Blown Fuse?
03-24-2006, 02:07 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 09-11-2005
Location: McLoud, Oklahoma
Posts: 829
Blown Fuse?
I blew my #30 fuse when I was tryin to use a 300watt inverter for my laptop. its a 20amp. Did I do something wrong to blow it. It worked for about a minute, then stopped. I just got time to check it today and that's what the problem was. Does that mean my 300 watt inverter is too much, or is there something wrong with the inverter?
03-24-2006, 03:20 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-01-2006
Location: lockport,ny
Posts: 1,409
The draw on the 12V would be 25amps if the inverter was 100% efficient, which it's not. The 35 amp draw listed by the inverter takes into account the conversion loss, etc.
Most inexpensive inverters will have the same losses and therefore the same current draw.
Whatever you do DON'T put in a higher amperage fuse, because it could overheat wiring in the car and damage the insulation or cause a fire.
To eliminate the extra conversion losses, see if you can get a laptop supply that takes 12V directly as the input ("laptop car adapter").
If I remember correctly, the cigarette lighter jack at the rear of the center console has a 30A rating, while the one on the dash has a 20A rating. Try the jack at the rear of the console.
Steve
Most inexpensive inverters will have the same losses and therefore the same current draw.
Whatever you do DON'T put in a higher amperage fuse, because it could overheat wiring in the car and damage the insulation or cause a fire.
To eliminate the extra conversion losses, see if you can get a laptop supply that takes 12V directly as the input ("laptop car adapter").
If I remember correctly, the cigarette lighter jack at the rear of the center console has a 30A rating, while the one on the dash has a 20A rating. Try the jack at the rear of the console.
Steve
03-24-2006, 03:22 PM
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 09-11-2005
Location: McLoud, Oklahoma
Posts: 829
Neither of them work now. I only checked one of them in the fuse box because I only had a minute, but I'm pretty sure it blew both of them because when the first one stopped working I tried the second one. And the inverter is 300w continuous 500w peak.
03-24-2006, 03:44 PM
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 09-11-2005
Location: McLoud, Oklahoma
Posts: 829
That's retarded. lol. Why can't something like this just be easy. I found a car adapter for my laptop, but its 50 bucks. The inverter was free. 
I'm gonna see if I can get a converter that is under 20 amps and see how it runs before I spend 50.
I'm gonna see if I can get a converter that is under 20 amps and see how it runs before I spend 50.