Hi,

I've just bought the 03 Z couple days ago. I'm wondering what value the needle on your volt meter points to when you turn on your engine?

Mine always points to 14.5v. In fact, I check the power outlet and it is around 14.5 as well. Even though the manual says the normal range is 11-15v, I'm wondering if yours has the voltage above 12v or not?

The reason I'm asking is because I plugged my phone car adapter to the power out et and it blew the fuse both on the adapter and the power outlet.

Has anyone had that problem? Does the needle points to 12v on your Volt metter?

Thanks.

 

the answer to your question is yes, most vehicles including the Z have fluctuating DC voltage. Most car electrical systems operate safely between 12-15VDC. The amount of voltage delivered by your alternator is dependent upon how new it is, what RPM's your running at, and if you have an upgraded alternator or not..a stock Z alternator will output about the voltage you've described. The only difference between 12 and 14 volts DC would be the speed or brightness a piece of equipment runs at. For instance, a light bulb that is designed for 12VDC will still glow on 11VDC but just be dimmer. At 14VDC it'll still work, just be brighter than normal. It may not have as long of a life as say a bulb burning at 12VDC, but shouldn't pop any fuses. Usually fuses are popped because of an abnormal power consumption level(amperage). Try what I suggested earlier. Plug the adapter into another cigarette lighter. If it pops the cigarette lighter fuse again, then you know it's a defective phone adapter. If not, then you know there is an electrical problem with the cig lighter in your vehicle. Think of it this way...If 14VDC were abnormal in your vehicle, you'd have alot more electrical problems than just your cig lighter.

 

Thanks for your answer.

2 phone adapters I tried already dead after I plugged them to the Z power outlet. However, I tried the adapter for my gps receiver and it worked fine. That really puzzle me!?!?

 

i recently saw the other thread in the "Electronics/Audio" section. What brand of adapter and phone are you guys using? Perhaps the problem only involves one particular brand of phone charger?

 

14.5 volts is normal for me. Phone charger works fine.