I decided to go and install a power inverter in my car because I ran in to several situations where I simply needed to be able to plug something in. After doing some research I decided to go with a Cobra CPI1000 (1000 Watts continuous) power inverter [http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-1000-200...6296332&sr=8-1], which included a remote on/off jack (RJ11 / telephone connection). I found that the best location for the inverter was behind the plastic lining in the trunk since it was close to the battery. My only issue with this location is that it could impede the cooling of the inverter during the summer months, but I decided to wait and see if that became an issue since the inverter has a thermal protection circuit to prevent overheating.

Below you will find some installation photos and comments about various aspects of the installation. Enjoy – I think this was a worthwhile addition for anyone planning on keeping their car for an extended period of time and who finds themselves on the road a lot.



In this first picture note the installation location. After a lot of thought this seemed the ideal location for the inverter. It was close to the battery and there were existing paths to run the wire to the front of the car already. I used Velcro and a zip-tie to hold the unit down, which seems a bit cheesy, but I decided to go with something that was easy to change later on. If this whole install works out okay I mat go for a more professional installation later. After having driven around for a few weeks with the inverter strapped down as shown in the picture I have yet to see any issues with the way it is mounted. The only thing I don’t like is the lack of ventilation which could potentially cause the unit to overheat.

As for the wires – I got a kit from Cobra that came with a positive and negative cable, as well as a chassis ground cable. These fit pretty much perfectly with no big install issues. I attached the ground cable (black) to the same chassis mounting point used by the battery just to make thing easier. Both the AC power cable and the remote on/off cable run down the right side (facing the trunk) of the car, following the same path as several other factory cables (remove the plastic molding that holds the carpet to the bottom of the doors).



This next picture shows the button I installed to turn the inverter on/off remotely. It lights up with a red led, and required no modification (no resistors, etc.) to work with the CPI 1000. I simply ran a telephone cable down the passenger side of the car down where the carpet meets the plastic door panels (this is where a bunch of other factory wires are run). In the future I’d like to go with a more stock looking button, but I would need to get something custom made using a factory Mitsubishi button, and I figure that would cost at least $100 to get it done right (custom lighted lettering, etc.). Below is a picture of the light actually turned on. As for the wires, there are four and one is 12V power, another ground, and the other two simply signal the inverter to turn on or off when they are connected. I forgot to note the exact details here, but a multimeter should easily sort you out.



Below is a picture of the power cable I ran (same way I did the telephone wire) down the passenger side of the car. I plan to add a power strip here and mount it up under the glovebox / footwell. I want to get one with some USB and A/C outputs. Still trying to find a decent one that can reliably power multiple USB devices.



And finally this picture below shows my 90W Dell M4400 being powered 100% by the inverter. Note the batteries are removed from the laptop, so if I were to unplug it, it would die immediately. I also have Prime95 and Disk Defrag running to peg the CPU and hard disk to make sure we are pulling as much power as possible. Regardless, it’s no match for the 1000 watt inverter, which should have plenty of power in reserve for more items.



All in all, I am glad I did the modification, and will possibly at some point get a more professional looking installation of the inverter…maybe not, who knows.

Parts listing for the installation (prices from Amazon unless otherwise noted):

(1)$3.50 : Switch PB Momentary Illuminated SPST 3A Red Switch. Digikey PN: 67-1949-ND, Manufacturer PN: CLS-PC11A125S00R

(1)$84 : Cobra CPI 1000 – 1000 Watt power inverter (2000 Watts peak). Note, the Amazon ratings were a bit low, but the model right below and right above this one are fantastic, so I think it is just an anomaly.

(1)$30 : Cobra CPI-A4000BC AC Power Inverter AWG Cables. Good quality cables. I could have probably gotten cheaper ones from a stereo shop, but I was lazy. Just make sure you match the AWG and connector size of this kit for ease of installation.

(1)$20 : Miscellaneous. This included a 30ft. power cable from Home Depot that I cut, and then attached my own female adapter, which I also got from Home Depot in the electrical section. I also had some spare telephone (RJ11) cable laying around so I cut that and used it for the remote switch wiring.