rear 12volt socket in discovery series 2

gday marcus.
might sound a little silly but short out the socket.
check the fuse box and find the blown fuse.
see what else is conected to that fuse usually only cig lighter.
and see what amp the fuse is you have to replace.
find out from waeko what the max amp draw is on that fridge.
eg fridge _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx max 5 amps fuse is 10 amp should be ok.
mind you im no auto elec but some one will say if im wrong.got over no fraser.
get on with life(more weekend fun)

Marcus
I have just purchased a CF-50 Waeco and I fitted a new loom (1xlength of 25 amp multi strand cable into the back of my 80 series with a seperate inline fuse so that I have a seperate circuit for my fridge. My idea is to make the system simple but sound, I have a 10 amp fuse on the line. this gives me a stand alone circuit for the fridge so there should be no problems with other accesories interfering with the reliability of the fridge because there is nothing else drawing on that circuit
hope this helps
Heather&ashley(act)

Marcus,
Discovery SeriesII
Fuse rating of Accessory Socket in rear, (behind rear seats).

The Owners Handbook states....page182
Fuse 32----------Rating AMPs 25 (300watts)

I don't think you have much of a problem.

Check it out unscrew the two panel screws and have a look at No 32.

Cheers Geoff Td5 SeriesII

Id been using my Engel for years without drama but when I got my Waeco it wouldnt run for any more than a couple of hours.
Turns out there was too much voltage drop at the socket, rewired with larger cable and it works a treat.

Its not about having heavy enough wires to carry the current, its making sure there is enough voltage there to run it.
The further you get from the battery the less voltage you will have.

Marcus,
The existing circuit will more than likely have no problem running the 3.5 amps, the advantage in running heavier cable and a seperate circuit is the voltage drop is reduced. Most of the standard wiring is quite lossy especially when a long run to the rear of the car & if you lose voltage then your fridge will draw more current & hence discharge the battery quicker. Ideally you should run the thickest cable practical & keep the cable lengh to a minimum, also beware of some cheaper wire that looks heavy but is all insulation & little copper. Half a volt saved can really make a difference. Also run dual or figure 8 cable as the cars chassis is not as good a conductor as copper wire and the return is just a important.
Cheers

The fridge will run with the original socket BUT it will work a lot better with some thicker /heavier wiring , a lot less volt drop.

Marcus, I think sockets in the rear of 4wds are intended for fridges. I run a Finch 3 way which _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx at least twice what the Waeco _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx from the socket in the back of a Prado. It works very well and has no problem operating for long periods - that is a full day's driving. I run it on gas or 240volts overnight. Best way to answer your question is of course to try it. The socket in the Prado is rated for 120watts max. That's 10 amps. Your fridge is well within this limit.

The waeco has a low voltage cut out so on the highest setting once the battery gets down to 12volts, if you have half a volt drop in your wiring your fridge will stop.

Some cars do have undersized wiring to their lighter socket and may not run some things. The best thing to do is just plug it in and see if it goes. If it doesnt work wire it directly from the battery. Just make sure that you use cables that are at least the same thickness as the Waeco cable. You cannot go wrong with the Waeco as it has an automatic cut out for when the system is wired in backwards. Make sure your battery is good and that the charging system is up to the task as the waeco will not run if there is a power shortage. I have the Waeco cf50 and had a plug problem. The cable itself is the correct thickness for the fridge. Make sure that the wires supplying the Waeco plug are at least the same thickness as the waeco cable and you wont have any problem with power supply The instructions in the packet are idiot proof and should be followed. Use the Waeco fuse it is adequit and actually integrated into the Waeco system (they wouldnt give you incorrect wiring and fusing to make it work now would they). I had a problem with the cigarette lighter plug that Waeco gave me. It wouldnt fit my socket properly and kept getting loose in the socket and the fridge came on and off as the car bumped over roads. The simplest way to fix this was to cut off the plug and wire it directly to the cables that supply the socket from the cars power supply. Since not using the socket and plug I have had no problems. If still in doubt call their help line. They have assisted me with a warped lid and been really good to deal with. There service is better than the place that I bought the fridge from. Andy

Where's Ozi?! Check the size of cable, check the DSE website and checkout the wire sizing guide. It will probably need upsizing. The Waeco has a low voltage cut out that means the less voltage drop the better as the unit will cut out if low voltage is detected (read the Waeco website). Don't be fooled by Waeco's power claims. My CCF 45 _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx almost 7 amps for at least half an hour when 1st fired up. Despite Waeco's claims, it will draw more power than claimed. You should also change the standard cigarette lighter plug to a Hella type. Try the Overlander forum, Ozi still frquents there and seems to be the expert on this stuff. Cheers.