NOTE: this post has NOTHING to do with audio, video, security, and/or navigation systems

Watt ratages,......whether its 75Watt, 90Watt, 100Watts continuous , 120Watt 150, 200, etc.

I'm confused with all this stuff. The main confusion comes from when I blew out my honda passport Adapter years ago with one that had so-called surge protection.

I figured if I get one that's just a 75W rating instead of a 120W like before with the SUV, that I would be just fine. It blew. (Ok Ok, I admit it, same brand name one from Walmart )

But what's the consensus on these things? What is ours rated at being able to take? 120 Continuous or Lower? And even so, That doesnt explain why it blew before. Granted the car was off and Inverter was hot as a coal while I was on my little laptop`(Input says 100-240V, ~50-60Hz; Output says 20V -- 3.25A),..but I figured since I had retired from the big bulky laptop that I blew my SUV with, everything was fine.

So can anyone shed some light on what I'm probably doing wrong? And what does our manual say as far as the Power Adapter's stress load?

 

This happened to me. Just replace the fuse. It's located under the mirror controls, although I do not suggest you do this yourself.

For me, I plugged in a machine I've already used with no problem, and one day, smoke started coming out of the AC adapter. I freaked out, cuz I axtually excluded the possibility of the fuse being burnt, since the smoke came out of the adapter. But turns out it was the fuse. NOt sure why the smoke came out in the adapter if it was the fuse that burnt.

 

these accessory outlets in todays smaller cars are meant for things like cell or mp3 chargers that pull .5-1.5a loads. if you want something more reliable then head to wal-mart or whatever is near you, pick up a new accessory outlet and wire it directly to the battery with a fuse up near the battery. just putting a larger fuse in place of the older is a no-no. the the fuse is not there to protect your gadgets. its there to protect the wire that runs to the outlet. that wire is rated to handle a certain amount of current and putting a larger fuse in line could cause the actual wire to catch fire before the fuse blows.

 

The outlet says 120 Watts... and since Power = Voltage * Current, that means that the MAX current drawn from any device is 10 Amps (120 Watts / 12 Volts). Since the charging system is around 12-14.5 volts, the higher watt rating means greater capability for current draw.

If the inverter for your labtop is rated at 20 volts @ 3.25 amps, that means the power usage is 65 watts which is well below the maximum wattage the outlet can supply.

 

[quote=Gordio;116790]This happened to me. Just replace the fuse. It's located under the mirror controls, although I do not suggest you do this yourself.

So what is the problem with replacing this yourself? Is it difficult to get to? Do you need to remove the mirror control switch to get to it? Why do you think Honda decided not to use the "fuse box" for what it was intended? What a pain in the.... My fuse just went out again and I hate to leave my car at the dealer all day for a stupid fuse. (the last time the service manager basically accused me of plugging something in that didn't belong. All I've used so far is my Motorola Bluetooth charger and my Verizon LG cell phone charger. If the fuse can't handle a cell phone, what good is it?) The weird thing was that when I told him that I checked the fuse box and couldn't find a blown fuse anywhere, he got all cagey on me. I asked him point blank where the fuse was for the AV plug and he wouldn't tell me.(Miller Honda in Culver City) Needless to say, I'm going elsewhere for service next time.

I hate to do anything that might void my warranty, like putting in non-stock wiring for a full-time heavier duty connection. Is this the only option?

Stupid fuse.