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Cigarette lighter with ~15V

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BDBake

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Feb 26, 2022
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#1
Hello, I have a new Model x Plaid, and am noticing that my cigarette lighter ports have about 15.5V. Should it be this high? And can this damage so-called 12V accessories?

I went through a couple cheap air compressors; they were crap anyway, and would run poorly on my other regular gas vehicle with about 14V at the ports. But on the Tesla, the compressor would just die. Not sure if the higher voltage damaged it in some way.

Thanks for any feedback!
 
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#2
BDBake said:
Hello, I have a new Model x Plaid, and am noticing that my cigarette lighter ports have about 15.5V. Should it be this high? And can this damage so-called 12V accessories?

I went through a couple cheap air compressors; they were crap anyway, and would run poorly on my other regular gas vehicle with about 14V at the ports. But on the Tesla, the compressor would just die. Not sure if the higher voltage damaged it in some way.

Thanks for any feedback!
Click to expand...
12V tools and automotive accessories are rated to run from 12V (or lower) to well over 16 Volts. It is not unlike most electronic devices that are rated to run from 100 to 250 VAC. Think of al the other things on board that run from "12V" such as the lights, entertainment systems, small motors etc. 12v tools and accessories will be just fine.
 
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#3
There seems to be two areas of concern with the 15.5V system:

1. Anything with something that spins, such as a fan, refrigerator, compressors. etc.
2. DC to AC inverter (check the acceptable input range on the inverter)

I have not tried this because as I do not need it, but something like this may be needed?

Amazon.com: DC/DC 15V-40V to 12V Voltage Regulator,24V to 12V,step-down module,DCMWX buck converter,waterproof power adapt : Electronics

Amazon.com: DC/DC 15V-40V to 12V Voltage Regulator,24V to 12V,step-down module,DCMWX buck converter,waterproof power adapt : Electronics
www.amazon.com
 
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#4
15.5V is a fairly standard equalization voltage when charging a lead-acid battery - so no problem at all. Fuggedaboutit. Above 16.2 is getting into the unexpectedly high region. DC motors (your compressor) are usually very forgiving on range of voltage. Unfortunately, lots of aftermarket garbage sold nowadays so not surprising that a cheapo aftermarket compressor croaked (at any voltage). Any well-designed plug-in 12V item should be able to handle voltages in the range of 10-18V.
 
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#5
DCGOO said:
12V tools and automotive accessories are rated to run from 12V (or lower) to well over 16 Volts. It is not unlike most electronic devices that are rated to run from 100 to 250 VAC. Think of al the other things on board that run from "12V" such as the lights, entertainment systems, small motors etc. 12v tools and accessories will be just fine.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the info!
 
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#6
Does anyone know of a compatible inverter I can use to get about 150 or so watts of 120 Volt AC from my 15.5 VDC, 2022 Plaid Model X Tesla in case of a power outage?

Or maybe even a way to have a few hundred AC watts for an electric blanket or two?
 
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#7
UncaNed said:
Does anyone know of a compatible inverter I can use to get about 150 or so watts of 120 Volt AC from my 15.5 VDC, 2022 Plaid Model X Tesla in case of a power outage?

Or maybe even a way to have a few hundred AC watts for an electric blanket or two?
Click to expand...
An inverter expecting 13.8V would probably still work at 15.5. But that battery is very small probably only a few amp/hours available.
 
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Reactions: UncaNed
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#9
tknz said:
Most DC - AC inverters have a high voltage cut off of 15.5v +/- 1v. My tesla Y has a low voltage circuit of 15.54v and 3 inverters tried in the last week have gone into fault state immediately.
Click to expand...
Correct. That is why, in the owners manual, it tells you that any accessories you plan to use, must support 16v. Many do not (as you have already discovered).
 
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#11
AndreyATC said:
Anyone knows how to keep cigarette lighter plug alive when the car is off?
Also, any fuse spec on front (cabin) and rear (trunk) plugs?
I think rear one might be 15A and the front 20A
Looking for some real spec
Click to expand...
Having Sentry Mode on keeps the usb ports alive. Camp Mode keeps the accessory outlets alive, just don't forget to lock the car when you leave.
 
Upvote 0
#16
I'm still not clear why the power socket is off with sentry mode enabled
 

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