Hello Everyone,
My wife and I are happy new Lexus owners, as I bought her a NX200T F-Sport for her birthday.

She wants to keep portable fridge in the rear. Unfortunately the rear outlet only gets power when the car is on, but we would need power all the time. I am trying to avoid running extra wires to the back, and thought I would ask if any of you have any ideas.

I was thinking I could pull the relay and replace it with a jumper like they do on the RAV4s. So I checked all the relays I could find, but cannot identify the one that powers that outlet. The only relays I am aware of are in the 2 boxes in the engine compartment. Are there relays located anywhere else?

Anyone have any other ideas for getting power to the rear 12v outlet all the time?


Thanks in Advance...

 

This would be a significant source of battery drain. Why do you need the fridge on all the time?

 

It actually is not a huge drain. I have one in my FJ cruiser and it stays on all the time. It has a low battery sensor and will shut off before the battery gets too low to start the car.

Why do I need it powered when the car is off? Think about it, it is there to keep your food cold, if you are on a trip, stop somewhere, and turn your car off - if it is not getting power then your fridge is no longer doing its job.

 

I'm just picturing the mini fridge and a microwave filling up the back seat of the NX...

=)

 

Don't knock it.

It is great for bringing home food from the grocery store.
Especially ice Cream.

 

I usually plug in my electric cooler when driving on a trip and then—once at my destination (hotel, friend's house, etc)—I take it in and plug it into a wall outlet. If there's a fridge in the hotel, I'll simply empty my cooler and wait to use it again on the return trip.

 

Are you talking about the 12V outlet in the cargo area, or the 120v outlet in the rear seat area? The one in the rear seat supports a standard 2 prong plugged device up to 100W.


As for staying on all the time.. how long would you need it to stay on for? You can buy nice plug in coolers that can plug into the back and if you add some ice packs, it would stay cool for a long time. It is also safer than messing with relays etc, and possibly voiding ay warranty.

 

I HATE when people worry about doing things to their car and "voiding" the warranty. Please, I implore you, educate yourself with the Magnusson Moss act. A dealership has to PROVE that whatever you did to the car caused the issue, otherwise they can't void anything.

Dealerships have created a situation where people live in fear of touching their cars....and it sickens me.

 

Why does it sicken you that people worry about their car that they pay a lot of money for? It is not wrong to offer other solutions that do not involve cutting/splicing into their electrical system. Have you ever tried to fight a warranty claim through a dealer/manufacturer? I have, and it is not worth the hassle/run around. It is not the dealer that approves warranty repairs, they have to have it authorized by the manufacturer. If the dealer suspects that something has been tampered with, they will send a tech to inspect it. they whole process could take months.


it happens... just sayin'