12v Cooler Plug Melting

My first guess is that there is a loose connection in your socket. You need to check and make sure the socket is actually screwed tight on the ground, and check that the hot lead is not loose.

 

The contacts for the plug are to small for the current being drawn. I had this same problem my self with a coleman cooler an what i did was i purchased a plug that had a positive an negative terminal on each end an i stripped the wires from the old melted plug an used that as a new one.

 

I did the same as the guy above me. My dad stole the plug for his off a battery tender as it was a more heave duty plug. Haven't had the problem in over 3 months since. dad hasn't had the issue in 6 years since.

 

I found the inverter plug had the same issue... the plug was actually working itself loose in the socket and providing an "air gap".. melted a few plugs... then got a plastic fork and broke the tongs off and jammed them on each side of the plug.. it provided a snug fit and stopped the "air gap" problem..

the Cooler should be on a 5amp fuse... check the rating of the rear outlets... usually they are on a 5-10 amp circuit.. the cig lighter is a 25-30 amp ckt..

mark

 

Wow.. melted.. ive had that happen once, turned out to be my bad, my plug ports were 24volt not 12 :S.. so I just bought an adapter (Works fine).. but yes, do try the others first.. as it seems you know yours is rated at 12...

 

My advice would be to hardwire your cooler. These devices can draw high amps at times and do the kind of damage you have experienced. I always ran a heavy-duty switch inline on one leg of the power line so that I could shut the refrigerator off. If your unit has a quick disconnect plug at the box....hardwire that too. This will keep your from returning to your truck to find the entire volunteer fire squad along with half of the local police force,...oh yea, homeland security,....SWAT...and the FBI......Save yourself from the excessive-force, beat-down...shot on sight scene.....Hardwire!!! nuff said.......

 

Coolman coolers generally only run on a 5 amp fuse. Not high current like a refrigerator. The Coolman coolers are made to keep the inside box 40 degrees cooler than the air around it.

The "air gap" that happens when the plugs slips out of the connector will cause more current draw, but not enough to blow the fuse. This current draw creates heat which over a period of time will melt the plastic on the end of the connectors.

Hardwire would be the preferred choice to stop the "air gap", but in a company truck that is not on the menu.

Thanks,
Mark

 

I'm having same problem, so how did you fix it "exactly "

 

After many attempts at making a 12v lighter plug work without melting, I changed to 2-wire flat for my cooler. Runs cool and is reliable, it ought to be the standard for automotive accessory plugs, esp since cigarette lighters rarely get used for that purpose any longer.

Go to an auto parts store and find the trailer wiring section. Look for a little two-wire pigtail, they are in a loop and must be cut in the middle. I made sure that the exposed contact on the vehicle side was ground and not hot so if unplugged it can't short.

In my case I removed the outlet I was using for my cooler and wired the pigtail to the power wires for it.

The listing linked below has a photo, if you were going to use the Red wire for positive, then you would use the left plug coming from the power supply so the power wire is covered when unplugged...

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...solutions-wire-connector/47965/4379633?pos=11