezb]

No one is taking into account the efficiancy of the inverter, I know since these things are >90% it isn't much, but since its becoming a bit of a subject...

 

Yeah I know, the inverter itself consumes power, and then there is quality or "noise" of the output sine wave to consider (modified, pure, square). I figure its more than most here want to know....:-p

 

And of course there are DC to DC converters to add to the topic, which are much more efficient for things like running laptops in cars (which I should be using instead of an inverter).......

[Tiny Clark]

Dosn't make any difference to me what side the potential is on, I just fix the $tuff that engineers design, it keeps me in a job...

[FindingForester]

No one is taking into account the efficiancy of the inverter, I know since these things are >90% it isn't much, but since its becoming a bit of a subject...

 

That's what I was thinking, too. I've noticed that few inverters sold in stores have any statement of efficiency.

 

But as others have said, if the load isn't drawing 500 watts, the inverter will be running at less than maximum as well. I would be really surprised if a baby bottle warmer drew 500 watts. That would be quite a bit of heat (nearly 120 calories/second), unless it warms a dozen bottles at a time or something.

[LouC]

Those things really can't take much of a load at all, I blew the bridge wire on my wife's 98 just by running a tire inflator for a while while adding air to the snow tires that had been in storage. No fuses blew, just the bridge wire. I have modified tire inflators in the past to use battery alligator clips and I think in this case I will do that again, it is not that much fun to pull the middle of the dash apart to change the lighter socket.

[Spacinjason]

I always run a radar detector in my cig lighter, and recently on 4 hour trip, plugged in a 'splitter' to run radar detector and charge cell phone, plus I had a portable VCR plugged into the outlet in back seat for the kids. No problems!

Spacinjason

'06 Baja Turbo:burnout:

[Andyjo]

There's a reason i have my 700watt inverter wired directly to the battery 4-6gauge wire is fun!

i've only fried my 12v supply once.... so i put a 30A fuse in instead of the 20A... problem solved

[Tiny Clark]

I plugged my food vacuum seal unit into the cigarette lighter adapter, and it just wouldn't work that way. I had to use the the large wires connected to the battery. The sealer won't run off of 50 Hz over here either.

 

Anywho, it didn't blow any fuses, it's just that the thin wire for the adapter wouldn't handle the load, so there's protection in itself.