How to Charge a Laptop With Your Car

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It is indeed possible to charge your laptop in your car or truck, but you do need a piece of special equipment to complete this task. Your vehicle also must have a working cigarette lighter, which is usually near the car stereo area. Once you obtain the appropriate adapter for your laptop, charging the computer with your running motor vehicle is a simple task. Keep in mind you won't be able to charge your laptop if the car's engine isn't running.

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Step 1

Ensure you have the necessary adapter to charge your laptop with your car. You usually remove the power cord portion of your existing AC adapter and replace it with a DC cord that can fit into a car cigarette lighter socket.

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If you don't have such an adapter, you can purchase one at your local electronics store or online at sites such as Amazon or Best Buy. You might want to purchase a universal laptop car charger. If you buy a model-specific adapter be sure your type of laptop is compatible.

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Step 2

Plug the computer end of the adapter into your laptop as usual.

Step 3

Place the laptop onto a secure location to avoid damage to your computer. You may want to place it onto an unoccupied front passenger seat.

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Step 4

Plug the DC end of the charger into your vehicle's cigarette lighter, just as you would with a car cellular phone adapter. This replaces your customary step of plugging the laptop into a traditional wall socket for charging. After you start your engine you might see a light indicating the laptop is being charged, depending on which model adapter you purchased.

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