12V Accessories Socket Aka Lighter Socket

[Evening Star]

I've just noticed that this is live all of the time, even when the ignition key is out & the doors are locked.

I know this is the case as I've got a multiadaptor in it with an LED & that stays illuminated all of the time

Is there a way to make sure that this socket goes dead when the ignition is off, key withdrawn & doors locked, to prevent a flat battery?

[JohnMorr]

I've just noticed that this is live all of the time, even when the ignition key is out & the doors are locked.

I know this is the case as I've got a multiadaptor in it with an LED & that stays illuminated all of the time

Is there a way to make sure that this socket goes dead when the ignition is off, key withdrawn & doors locked, to prevent a flat battery?

Just don't plug anything in. Your house sockets don't draw any current when everything's off, do they? Reminds me of Thurber's aunt, who went around screwing light bulbs in to stop the electricity leaking out......

Edited 8 December, 2009 by JohnMorr

[Evening Star]

All it is, is that I like to leave certain adaptors plugged in, such as Sat Nav & Phone, it's just a pain in the bum having to keep plugging them in & unplugging them.

This is a oddity as every other car I've owned the lighter socket/12V Accessories Socket has powered down when you take the key out of the ignition, which is the way I prefer it.

[magic62]

It might be shut off, after a couple of minutes. Just as your interior light is switched off after a while, exactly than if you need it most (when trying to find something or modifying something in the car when dark )

Just try to put a charger in the socket and close the car, than after about half an hour check if it is still on. (best is a charger with a led, so you dont have to open a door to check. Because this will activate it again.

[Evening Star]

It might be shut off, after a couple of minutes. Just as your interior light is switched off after a while, exactly than if you need it most (when trying to find something or modifying something in the car when dark )

Just try to put a charger in the socket and close the car, than after about half an hour check if it is still on. (best is a charger with a led, so you dont have to open a door to check. Because this will activate it again.

Good thinking Batman.!

[ccs-digital]

It might be shut off, after a couple of minutes. Just as your interior light is switched off after a while, exactly than if you need it most (when trying to find something or modifying something in the car when dark )

Just try to put a charger in the socket and close the car, than after about half an hour check if it is still on. (best is a charger with a led, so you dont have to open a door to check. Because this will activate it again.

No, it's live all the time - so too the one in the boot which I actually find advantageous. However one way around the unplugging stuff problem is to pick up a multi 12V adapter with a cable connection (I have one shaped like a drinks can that fits in the adjacent holder in the front and has 2 x 12volt and 2x USB). Plug all my adaptors into that then just remove the single plug from the 12v socket if I want to power them all down.

[dan_the_v8man]

halfords sell one with a switch built into the plug, just flick the switch.

Alternatively you can find a switched supply from the fuse box and wire it to a 12V relay which in turn could switch your cig lighter on and off with the ignition. It may even be possible theres a 15amp switched feed in there spare

[octavia5]

Its the same on all VAG cars, there is no way to turn the socket power off - just pull the adapter plug from the main socket and you dont have to unplug each adapter

[dan_the_v8man]

it isnt, my 57 plate vRS was always live, my 08 passat was switched and my audi is always live

[gregoir]

Or you could get a voltage sensitive in line adaptor. I use one in conjunction with a cool box and it shuts the power off once the voltage has dropped below a set limit. Stops the battery going flat. I prefer the power being on all the time though, it means I can charge things when I leave the car.

[Phil Lee]

I was wondering about this myself. I got my Octavia a week ago and received the correct Brodit Pro Clip on Wednesday, meaning I could hook my iPhone TomTom mount up properly. For the last two days I've been unplugging it when I've parked the car but I'll try leaving it in and checking back later and let you know what happens. My previous car, a Corolla Verso, powered down the lighter socket when the ignition was switched off so I've got into the habit of leaving the cradle plugged in.

[Evening Star]

Does anyone know if there's a two or three socket adaptor which has switches?

I know you can get on from Halfrauds but that makes the car look chavvy & you have to stick it down on the dash which spoils the car!

[psycholist]

A 12 Volt 70 Ah battery (A common enough rating I think) holds 3.024 MJ of energy if my conversion is correct. This will run a device at the 180 W max fused power from the cigarette lighter socket for 4.6 Hours, so if you're running a kettle (It'll be a very slow kettle), a big TV or a fridge with the engine off that could be an issue. Phone chargers and the like usually draw around 5 W, so left overnight for say 12 hours, a 5 W device will draw 7% of the battery's energy. If this is a charger for a GPS or similar it will only draw power until the device is charged, at which point the power consumption drops right off.

[skomaz]

I've certainly left a sat-nav plugged in over-night in the boot to charge it when away from home with no issues.

[magic62]

A 12 Volt 70 Ah battery (A common enough rating I think) holds 3.024 MJ of energy if my conversion is correct. This will run a device at the 180 W max fused power from the cigarette lighter socket for 4.6 Hours, so if you're running a kettle (It'll be a very slow kettle), a big TV or a fridge with the engine off that could be an issue. Phone chargers and the like usually draw around 5 W, so left overnight for say 12 hours, a 5 W device will draw 7% of the battery's energy. If this is a charger for a GPS or similar it will only draw power until the device is charged, at which point the power consumption drops right off.

Problem is, that most batteries dont have the entire capacity available anymore, especially when it is getting colder (and the battey older).

[dan_the_v8man]

I've got a 120W inverter, i've left that plugged in overnight charging two laptops when i've been working away