When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My wife has a 2020 RDX and I tried finding an inverter to power/charge my MacBook pro. The power outlet says "12V 180W MAX" on it and I know the MacBook Pro requires 140W, so I got a 150W inverter, thinking that should work. But, when the inverter is plugged in, the TrueTouch pad stops responding and, eventually, the charging starts working only intermittently. If my phone is connected, CarPlay gets intermittently disconnected. All signs that the inverter is asking more than the car can provide. Looking more closely, the inverter says it's 16A and I believe the RDX power outlet might only support 15A. I've tried smaller (e.g., 100W) inverters and they either don't charge the laptop or cycle between charging & not charging. I've read that pure sine wave inverters (vs modified sine wave) are better for the MacBook Pro.
I rarely need to charge while in the car, but it's nice to have a workable solution in those rare cases when I could use it.
Has anyone found an inverter that works in a 3G RDX to charge a MacBook Pro?
Use a less powerful charger (like a 100W one). It wont charge the MBP when it’s completely dead but it should be enough to fill it up slowly while working.
Do you have a suggestion of a specific model that would work with a 2021+ MacBook Pro? I've tried a couple lower power inverters (100W and 65W) and they work for a few seconds and then stop working (sometimes switching on & off intermittently before giving up). While the lower power inverters aren't expensive, I'm hesitant to buy a 4th one hoping it might work.
If you use a DC USB c charger with a high wattage 100 w or more you should get a more efficient transform of power and as a previous poster stated at 100W it will still charge but not as fast as the 140W will do. My guess is the system you used DC-AC was creating interference spikes or waves that were traveling back down the supply line and interfering. Alternatively Electromagnetic waves - you could test the later by plugging in the read socket and seeing if it lessons the impact on other devices.
When selecting your USB device make sure to look at wattage on the primary outlet some are listed as 120W but they push 40W to each of the 3 outlets on the device that wont work for your application.
If you use a DC USB c charger with a high wattage 100 w or more you should get a more efficient transform of power and as a previous poster stated at 100W it will still charge but not as fast as the 140W will do.
Since the jump starter only connects to the lighter plug to charge the car (not charge itself from the car), this makes the jump starter simply a secondary battery, which is only useful if I've remembered to charge it. One of the goals of an inverter is to be able to leverage the car's power for those cases where I'm not thoughtfully prepared. I've got one of these jumpers (it has saved me on a cold winter morning), but I don't think it meets my needs. That said, maybe my mistake is looking for an AC inverter (to plug my laptop's adapter into) and, instead, I should be looking for something that goes from lighter plug to USB-C (DC-to-DC).
Thanks for the suggestion. That looks like a good option. I decided to try theUGREEN 150W USB C Car Charger, PD 3.1 140W, since it was on sale, is easier to reach the back seat, and looks like it might have an easier chance of dissipating heat. We'll see. If it fails me, it will only be my 4th mistake and I'll have the LinkOn as "plan E."
UGREEN 150W USB C Car Charger, PD 3.1 140W Car Charger at work on 2021 MacBook Pro
Hey there, I was going through different forums regarding the RDX charging port as well. I want to hook up a laptop to my RDX too and I have the same issue. But unfortunately my laptop only has a regular power plug. So I was wondering if you found one that works??
Hey there, I was going through different forums regarding the RDX charging port as well. I want to hook up a laptop to my RDX too and I have the same issue. But unfortunately my laptop only has a regular power plug. So I was wondering if you found one that works??
I have a dell inspiron 15 7000 gaming. it has 180 watt power bar. i want to keep it running while i drive around.
Because of that 180W need this may be your best choice, Tripp Lite by Eaton 375W PowerVerter Ultra-Compact Car Inverter with 2 Outlets. Searching the web the is a 90W and 130W Dell car adapter but people report issues of varying types. Check eBay for this device as well. A quick check indicates some units down around $25 to $30.
I suspect you are going to struggle to deliver 180Watts if that is what is really needed from a 12 V car electrical system if you think about it W = A*V so that will require you to pull 15 Amps from the cigarette lighter. I would do some research to see what the rating is on those circuits. I suspect most of the lighter circuits are limited to 10Amps, but could be wrong. It may be that you can use an invertor that delivers less than 180W which will trickle charge the laptop sufficient to stop the battery running down but not sufficient to recharge. Good look.
Because of that 180W need this may be your best choice, Tripp Lite by Eaton 375W PowerVerter Ultra-Compact Car Inverter with 2 Outlets. Searching the web the is a 90W and 130W Dell car adapter but people report issues of varying types. Check eBay for this device as well. A quick check indicates some units down around $25 to $30.
Wow, I wouldn't have thought I would need such a powerful inverter. Wouldn't 200W be sufficient enough? Since you tested it so much. If I bought it to test it out and its the wrong wattage or something. Wouldn't that blow the fuse and I would have to replace the fuse? Wouldn't that also blow anything else or is it just the fuse for the cigarette lighter?
I have a dell inspiron 15 7000 gaming. it has 180 watt power bar. i want to keep it running while i drive around.
While that laptop has a USB-C port, I'm not sure (like most/all USB-C ports made in 2020+) whether it will support charging the laptop. I would look for a DC-to-DC option (i.e., either charging through the USB-C port or, if that's not an option, seeing if you can find an adapter that goes from 12V DC to whatever DC plug your laptop needs directly instead of through an AC inverter). If nothing else, the good news is you're next laptop will support charging through USB-C.
I tried multiple shapes & sizes of AC inverters and (as other have suggested) they wreaked havoc with the RDX electronics (touchpad completely unresponsive when I was using the AC inverter... which stopped charging after about 10-20 seconds anyway). At least nothing blew up or started on fire.
I have a dell inspiron 15 7000 gaming. it has 180 watt power bar. i want to keep it running while i drive around.
15 7000 is a generic designation and depending on the exact model power needs and capabilities may change. You generally can get the exact model off the label on the bottom of the laptop but sometimes that can't be read. An easy way to get it is in the Windows 10 or 11 search box (lower left corner) type in "System Information" and select "Run as administrator". Look for "System Model" in the right hand pane. On my Dell it is about the 8th line from the top and it will read something like Inspiron 15-7577.
