Running a 380 watt Inverter off Ing. Acc

O2BurbanZ71 · May 4, 2006

I have a 02 Z71 suburban, and a 380 watt power inverter for an xbox. I have it plugged into the power outlet in the rear. I want to hook up the inverter to the ignition accessory line. Would it be able to handle the inverter and a 200 watt radio? Also where would I find the wire to splice into?

Ape0r · May 4, 2006

I have a 02 Z71 suburban, and a 380 watt power inverter for an xbox. I have it plugged into the power outlet in the rear. I want to hook up the inverter to the ignition accessory line. Would it be able to handle the inverter and a 200 watt radio? Also where would I find the wire to splice into?

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Depends what you plug into it. 380 + 200 = 580 watts, which at 12 volts is 48.3 amps. I don't know about you, but I've never seen an automotive fuse rated that high =).

Put a 20 or 25 amp fuse on it, and if the fuse blows, then the answer is no =).

bobcat5544 · May 4, 2006

I have a 02 Z71 suburban, and a 380 watt power inverter for an xbox. I have it plugged into the power outlet in the rear. I want to hook up the inverter to the ignition accessory line. Would it be able to handle the inverter and a 200 watt radio? Also where would I find the wire to splice into?

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no do not tap in to the ignition switch power to power up a converter. what you need to do is.

1. hook the convet power wire straight to the battery

2. open up the inverter and take out the power switch, the one of the connections on the power switch is what you want to hook to the ignition circuit

Bish · May 4, 2006

I have used a 300watt inverter for several years in two vehicles. I use it to run the gamecube only and/or a laptop. I used the always powered outlet in the front. I have also used the same setup on my wife's Town & Country with no issues after 40+ hours of use.

Having said that, I agree it is always better to go firectly to the battery. However, I have never blown a fuse in all my years of using it. It is also not necessarily 380 watts at all times. It will draw only enough power from the DC side to power the device on the AC side so plugging in a radio draws much less on the DC side than say a TV. If you want to use the cigarette lighter, I would suggest looking at the rated watts for the device you are using. Ad a little fluff for efficiency loss (heat) and you should have a good idea how much current it will draw.

Good Luck.

O2BurbanZ71 · May 5, 2006

Also my headunit is a Tv monitor too, so it uses more power. Could I just use a relay to switch the inverter on and off? Is the ignition wire positive or a ground? Also how would I get to this wire?

Bish · May 5, 2006

Also my headunit is a Tv monitor too, so it uses more power. Could I just use a relay to switch the inverter on and off? Is the ignition wire positive or a ground? Also how would I get to this wire?

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Switched ignition wire is pos and good solid metal on the chassis is ground. If you were really concerned about current draw, I would run a single 12V line from the battery. You could always use a relay to turn on/off or put a switch under the dash. Make sure you have a fuse somewhere in the 12V line if coming off the battery. You can start a fire if you get a dead short with the direct link to the battery. Also, the inverter I use has an on/off switch so I leave it plugged into the accessory outlet and turn it off when not in use. You don't want to stop for dinner during a trip only to find out it has been on the whole time and your battery is now dead

O2BurbanZ71 · May 6, 2006

Switched ignition wire is pos and good solid metal on the chassis is ground. If you were really concerned about current draw, I would run a single 12V line from the battery. You could always use a relay to turn on/off or put a switch under the dash. Make sure you have a fuse somewhere in the 12V line if coming off the battery. You can start a fire if you get a dead short with the direct link to the battery. Also, the inverter I use has an on/off switch so I leave it plugged into the accessory outlet and turn it off when not in use. You don't want to stop for dinner during a trip only to find out it has been on the whole time and your battery is now dead

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yeah, basically I just want the xbox to turn off when I turn the engine off. I have a clifford remote start. So do I need to splice into both ignition wires or are they both connected?