Which wire is which?

[chi-girl]

I have a coolbox that has one black wire and one black wire with a thin white stripe. wghich is live please as i need to wire it up to a new 12v aux plug to fit into the cigar lighter in the car.

thanks x

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Wire with white stripe is usually positive.

 

[savageseadog]

If it's a thermoelectric Peltier type, connecting the other round will result in heating on the inside and cooling on the outside. Not what you want but not disastrous

 

[chi-girl]

its a cheapo 30pound one so all but useless.

i do have a mobicool 40ltr that heats and cools but lost the lead to it and am going camping tomorrow for a week so may have to buy something new

 

[Spyro]

When I've wired things like that up to a 12v aux plug I've always tested the wires with a volt meter to confirm which is which. They are not expensive and really handy to have onboard.

 

[chi-girl]

i have a meter but havent got a clue how to use it.

 

[VicS]

When I've wired things like that up to a 12v aux plug I've always tested the wires with a volt meter to confirm which is which. They are not expensive and really handy to have onboard.

The centre pin of a car cigar lighter socket is the positive connection.

A meter is not much help in identifying the positive from negative wires on the appliance. Its the "colour" coding of the wire that tells you which is which.

In this case its the wire with the white stripe which goes to the centre connection of the plug.

It would be a good idea to fit a plug with a built in fuse. Also use a good quality plug --- there's some rubbish about for the unwary.

I am surprised the cool box has not been supplied with a plug fitted. Mine was and it has a built in fuse.

Be aware that a cool box draws about 4 amps continuously. It'll soon run your battery flat if you are not careful!

 

[Dipper]

I wired mine up the wrong way round. It didn't work but caused no damage.

 

[chi-girl]

it did come with a plug but i caught it in the car door and severed it.

 

[CharlesSwallow]

its a cheapo 30pound one so all but useless.

i do have a mobicool 40ltr that heats and cools but lost the lead to it and am going camping tomorrow for a week so may have to buy something new

How do you intend to power it on your camping trip without it being plugged into your car with the engine running all the time? Those babies use a fair bit of power, around 60 watts like having a headlight on all the time.

Chas

 

[nigelmercier]

it did come with a plug but i caught it in the car door and severed it.

... then open up the plug and look!

 

[FistralG]

its a cheapo 30pound one so all but useless.

i do have a mobicool 40ltr that heats and cools but lost the lead to it and am going camping tomorrow for a week so may have to buy something new

How do you intend to power it on your camping trip without it being plugged into your car with the engine running all the time? Those babies use a fair bit of power, around 60 watts like having a headlight on all the time.

Chas

One of these?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coolbox-Power-Supply-Mains-Transformer/dp/B001W2Y46G/ref=pd_cp_ce_3

 

[Spyro]

The centre pin of a car cigar lighter socket is the positive connection.

A meter is not much help in identifying the positive from negative wires on the appliance. Its the "colour" coding of the wire that tells you which is which.

In this case its the wire with the white stripe which goes to the centre connection of the plug.

It would be a good idea to fit a plug with a built in fuse. Also use a good quality plug --- there's some rubbish about for the unwary.

I am surprised the cool box has not been supplied with a plug fitted. Mine was and it has a built in fuse.

Be aware that a cool box draws about 4 amps continuously. It'll soon run your battery flat if you are not careful!

You have to cut into the cable to fit a new plug or if the cable is cut already then you strip back the wires plug it in to the original source and test the wires.

 

[Stu Jackson]

It'll be safer in the boat - no car doors.

 

[VicMallows]

How do you intend to power it on your camping trip without it being plugged into your car with the engine running all the time?

Many campsites have power hookups these days, and the elec is even often included in the fee ....unlike any UK marina I know of.

(a 120w cheapo universal laptop PSU set at 12v or 15v works well).

Vic

 

[Cymrogwyllt]

I presume you have a length of wire and a plug connected to a length of wire.

Bare the ends of both bits (four wires) and connect like to like by whatever means you deem suitable.

 

[chi-girl]

the wiring was easy as it wouldnt work one way but did work when wired properly. i bought one of those 12v transformers in the end.
for such a small box it gets really cold pretty quickly