How to Run a 120V From a Car Battery
- 1). Park the vehicle on a flat, level surface. Open the hood and don your safety glasses.
- 2). Disconnect the battery. Using a wrench, remove the positive battery cable from the battery by loosening the retaining bolt.
- 3). Decide on the mounting position for the inverter. This must be a location that will provide easy access and a clean environment for the inverter.
- 4). Mount the inverter. Place a drill bit into the drill chuck of the power drill, and using the mounting brackets of the inverter for reference, drill holes into the fender well to mount the inverter. Insert screws into the drilled holes and tighten with a screw driver. For those who wish to mount the inverter inside the vehicle's passenger compartment, follow these steps but mount the inverter to the vehicle's floor board. Typically, it is mounted under the dash on the passenger side of the vehicle.
- 5). Wire the inverter. Using the proper gauge wire (see the manufacturer's instructions), connect the red wire (positive) from the inverter, to the positive side battery cable mounting bolt by cutting the wire to length with a wire cutter. Strip the wire with a wire stripper to expose approximately 1/8 inch of wire from its protective covering. Place an electrical terminal over the bare wire and crimp it in place with a crimping tool. Slip this terminal over the battery cable mounting bolt. Repeat these steps for the negative (black) side and attach to the negative side of the battery. Route the wiring in a manner that protects it from abrasion, and tie it out of the way with zip ties. Place a tie every 6 to 8 inches apart along the wiring.
If the inverter is mounted inside the passenger compartment, run the wiring through a hole in the firewall and to the battery. The wiring can be pushed through an existing wiring access hole with a screwdriver. - 6). Replace the battery cables. Place the cable terminals on the battery, with the red cable on the positive battery post and the black (negative) cable on the negative post. Tighten with a wrench.
- 7). Close the hood.
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