AC Adaptor Pops Lighter Fuse

[lyonhart]

I just bought a new 2004 KIA Rio Cinco wagon. This is my first new car. So far I love it. Everything seems right with the engine and handling, and it LOOKS great! Black, with a black front bra – looks like an expensive British sedan.

Alas, all is not perfect in the real world: I frequently use a GPS system with my laptop. In fact I would be “lost” heh heh, without it most of the time. I just purchased a Belkin 140 watt DC to AC adapter about three weeks ago. I had to go through 4 different power adaptors until I found one that worked with my computer. It was about 60 bucks.

It worked great with my ailing old Suzuki jeep, with its buggy electrical system. So I get the brand new car, and EVERYTIME I plug in the AC adaptor to the cigarette lighter, the fuse pops instantly. There is no load on the adaptor. The notebook isn’t plugged into it. All I have to do is hit the ON switch (after it’s plugged in to the lighter), and the fuse goes in a split second. It’s doesn’t pop when I plug the adaptor in, when it’s turned off, so I really don’t believe this is an over wattage or load issue. I think the AC adaptor plug is shorting out in the lighter.

I called the service department where I got it. They thought it was the same problem, and said the new 2004’s use a smaller lighter hole. I called Radio Shack, which they suggested, and the guy on the phone said he has had a lot of people calling in this year with the same complaints that they cannot use their cell phone adaptors with their new cars do to the same short out problem.

This seems nuts to me. Of course I just threw away the box and the receipt on the adaptor because it was working fine in my old car. I got the new RIO so I could finally take long highway trips, and not have to worry about anything while having my GPS system with me.

Has anyone else had this problem? Is there any work around? I noticed right away that the plug doesn’t seem to fit all the way into the lighter, like it did on my old jeep. I changed the 15 amp fuse for the lighter to a 20 amp, and have gone through a box of them a split second at a time. I also re-wired the plug on the AC adaptor to reverse the polarity. It didn’t make any difference.

Thanks if anyone has any ideas to this very un-necessary and frustrating problem.

[ppwazzup]

This is weird. I have never had this problem on my 03 rio. The 2 cars are basically the same.

Does the same thing happen when you plug other things into the socket? How about when you plug the cigarette lighter in all the way. Does it heat up at all? If so, I would say that the ac inverter is damaged and causing the problems.

Matt