Has anyone figured out how to get around having your DVD player/TV from shutting off each time the opti-idle starts up?

I was thinking about buying a surge protector-battery backup like the ones used in the home when the power fails. I thought if I could hook the surge protector up to my inverter and run my tv, DVD and xbox through it the problem might be solved.

I'm not sure if a 350 watt inverter could power a unit like that. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. It's a pain to restart the DVD and then find where you left off when the opti-idle kicks in....sheese!

Pat
Driving for CCC

 

I got tired of the DVD player shutting off on me too. So, I use my laptop to watch movies on.

 

dont use the opti while watching movies then...

 

The only two ways I know of both involve modifications to the truck, either of which will get you fired if you are a company driver.

If you own the truck, take it into a detroit shop and have them reprogram it.

 

Yeah if the temps outside allow it, don't run the truck. I started watching dvds on my laptop also about the last month or so because of this problem and having to always restart it and find where I was at in the movie.... And actually with my laptop the movies look so much better. Only other way is to disable the opti-idle. Which not sure what kind of truck you have, but on mine it can be done just by pulling a fuse.

I have only done that during the really cold weather up in the north. To keep my truck from shutting off for any time period.... But got authorization from my company before I did it. Because most of these big companies know when you do stuff like that from your idle % So BOL to ya.

 

I'd reckon just use a laptop if you got one. Fortunately, I don't have OptiIdle in my current truck. I don't even have a DVD player in the TV so I watch movies on the laptop. Spend a few hundred bucks and get ya one.

 

The problem is that the inverter starts whining as soon as the truck turns off and then shuts down. So your screwed either way.

 

I use to have that problem. I bought another inverter from radio shack and it does not do that. I can watch tv for about 2 hrs without my truck running before the inverter will start whining. You might need a smaller inverter. My first one was a black and decker that one was terrible. You don't need a big one to run your tv and laptops. If you get a big one the fan always wants to run so then that drains your batteries quicker, and the inverter whines

 

I will try a smaller one and see how it goes. My laptop only needs 90 watts to run. I would think it needs the same to charge.

 

its not connected to the batteries, I used a small inverter annd plugged into the cig hole and it trips witth the starting of the truck,I got a big inverter connected to the batteries and it never trips the tv works just fine all night and never drains the battteries, I fall asleep with it on ... you need a good inverter and connect it directly to the batteries or this will always be a problem no matter what brand you buy its because of the cig plug...