Does any have the 115 AC Power Outlet in the RX. It is behind the right rear passenger seat above the wheel arch. There is an on/off switch on the dash next to the gas cover release button? If you do, have you used the outlet and how well does it work?

 

Didnt know their was such an animal.

 

Have not tried it I am pretty sure it was designed for a heavier load.

For my CRV, I used the rear outlet to power up the sub, works good, no busted fuse so far. It can be on a 15 amp fuse.

 

I notice it will only take a two prong plug, so no Xbox 360 for my kids, nor can I plug in my laptops. I don't think it's that heavy duty (100watts), however, I have not used it.

From the owner's manual...

"The maximum capacity for this power outlet is 115 VAC/100W.
If you attempt to use an appliance that requires more than 115
VAC or 100W, the protection circuit will activate and cut the
power supply. The power supply will restart automatically
when you use an appliance that operates within the 115
VAC/100W limits."


The following applies to all the power outlets together (12 volt and 115) I think.


"To prevent the fuse from being blown, do not use the
electricity over the total vehicle capacity of 12V/120W
(all the outlets together).
To prevent the auxiliary battery from being
discharged, do not use the power outlets longer than
necessary when the hybrid system is not started.
Close the power outlet lids when the power outlets
are not in use. Inserting anything other than an
appropriate plug that fits the outlet, or allowing any
liquid into the outlet may cause electrical failure or
short circuits."

 

I had no idea there was such a thing either..

 

Maybe it only came with the RES (rear entertainment system)?

 

Yes..........................

 

My rear entertainment system was installed at the dealer. I think it has to be a factory option.

 

I think you can safely use a 3 prong to 2 prong adapter and ignore the ground. Usually one has a ground on something with a metal housing that could somehow (through defect) become "hot." Grounding the housing prevents any potential above ground from occurring (as well as creating a short circuit which will trip the overcurrent protection - the fuse or breaker). Neither of those are true with laptops or a video game.

I suppose maybe the ground is there to protect the devices from static you may have on you that could damage the electronics. I just tested my laptop's power adapter and noted that the ground pin of the three wire AC cord is connected to the negative side of the DC output (outside of the coaxial power plug on mine). If you wished to continue this protection you could take the ground pigtail of the 3 to 2 pin adapter and extend it as needed to reach someplace where there is a screw into the vehicle's frame to ground it, possibly one right there at the outlet.

It would be interesting to know if the 120V (which comes from an electronic inverter circuit) is grounded on one side or "floats."

 

iy will run anything in ur house, except washer and dryer, I go to the beach and hook up my mini fridge

 

There may be some people out there (none of us on CL of course) who do not recognize the outlet for what it is. Recently a woman sitting next to me on a flight from Vancouver to Ottawa had partially stuck her 2 prong headphone jack into the electrical outlet located on the back of the seat in front of her, and then exclaimed how she didn't understand why the headphones wouldn't work....

 

I would not recommend using a 3 pronged device with a 2 prong outlet in a car! For an hand held appliance to have a 2 pronged plug, it has to be a "double insulated" design as approved by the underwriters lab. An appliance with a 3-pronged design, by definition, is not double-insulated. In the later case, if the plastic housing is cracked, or if someone dropped some water on the housing, there is only ONE layer of insulation, not the Two Layers desired, protecting you from electrocution. And since the metal chassis of the car may be ground return for out 110 VAC inverter, it is pretty likely that you would have a current path thru the defective part, thru your heart, and to the car chassis.

So, 2-pronged plug in a 3-pronged outlet (safe).
3-pronged plug adapted to a 2-pronged outlet (potentially dangerous, they do make adapters BUT the ground lug on the adapter HAS to be attached to the inverter electrical ground).

(The only way you could get into trouble with a 2 plug in a 3 outlet is if it was a very old appliance with a non-polarized plug)

BTW, I do not know about the Lexus inverter, but all quality inverters will have 3-pronged outlets! If you want to run PS3 in the car, just buy a cheap inverter with a 3-pronged outlet and plug it into the 12 v accessory outlet.