Anyone charging Ecoflow Delta with car cig lighter port?

[magentawave]

UPDATE: THIS DOES NOT WORK WITH THE DELTA 1300.

>>> PLEASE SEE LATEST POSTS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.


I have 200 watts of Renogy panels charging my Ecoflow Delta 1300 but don’t get enough juice on cloudy days. I just watched a Hobotech video on how to recharge a Yeti “solar generator” from a cars 12 volt cig lighter input using a 300 watt Bestek pure sine wave inverter while driving. Is there any reason I couldn’t recharge my Ecoflow Delta 1300 with the Bestek inverter in my 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan (cig has 15 amp fuse)? I know the Delta charges super fast off of AC and sucks a lot of juice (1000 watts even!) which would normally destroy the alternator, but wouldn’t the Bestek inverter limit that to a safe 300 watts max?

*Apparently most Siennas have 140A alternators. When idling you get about half so that’s 70 Amps.

Thanks!

Bestek inverter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082PN7C6J?tag=hobotech0e-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

Hobotech video:

 

[sunshine]

Is there any reason I couldn’t recharge my Ecoflow Delta 1300 with the Bestek inverter in my 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan

No reason.
Except isn't there a direct lead you can plug into the lighter plug. The specs show '
1 x Car Charger -12V to XT60 cable' (or is this for charging the car battery?)
and that may limit the voltage to the plugs rating whereas: "The 12-volt cigarette lighter plug cannot provide 300 watts of power and requires an alligator clip for car batteries. If you want to plug it into a car cigarette lighter, you should keep the power below 150, because this is the purpose of most car fuses.''

Probably the main reason why you shouldn't be charging one of these things inside a vehicle is the batteries chemistry.
Apart from 'lithium ion' in the specs there are no other warnings!!

 

[magentawave]

No reason.
Except isn't there a direct lead you can plug into the lighter plug. The specs show '
1 x Car Charger -12V to XT60 cable' (or is this for charging the car battery?)
and that may limit the voltage to the plugs rating whereas: "The 12-volt cigarette lighter plug cannot provide 300 watts of power and requires an alligator clip for car batteries. If you want to plug it into a car cigarette lighter, you should keep the power below 150, because this is the purpose of most car fuses.''

Probably the main reason why you shouldn't be charging one of these things inside a vehicle is the batteries chemistry.
Apart from 'lithium ion' in the specs there are no other warnings!!

The car charging cable that came with the Delta melted and so did the “new and improved” replacement cable they sent me. Now they are going to send me an even “newer and even more improved” cable when they are in stock including a box that will update the firmware. We shall see….

Not exactly sure what you’re trying to say but people charge Deltas and all Lifepo4 batteries inside cars, boats and houses all the time. Maybe I’m misunderstanding you but it would be kinda ridiculous if you had to move your lithium batteries outside every time you had to recharge them.

 

[magentawave]

Also, the reason to use the AC outlet to charge (according to the Hobotech video) is so you can push a lot more watts into the power station vs connecting to the DC receptacle on he Delta.

 

[sunshine]

but people charge Deltas and all Lifepo4 batteries inside cars

Yes. As long as you are aware. There are a lot who don't and have no idea of what battery is in the units.

A car charging cable that came with the Delta but it melted and so did the “new and improved” replacement cable they sent me

Usually the fuse blows.
At least using the inverter the inbuilt overload will cut out before any melting!

 

[magentawave]

Well, I tried charging the Delta with the Bestek and it did not work. I think I heard some clicking from the Delta so I shut off the inverter quickly. Ecoflow is supposed to send me some kind of box that will enable me to update the firmware on the Delta to allow charging from the cars 12 volt receptacle so hopefully that will work.

 

[Kevink11693]

I’m having the same issue with mine and I have 20a fuse on my 12 volt cig lighter any info on if the firmware fixes the issue?

 

[magentawave]

I’m having the same issue with mine and I have 20a fuse on my 12 volt cig lighter any info on if the firmware fixes the issue?

Sorry to take so long to reply. I never got the firmware box from Ecoflow and have been busy with other projects so I still haven’t figured out how to charge it from my cars 12 volt receptacle. Have you figured this out yet?

 

[Kevink11693]

Yea I ended up finding a solution I bought a heavier duty 12v Female socket and wired it in to a open slot in my after market switch panel (that I have for my winch and train horn additional lights)on a 30a fuse I believe my problem was the socket though because it would trip at around 100 input and after some digging most standard 12v cig sockets are 10amps and and it kept tripping at on me at8-8.5 amps and on 12v charging the unit pulls 125-130 input went from 75% to 100 in about 2.5 hours

 

[Kevink11693]

I didn’t see your post until after I had already ordered a 300 watt Bestek pure sine inverter It didn’t work for me ether

 

[magentawave]

Yea I ended up finding a solution I bought a heavier duty 12v Female socket and wired it in to a open slot in my after market switch panel (that I have for my winch and train horn additional lights)on a 30a fuse I believe my problem was the socket though because it would trip at around 100 input and after some digging most standard 12v cig sockets are 10amps and and it kept tripping at on me at8-8.5 amps and on 12v charging the unit pulls 125-130 input went from 75% to 100 in about 2.5 hours

Thanks for replying!? My 06 Toyota Siennas alternator puts out 140 amps (70 at idle) with a 15 amp fuse. Both times I tried charging the Delta with the dc cable that came with the Delta the male dc plug literally melted and then hardened into the shape of a small banana. Seriously. If I had not pulled it out it probably would have started a fire. At least yours tripped!

My knowledge of electrical stuff is minimal but I really need to figure this out so I have a few questions, please…

1) What is the difference between the “heavier duty 12v female socket” you bought vs the one that came with your car? What makes it heavy duty?

2) Are you charging the Delta with the dc charging cable that came with the Delta?

3) What kind of car do you have?

Thanks

 

[Kevink11693]

I have a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 set up for off roading and over-landing

The difference Between the heavier duty socket is it is using bigger wires and is capable of 30 amps vs 10 amps max on the factory and you can generally get 80% of the max before a fuse blows the main thing for me was getting it so it could handle the initial spike I’ve seen it hit 150 before it levels at 125-130 150 watts at 12v is 12.5 amps 120 watts at 12v is 10amps

Yes I’m using the cords that came with the delta

But I’m assuming our set ups are rather different. I did it this way because I have a switch panel so I can switch power on and off on my auxiliary lights,winch,ext as needed. it only draws power when I hit the switch the switch

 

[magentawave]

I have a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 set up for off roading and over-landing

The difference Between the heavier duty socket is it is using bigger wires and is capable of 30 amps vs 10 amps max on the factory and you can generally get 80% of the max before a fuse blows the main thing for me was getting it so it could handle the initial spike I’ve seen it hit 150 before it levels at 125-130 150 watts at 12v is 12.5 amps 120 watts at 12v is 10amps

Yes I’m using the cords that came with the delta

But I’m assuming our set ups are rather different. I did it this way because I have a switch panel so I can switch power on and off on my auxiliary lights,winch,ext as needed. it only draws power when I hit the switch the switch

Unfortunately mine didn’t shut off like yours did. I got a whiff of a melting plastic smell within a few minutes and unplugged it. The DC male plug actually melted into a curved shape like a small banana. (140 amp alternator + 15 amp fuse). The female dc charging receptacle in my car was not damaged though and still works fine.

So, my situation was totally different than yours. Got any suggestions for how I could make this work on my 06 Toyota Sienna?

Thanks?

 

[magentawave]

I have a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 set up for off roading and over-landing

The difference Between the heavier duty socket is it is using bigger wires and is capable of 30 amps vs 10 amps max on the factory and you can generally get 80% of the max before a fuse blows the main thing for me was getting it so it could handle the initial spike I’ve seen it hit 150 before it levels at 125-130 150 watts at 12v is 12.5 amps 120 watts at 12v is 10amps

Yes I’m using the cords that came with the delta

But I’m assuming our set ups are rather different. I did it this way because I have a switch panel so I can switch power on and off on my auxiliary lights,winch,ext as needed. it only draws power when I hit the switch the switch

I spent some time on a chat with Ecoflow today and they said two things…

1) There is definitely no firmware update box for the Delta (even though someone at Ecoflow told me there was).

2) He said the reason I couldn’t charge the Delta with the 12 volt car charging cable that it came with the Delta (and why the charging cable melted) is because the 12 volt DC cigarette lighter ports in my 06 Sienna are 15 amp and they should be 10 amp. And yet, you're charging your Delta with a 30 amp port.? Then I asked if replacing my 15 amp ports with 10 amp ports would fix the problem and he said “yes.” I’m totally confused now. Got any suggestions? Please??

 

[Andrea]

Hi Magenta and Kevin...I want to jump in here (posted on Kevin's other post as well). I have a 2006 Dodge Sprinter conversion. I bought the Delta to supplement my 2 6volt 224AH AGMs. My boondocking system is that in the morning I charge the Delta from the house AGMs using the inverter and the 110 outlet so the rooftop solar panels charge the AGMs and by the evening all are full (on sunny days). I don't like the EcoFlow solar panels, not much juice and can't always put them out if parked in town. I want to be able to charge the Delta from the cig lighter port while driving rather than draining my AGMs down if it isn't necessary. But it doesn't work, getting an error message on Delta. Customer service is useless and told me to get a regulator for the cigarette lighter to keep it at 10A. What a ridiculous design, why build a unit with an input that doesn't regulate itself? I'm in the middle of trying to figure this out and purchased a multi-meter last night to test my cigarette lighter's output but I really don't know what I'm doing. I don't mind if I have to add a dedicated port (cig lighter style) directly from the car's starter battery (or do you connect it to the alternator?) that is limited to 10A, but I shouldn't have to. I read somewhere, amidst all the searching, that if you use an 18 gauge wire instead of 14 that it will limit the port to 10A. Any assistance appreciated. I need to be able to charge my phone, the Delta, and any other items like a power bank, while driving. I have no idea what my alternator power is but my BMS says input is 22 amps or so while the engine is running. Do I even need to know what it is?

 

[magentawave]

Hi Magenta and Kevin...I want to jump in here (posted on Kevin's other post as well). I have a 2006 Dodge Sprinter conversion. I bought the Delta to supplement my 2 6volt 224AH AGMs. My boondocking system is that in the morning I charge the Delta from the house AGMs using the inverter and the 110 outlet so the rooftop solar panels charge the AGMs and by the evening all are full (on sunny days). I don't like the EcoFlow solar panels, not much juice and can't always put them out if parked in town. I want to be able to charge the Delta from the cig lighter port while driving rather than draining my AGMs down if it isn't necessary. But it doesn't work, getting an error message on Delta. Customer service is useless and told me to get a regulator for the cigarette lighter to keep it at 10A. What a ridiculous design, why build a unit with an input that doesn't regulate itself? I'm in the middle of trying to figure this out and purchased a multi-meter last night to test my cigarette lighter's output but I really don't know what I'm doing. I don't mind if I have to add a dedicated port (cig lighter style) directly from the car's starter battery (or do you connect it to the alternator?) that is limited to 10A, but I shouldn't have to. I read somewhere, amidst all the searching, that if you use an 18 gauge wire instead of 14 that it will limit the port to 10A. Any assistance appreciated. I need to be able to charge my phone, the Delta, and any other items like a power bank, while driving. I have no idea what my alternator power is but my BMS says input is 22 amps or so while the engine is running. Do I even need to know what it is?

Yes, Ecoflow customer “service” is useless. It’s a shame too because they make nice stuff.

I haven’t done anything about this yet because I’ve been too busy working on another project. Dude, between what a couple people at Ecoflow told me and a few on forums, I’m as confused as you are!

Since the issue supposedly is that the Delta can’t handle more than 10 amps when car charging and my Toyota Siennas cig lighter ports have 15 amp fuses, then why can’t I just swap the existing 15 amp fuses for 10 amp fuses?

 

[Andrea]

Yes, Ecoflow customer “service” is useless. It’s a shame too because they make nice stuff.

I haven’t done anything about this yet because I’ve been too busy working on another project. Dude, between what a couple people at Ecoflow told me and a few on forums, I’m as confused as you are!

Since the issue supposedly is that the Delta can’t handle more than 10 amps when car charging and my Toyota Siennas cig lighter ports have 15 amp fuses, then why can’t I just swap the existing 15 amp fuses for 10 amp fuses?

Not sure about the fuse swap...
Today I spoke with a guy at www.circuitspecialists.com and he confirmed what I had been narrowing in on. A unit like this: https://www.amazon.com/Cllena-Autom...dp/B08KZPXK63/ref=psdc_10967761_t3_B07WFMG11F
"Cllena DC 8V-40V to 12V 10A Automatic Buck Boost Converter Step Down/Up Regulator Voltage Reducer Converter..." that would be placed on the cable that comes from EcoFlow itself (cut and splice, making sure to get the positive and negative wires correctly) would work. At this point I don't even get a flicker on the Delta when I plug in the cable. I've written to them asking for a replacement. Also, telling them that they need to fix this and come up with a better solution.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

why the charging cable melted) is because the 12 volt DC cigarette lighter ports in my 06 Sienna are 15 amp and they should be 10 amp.

Absolutely not science m’lad

 

[12VoltInstalls]

read somewhere, amidst all the searching, that if you use an 18 gauge wire instead of 14 that it will limit the port to 10A

Don’t do that. If ecophlo’s load is 15A giving it a lesser capacity wire makes the wire insulation a dangerous fuse. That’s not a good plan.

If the cig plug is a pass-through with no resistors or what have you, you can cut it off and use a 10ga (or 8ga if you’re me) direct from the battery (with a 20A fuse). Is there even a fuse in the manufactured cord?!

So 20A/15A/10A cig sockets do not matter. If the cig plug is melting the eco flow is drawing in excess of the plug’s capacity. You could hook it directly to the battery (a 700A+ supply) and it will draw the same amps (for the purposes of this issue) as it does from a 10A socket or a 15A socket. What it plugs into is NOT the problem (unless it needs a 30A or 20A supply anyway)
Like in a house; say a vacuum uses 10A and you plug it into a regular outlet. That standard outlet is usually going to be 15 or 20 amp rated and be on a 15 or 20A breaker. The 15A outlet will not feed any more than the 10A load of the vacuum cleaner. Your cigarette lighter socket will not “push” power out of itself. And melt stuff.
The simple fact is that either the supplied plug is not appropriately rated, or the echophlo is pulling more than its advertised load.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

edited ^^^