Alright, I decided that I wanted to move me cig lighter into my center console. So I ran a pos and neg wire back there, drilled the hole in the bottom of the console and connected the wires. However, I skipped the plug, and attached the wires directly to the spades. Now, I have fried two different things in it, and I cant figure out why. Polarity is set, and all. Could that harness have had a resistor in it or something? I am getting the correct voltage, 12.3 I think it was. Any ideas?

 

Ok, well apparently the cigarette lighter to USB adapter uses a 2 A fuse...I dont use my cig lighter for a cig lighter, so, should I just put a 2A fuse in the fuse box instead of the 15A thats in there?

 

IIRC the cig lighter runs at 6 volts.

 

You might have short circuit in your new added portion. Only direct short circuit "fries" stuff.

 

Well, it seems that everything will run fine if I put a 2A fuse in the fuse box(which I have yet to get). There is a 2A in the usb adapter, ingenious design the way they did it...

Cig lighter is always 12V.

What do you mean svojs? I redid everything tonight, new wire connectors, heatshrink, tested it with a Vmeter and still rear a steady 12.25V.

I think that for some odd reason, the adapter is not compatible with our cars, 15A will fry the 2 A fuse in the adapter and 3.5A in the fuse box will fry the adapter also.

 

Sorry, I did not understand your description originally.

Looks like your wiring for relocated cig. lighter socket is working fine. You just destroyed two adapters while connecting them to the new cig socket. Is it correct?

If the USB adapter you tended to attach is not well-designed/protected, it would hve poor tolerance to the supplied voltage. Perhaps 0.25V would be enough to destroy the device. It's kind of short circuit in the device and that's why you keep buring fuses, no matter it is 2A or 3.5A.

Your action to use 2A/3.5A fuses is correct. The solutions I can imagine are:

1) Add a voltage regulator between cig. lighter socket and your device. Make sure the regulator has higher tolerance such as 13.8V or even 15V. The regulated voltage will be more close to 12V, which is the device expected.

2) Use another "stronger" device, which has more voltage tolerance.



P.S. I forgot one important thing. Make sure the device is rated for 12V use before you plug it in.

 

Yes, that is correct(although I dont have a lighter to test). And is is rated for a range of 12-16 V I think.

So amperage could have nothing to do with the reason my fuses are blowing?

I looked around for a better quality adapter today with no avail. Maybe Ill check a cell phone store or something.

 

cancer sticks ftlllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

 

What????

 

If you've fried 2 different devices in the same socket, then its probably the socket with the problem.

The fuses at the fusebox makes no difference, Thats simply how much current is allowed into the circuit before it becomes unsafe, or a short is in the circuit/ item in plug.

The fuse in your adaptor prevents an excess of 2A of current going through the tip to the actual USB product, or a short in there.

My suggestion, try the USB adaptor with a good fuse in another vehcile, if it works fine. The problem will probably be in your car.

Then try a known working device into that same plug in your car, if that blows up...well. Its probalby your car.

 

They were 2 different adapters, just the same model. I had two of the same thing.

Time to run to Radioshack...buy more fuses...