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Strange Power Outlet Problem

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by treet007, Dec 21, 2011.

  1. treet007

    treet007 Member

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    Happy Holidays! I am having a strange problem with my 2010 Prius 12V power outlets (aka cigarette lighter sockets). They don't seem to work any more. My cell phone no longer charges. Here's what I have tried:

    1. Removed the Bell 3-outlet adapter (Triple Outlet Power Strip with USB Port) and used a single-port USB power adapter (12 Volt Converter with USB Port). Same results ... cell phone will not recharge. The fuse in the outlet adapters are not blown (I actually checked).

    2. Tried the power outlet in the center console, same results.

    3. Plugged the cell phone into my laptop via the same USB cable, and it charges correctly.

    4. Plugged the cell phone into the wall outlet (which uses the USB cable), and it charges correctly.

    5. Tried a different USB cable with the two different Bell adapters, and the cell phone will not charge.

    6. In both cases, the LED light shines in the Bell adapters, but nothing happens.

    I looked at the owner's manual (pp 379-380 concerning the power outlets). I understand that the two 12V power outlets are combined 10 amp maximum. However, I only had 2 things plugged into the power outlets, and I believe they do not exceed 10 A combined. (Second item is a Wagan seat heater (2282)).

    I was going to take my multimeter and measure the amperage on the power outlet.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks in advanced.
     
    #1 treet007, Dec 21, 2011
  2. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Second item is a heater? This definitely raises alarm bells. Unplug the heater and try again. Did the cell charger quit working at about the same time the heater was installed?

    With the multimeter, be sure to also measure the outlet voltage, with and without the heater operating.

    If nothing is obvious, then also skim Can't charge cell phones for any more possible clues.
     
    #2 fuzzy1, Dec 21, 2011
  3. macman408

    macman408 Electron Guidance Counselor

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    AIEEEEEE!!! Don't measure the power outlet's amperage, measure it's voltage! If you measure the amperage (assuming you're not measuring the amps in series with a particular load, such as the heater), you're shorting the outlet out. It will, at the very least, blow either your car's fuse or the multimeter's fuse (or both), and could give you some nice sparks! :target:

    I agree that "seat heater" does sound like a bad thing to power off the 12V port, but it looks like that one is only 35W, and is fused at 7A, so it's probably OK.

    Do you have another USB device that you can try charging? I've heard of some cheap USB chargers that just don't work, or sometimes they don't work with only certain devices.
     
    #3 macman408, Dec 21, 2011
  4. treet007

    treet007 Member

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    Thanks for the reply. I already had unplugged the seat heater prior to the test sequence I indicated earlier, so it is not the seat heater. Plus, I have had this setup for over a month with no issues, so why it is a problem now is the mystery. According to Wagan Tech (the manufacturer for the heated seat cushion), it only draws 3.75 amps. The Motorola Droid 3 Car Dock USB charger (info link) should pull less than that, but I cannot seem to find the power details at the moment. So together would be less than 10 amps that is max in the Prius power outlets.
     
    #4 treet007, Dec 21, 2011
  5. treet007

    treet007 Member

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    Thanks Macman408 for the reply. I'll check the voltage and do the math for the amps :D I could try to charge my wife's cell phone as a test, or take my Bell USB chargers and try them in my wife's car. She has "real" seat heaters so that would not be an issue there...
     
    #5 treet007, Dec 21, 2011
  6. rjmae

    rjmae New Member

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    What fixed you power outlet problem if fuses were OK?
     
    #6 rjmae, Jan 7, 2012
  7. treet007

    treet007 Member

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    Hi there. I had a mechanic check the "cranking" battery and the outlets, and they are all fine. I then checked the specs of the Bell 3-outlet adapter, and it only outputs 12V 5 amps maximum, or 60 watts if my math is correct. Wagan seat heater needed 35 watts (using 3.75 amps) and the cell phone charger uses 5V 1-2 amps, or 10 watts. Although the car can output 12V 10 amps total (120 Watts), the adapter seems to be the culprit.

    I just quit using the Bell Automotive products completely, and I am using a Rosewill USB power adapter to for the cell phone and plug the seat heater directly into the console's power outlet. I have to unplug it when I am not using it since it has no on/off button, but I only use it when real cold. Minor annoyance compared to the issue with using a 3-outlet adapter. BTW, I have yet to find a 3-outlet adapter which will output more than 5 amps.
     
    #7 treet007, Jan 8, 2012
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