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AC Inverter Died :/

12K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  skirmich 
#1 ·
Well folks...

For some bizarre reason my AC Invertor Died (120V AC Outlet, Entertainment Pkg only) the most insane thing it ever did was charge an iPad.. Suddenly it stopped working.

Went to see the fuse and its blown, replaced it with a new one and instantaneously blow once I open Key pos II. So I think the invertor died.
With the price of a new Inverter I think I am out of OEM 120V Outlet http://www.hondapartsunlimited.com/...nit-cabin-1-scat/?part_name=inverter-unit-a-c

Any thoughts?
 
#4 ·
I will try to remove it today and put a new fuse and give it a go.. This will remove the cabling out of the equation, Now I need the courage to start dissembling the center dash.
 
#5 ·
OK I got the inverter out and open..











Now I am not an electrician but it seems to look okay to me? No burnt smell or anything...
 
#6 ·
If you replaced the fuse with the unit out, with no ill effect, and you have 12V at the connector, that might clear the input wiring. But what about the output wiring? Maybe probe the 120v terminals with an ohmmeter and make sure there is no continuity between them. With the unit still out, of course... :surprise:

Also check both AC terminals for continuity to vehicle ground.

Could also take the inverter unit to a car audio shop and see if they can test it for you. Dunno about your neighborhood, but there are still a few guys around here that can actually test and repair stuff instead of just throwing in a new, more expensive version.
 
#7 ·
I think that is just too hardcore for my skills.. I am good with a wrench and building engines perhaps testing a little light but talking about Continuity and such I am braindead anything electric wise I would not even know where to start or what terminals are the 120V. If the unit was bad I was going to take it to a shop and see if they could fix it but it looks fine to me, not a single burned thing or blown fuse inside the Inverter..

The other issue I have is that I could not take the center box out to see the actual 120V outlet.. I don´t know how to disassemble it?
What I did discover was the Air Inlet for the rear A/C.. The filter screen was completely clogged in dirt, I clean that and holy crap there is TONS of Air now going out of the rear A/C unit... That is a bonus I wasn't expecting.
 
#8 ·
I meant the 120V outlet, like a household AC outlet, into which you would plug an AC adapter or whatever. Just stick a multimeter probe into the slot openings. It's a long shot anyway, but it's weird that the thing would suddenly be pulling so much power that it's blowing the fuse unless some wiring has developed a short. Maybe rodents, maybe a wiring harness wasn't well secured and it rubbed against a metal brace or something. Car audio shop could probably check that as well. Or just punt and write off the AC outlet. Cigarette lighter style 12V DC plug will power a charger or even a low-power stand-alone AC inverter as needed. Car audio shop could wire a higher power AC inverter off a new circuit from the battery if you really need one. Good luck.
 
#9 ·
Ohhh You mean like sticking the probe into the 120V outlet into a chassis ground to see if there is continuity, Alrighty that I can do..
 
#12 ·
I didn´t fix it, It kept blowing fuses every time I tried and Since I rarely used it in the first place I just let it be.
The inverter is in the center console beneath the coin tray.. You pop one of the side covers (drivers is easier) and you will see it in front of the shifter module.
 
#13 ·
Thanks! Got it out and everything seems fine. No rust anywhere inside or outside the inverter. It does not look like anything blow up inside.

I replaced the fuse with the inverter disconnected and the fuse didn't blow. As soon as I put the inverter back on, the fuse blows up.

I think I used the 110V outlet once or twice in the past 8 years so mine didn't go bad because of excessive use. At $200+ for a new one, I don't think I will replace it and since they go bad for nothing I will not buy one used from eBay.
 
#14 ·
^ That is exactly what is happening to mine! as soon as you open the key the fuse blows!
I think I used it once when I got the car and it never worked again... The thing looks flawlessly on the inside I reckon It might not even be the unit itself but something else, There is definitely a short circuit because it will blow even higher rated fuses.

So bizarre that its doing the same to you? could it be a common issue then?
I believe the issue is After the inverter in the 110v lines but its so difficult to work in the center console that I decided it was not worth it.
 
#15 ·
I cannot say if this is a common issue based on online reports, but based on the symptoms, it seems like a common problem. Both of us are having the exact same problem.

Maybe we don't see that many online reports because people are not really using the 110V outlet or since they are faulty, they fail and people don't care to fix it and they don't report it.

If I come across one from a newer model (2012 or newer, mine is 2008), at a decent price, I may get it. Maybe the newest models have a revision of the 2008 model... maybe...
 
#17 ·
I cannot say if this is a common issue based on online reports, but based on the symptoms, it seems like a common problem. Both of us are having the exact same problem.

Maybe we don't see that many online reports because people are not really using the 110V outlet or since they are faulty, they fail and people don't care to fix it and they don't report it.

If I come across one from a newer model (2012 or newer, mine is 2008), at a decent price, I may get it. Maybe the newest models have a revision of the 2008 model... maybe...

Will wait for your report! if you end up changing it and everything suddenly starts working then it really was the unit... It would be a bummer if you spend the cash only the find the fuse still blowing.
 
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