Greetings all!

I do a lot of travelling so I'm about to purchase a DC-AC Inverter to install in my '07 Civic EX primarily for the purpose of charging my cell phone and laptop on trips. It comes with alligator clips to clamp on to the battery, and it has a replacable fuse (40A) on the inverter itself. I've got several ideas on how to do this, but would like to hear your input and any how-to's/advice you might have.

1) Is there a way to wire it only for accessory power ("Acc." and "On" key positions)?
2) Do I need to punch a new hole to run wires from the interior to the engine bay? (I'd prefer to NOT have to do this)
3) Will 40A (on rare occasions) be too much of a load on the poor alternator when driving 70MPH down the freeway?

I hope this is the right section to post this in, since I'm looking to do this on my 07 Civic. If it isn't, let me know where it belongs.

Thanks!

 

I'd recommend selling it and buying one that plugs into your 12v outlet. MUCH more convenient.

 

The unit I'm looking at has the cable to plug-in. I just don't want to go that route for two reasons:

The main problem lies in the reduced output...the cig lighter has a fuse on it that limits how much the inverter can draw and therefore output. I'm actually selling a smaller inverter to a friend that plugs into the power port because it just doesn't quite have the juice to charge my laptop (needed once or twice a year). So, I found a 400W inverter on the cheap. It's approx. 150W if you plug into the power port or 400W if you direct wire.

Also, I'm kinda fanatical about such things being hidden from view. I like cables tucked neatly out of the way and I'm not exactly a fan of wires hanging out of my dash. I put up with my GPS cord since there's no alternative, but this inverter I'd like to wire in and tuck under the dash or something.

Thanks for the suggestion though!