I have a 2006 F-250 diesel, for 2 years I have plugged a 400 Watt power inverter into the power point and powered a PS2 and a TV. Occassionally, I would blow one of the 20A fuses, but otherwise it worked fine. My boys got a PS3 for Xmas and I was plugging it into the same 400 Watt inverter, we started blowing inverter fuses. I figured it was because the new PS3 and TV were pulling too much power. Got a 750 Watt inverter with a display and the TV and PS3 were indeed pulling 422 Watts of power at the most, reason why the 400 Watt was blowing fuses. Now, we're started blowing the new 750 Watt inverter fuse. I checked the book and now see that the powerpoint is only rated for 12V/ 180 Watts. I'm guessing the PS2 and TV did not exceed that, only when the powerpoint fuse would blow. I'm also guessing that I won't be able to reliably power the PS3 and TV with the current setup. My question is: does anyone have any suggestions for powering up a 750 Watt inverter to handle the added load from the PS3 and TV? Could I run the PS3 off the 750 in the powerpoint and then power the TV off the 400 in the cigarette lighter? Any suggestions are greatly sppreciated.

LCDR Dan

 

Does your new inverter have lugs for wired terminals? If so, run a fairly heavy set of wires directly to the battery, with a heavy fuse at the battery.

Now, 750 watts at 12 volts is 62.5 amps. That's minimum, it's going to be higher at max inverter load, due to inefficiencies in the inverter. I'm not an expert but a quick look on google says 8 gauge wire or better.

 

You are overloading it even with the 400 watt job.

Check -- but I suspect the stock / factory fuse is 15a and you risk a melt down.

The 400 watt job, if it is your cheapie, is often 50% or less efficient, and that means drawing 800 watt to put out 400.

FYI, your factory alternator is good for 110A at 12V, that is about 1,300 watt MAX (which is not what it puts out most of the time).

The car require 600 to 900 watt to run BEFORE accessories.


A 750 watt inverter, if 50% efficient, is pulling 1,500 watt at full output before cabling losses.

That is more power than your vehicle can generate (you are draining down batteries).

Use of that inverter at even 2/3 rated output for any length of time will result in the batteries going completely flat.



This is suicide, madness.


The meaning this:


You are vastly overloading the system and there is no answer short of a custom power system to power just the accessories.

You are very lucky the fuses blew, and you did not have a fire instead.


Do not do this job yourself if you do not have a electrical tech background ---- you are risking much for little.

 

What about fuses?

Insulation / Strain relief?

Do you have a Ford approved procedure for this mod?

 

Gear well said, great info

 

Are you being deliberately obtuse? Ford doesn't approve procedures for any mods.

Power inverters have been being installed in trucks, from light trucks to Class 8's, for a very, very long time. As long as the installer uses a little common sense, the right wire gauge and the right fuse or fusible link, there is no danger.

BTW, I looked up a number of common 750 amp inverters. Most ran from 85 to 90% efficiency. If the OP is concerned that 8 gauge wire is not sufficient, the I would recommend 6. For his purpose, a 75 amp fuse or fusible link (probably preferable) would be sufficient protection.

 

I'd do an alternator upgrade as well.

 

I am trying to prevent a hazardous modification from being installed because you did not even think through the need for as simple a device as a fuse, or the proper ways to route a high amperage cable into the cab from the battery.

These are not negligible problem, and in fact, Ford lays out a set of detailed procedures as to how their vehicles can be modified in an approved manner:

https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/topics/incomp.html


Powering a 1.5kw (or more) load off the vehicle batteries and haphazardly routing cables --- or putting in higher amperage fuses than Ford specified on the powerpoints are flatly not recommended.


A 1.5kw incremental load is close to Ambulance grade power --- and require heavy duty mods done properly by a Ford approved upfitter to do it properly.

Or, better yet, don't do it at all.


What was proposed by this here is out and out dangerous:



So with respect to your allegation of "deliberately obtuse", I would have to say, I am deliberately trying to prevent the OP from being mislead into a dangerous modification by materially false and misleading information.










What about the strain relief?

What are you going to do to ensure that the cables are not damaged / cut by the sheet metal?

How are you routing cables into the cab?

What about such simple issues as road salt causing shorts in a high amperage / voltage device?

This is not a project for a casual install --- this is a high voltage / amperage device that need a qualified person to do.




Factually false.

Common inverters vary in efficiency from as low as 10% to 90% depending on output level, ambient temperature, and many other factors, and the most common cheap inverters available are at roughly 50% efficiency.

That cannot be known without a specific inverter and its engineering specs published.

You cannot look up "a few commonly available" models and presume you are right.

Have you thought of the thermal load?

The load on the wiring at 50% efficiency vs. 90%?


Specifics is what is needed, not what you speculate.




The OP is advised to go to a qualified shop that does upgrades for things like high powered car stereos, and get a complete system that works and work safely.

Otherwise, be sure your comprehensive (fire and theft) and life insurance payments are up to date.


I would hate to be the children left alone with a potentially hazardous system you kludged together.


Don't do this to your kids.

 

Subscribing

 

Bud,

We are talking about a power load incremental increase of somewhere in the range of 1,500 watt or more (depending on the efficiency of the inverter, the length of cable, etc.)

Do the math.

A typical 200A continuous alternator (the biggest one you can commonly fit on a Ford truck), is 2,400 watt.

With half that for the "truck" and half available for the "hotel" load, it is barely adequate.

We are talking about putting in a Mitsubishi 200A ambulance alternator.

That is a $1,000 part new.


Most of the so called "upgraded" alternators for car applications, no matter what the claimed amp rating ---- cannot put out 200a continuous, and certainly not when it gets hot / when underhood temperatures rise.

Only specialized, commercial / industrial grade alternators can do that.

 

I've posted 3 times now about fusing. If you can't comprehend simple written English, then the rest of your advice is suspect.

I'm aware that you seem to have a problem with me. Get over it. Time and time again we've gone round and round and you've yet to materially disprove anything I've said. I post facts and evidence gained through much research, you make unsupported claims and allegations. Once to the point that you threw a fit and "left", unfortunately to return again and start in with the misinformation.

I guess if we need to go round and round again, we'll do so.

 

Yeah,

I can see where you would be overloading it.

 

Why don't we just avoid each other's posts.

Fusing was not the only issue.

 

I'll add this as an additional point. If installed power inverters were so dangerous, the product liability lawyers would have killed the industry years ago.

 

Hard facts:

XBOX 360 vs PS3 (and Wii) - Power Consumption Report - hardCOREware.net




The PS3 is one of the most power hungry boxes out there.

It drains more power than a typical desktop PC (190 watt while playing) and can have peak loads above that.


A typical flat screen TV.... say 100 watt... for a 12" screen for an AC plug in unit.


No way you can power that off the "power point".


If you insist on PS3 play in the car, you need a minimum of 400 to 500 clean watts (a bit of an overhead for surge loads like starting).

If your 400 watt inverter is 50% efficient, that is 800 watt.

That is more surplus power that can be drained (assuming zero cable losses) from your car at the alternator -------- you will be drawing power from batteries while you are gaming.

The way you find out about this is on a drive, you suddenly find your batteries have drained, and then the emergency power down / shutdown of things like headlights, instrument panel, etc. that the BCM does...

Not a good way to find yourself on a trip.