120V AC outlet won't charge laptop

[1970Maverick]

Have you tried plugging in a small lamp with a 50-75 watt incandescent bulb just to be sure your inverter works? If the light works , then your laptop is too much load. If it won't light a 50-75 watt bulb then the inverter has a problem.
This may/may not apply to you but different electrical loads present different profiles of current draw IE; a capacitive vs inductive vs resistive load. Typically small inverters are designed for computer type loads which are capacitive. A 150W inverter may power a 150 watt laptop but it won't power a 150 watt incandescent bulb, it would max out around 105 watt.

The only way to know what type of load you are plugging in is by using a scope and looking at the current/voltage wave forms. (I know most of us don't have a scope).

Another thing to keep in mind is if you replace it with a 350 watt inverter you will be drawing 30 amp from your 12 volt fuse vs 12.5 amps with the 150 watt inverter.

 

[wakeboarder]

In case anybody was wondering, the inverters are the modified sine wave inverters. It is practically a square wave. The more expensive inverters are pure sine wave.

 

[bushpilot]

given that my laptop has its own power supply I shouldn't need pure sign wave

 

[AKentPhoto]

In case anybody was wondering, the inverters are the modified sine wave inverters. It is practically a square wave. The more expensive inverters are pure sine wave.

Can't say I'm surprised it won't even push the quoted 150w {edit: ah, see that is Voltage?}. Such junk, this would have made sense 10 years ago when they first started putting inverters into vehicles but 2020? C'mon. Update your supplier already. Just saw that Rams not only include 400w inverters in the cab, they also include them in the damn fender!! (ram box). Sorry for the rant... Just scored a 2k used which will be going under the rear floor.

 

[Calidad]

Ours charges our MacBook Pro Just fine. We use it all the time. We used it to power our Roku 4 and Nintendo Switch on a trip a few weeks ago without issue as well. Might want to have it checked out.

Same here no issues

 

[Suvguy]

Not to revive an old thread, but did anyone ever swap out the 150 W inverter with a larger one?

 

[ElectrifyCLT]

I'm running into the same issue with our 22 Timberline. I bought a 100W multi-USB GaN charger to keep in the back of our Expedition and every time I plug it in (with nothing plugged into the charger itself) I get the flashing green dot.

It's really frustrating that to reset it you have to do a full key cycle of the truck.

 

[SunnySunshine]

I'm running into the same issue with our 22 Timberline. I bought a 100W multi-USB GaN charger to keep in the back of our Expedition and every time I plug it in (with nothing plugged into the charger itself) I get the flashing green dot.

It's really frustrating that to reset it you have to do a full key cycle of the truck.

I guess you can keep pestering the dealer to replace the inverter under warranty.

 

[LazSlate]

I guess you can keep pestering the dealer to replace the inverter under warranty.

There is nothing wrong with it other than its grossly under powered. A lap top will over load it then it takes a while for the green light to reset.

 

[SunnySunshine]

There is nothing wrong with it other than its grossly under powered. A lap top will over load it then it takes a while for the green light to reset.

Maybe if enough people complain and keep getting it swapped out under warranty, Ford will get the message and redesign a new one that would actually work for 100% of the stated capacity instead of one that stops working at 50% load.