120 Volt Outlet

For anyone considering it, I finished my 120 Volt outlet mod. It uses an 800 watt inverter that is directly connected to the accessory battery. The inverter is small and quiet (I had to try three different ones beofre I found one quiet enough). I then popped out the outlet, switch and indicator lights and installed in the area under the shift knob (by the 12 volt accessory outlet).

The switch turns it on and off. The green light indicates that it is on, and the red light indicates an overload. The unit is tucked behind this area.

See picture for finished look.

 

Huh, I didn't think there would be this much feedback about it. I'l post more detailed information about it when I get a chance.

 

Note on the inverter. I bought this:

http://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-PI-400-Instant-Power-Inverter/dp/B000CRO4FI

It is a 400 watt continuous/ 800 watt peak inverter. In my last car, I installed a 100 watt, which was fine for most things, but I did go through 3 fuses in 6 years, so I stepped it up a bit.

I bought this one for the follwoing reasons:

1. Small size for it's power delivery makes it easier to tuck away.
2. Nearly silent fan - this was a dealbreaker for me with another inverter I tried and later returned.
3. Metal case allows for better heat dissapation.
4. Reasonable cost. I paid 40 bucks at a local automotive store.
5. It also included overload protection which should help prevent blown fuses.

It is not a full sine wave, but I mostly plug in DC power supplies anyway.

Why build it in? First off, I hate the old standard. It was based around a cigar lighter form factor. It's bulky, a hack, and I hate seeing modern devices still using it. I also hate having two of every power supply and charger (at-home chargers and in-car chargers). All of my chargers are 120 volt. It limits the amount of wires and stuff I need to have and look at - which was the point of building it in. It bugs me seeing an inverter plugged into a cigar lighter, and then seeing a charger plugged into that, and then seeing my phone plugged into that. This is just a bit cleaner.

It is connected directly to the battery, and has no power drain unless the switch is on (at least none that i could detect with my multimeter). The green light indicates that it is on - helping to prevent me from leaving it on by accident. If this was a big concern, I would have connected a relay right to the neighboring accessory power supply which would have triggered the devices power. Of course, the power switch would ground out the relay, so there would be no phantom power drains - meaning that if the switch was off, not event he relay would be charged. I can explain this further if anyone needs an explaination.

If the switch is on, and there is nothing plugged into it, well... I once forgot it on in my old car for nearly week. No problems. It is nothing more than a single LED. If a device is plugged in when the car is not running, well, that's one of the reasons for connecting it right to the battery in the first place. The battery can supply enough for my needs. I have, for example, left my phone charging while I went shopping for a few hours. I have NOT tried operating a toaster oven with the car off.

As for the how I did it, I'll give some general advice until I get some pictures up.

1. One wire was run to the battery - not as hard as i first thought.
2. The inverter was modded. I opened it up and attached longer wires to the switch, LED's, and power outlets, soldering them right into the board (I do not recommend this as there is an easier way to get this look. I'll talk more about that later). These wires then went to a 9 pin wire harness right behind the faceplate.
3. The inverter is just to the right of the accelerator - more space and better airflow.
5. The best was to cut the slots is actually with a sharp utility knife. It cut through the thin plastic very cleanly.

 

No need to go through the firewall. I used the outlet that came with the inverter, although many places sell the same type of outlet for 1 to 2 bucks.