Hi all; quick question from a car electrical thicky.

 

Is the electrical socket (that sits between the front seats in the Fabia) live all the time? Or just when the ignition is on? I have just installed a Pure Highway 400 (dead easy to install and seems to work brilliantly) and was just wondering if I need to unplug it from the socket at the end of the journey, or if I can leave it.

 

Thanks

unplug it! Mine is a constant live I believe they all are

I've bought a "Te-Rich 3-Socket Cigarette Lighter 6.8A 4 Port USB Car Charger Power" from Amazon.

This has an on/off button and a LED display reading the voltage.

It is well made and is easier than having to unplug devices at the end of the journey.

 

 

Yep, live all the time - which we found to our annoyance when we went away for a week and swmbo left the dashcam plugged in and we returned to a flat battery!

Next job to hard-wire to a switched live!

That's why I ran a piggyback from the rear wiper fuse, to an extra Lighter socket hidden in the dash (side panel when the driver door is open) to run my dashcam! worked a charm, as it's a switched live for the rear wiper (can't remember the fuse number)

If you really want to, can you not change the coding using VCDS to stop that socketing from being live always to being ignition switch controlled, I'm sure that I've seen that option though I've only got VW SEAT and Audi to go by and they all have that socket ignition controlled.

16 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

If you really want to, can you not change the coding using VCDS to stop that socketing from being live always to being ignition switch controlled

 

Can't see it being possible. Nothing but a fuse or two between the lighter and battery positive as far as I can see from CFDs. I don't think VCDS is smart enough yet to do much about that.

Edited 16 June, 20188 yr by Wino

51 minutes ago, Wino said:

 

Can't see it being possible. Nothing but a fuse or two between the lighter and battery positive as far as I can see from CFDs. I don't think VCDS is smart enough yet to do much about that.

 

I would tend to agree with you on that, so why I've read that you can alter its behaviour beat me, it is a while since I read that so maybe only relevant to some cars, maybe it was B5 Passat that it was being discussed doing that on. Have you checked what the set up is like on the 9N Polo?

43 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

Have you checked what the set up is like on the 9N Polo

Same.

9N3 from May 2006 has some variations though, by the looks of it, including one powered via J519, so probably configurable.

Edited 16 June, 20188 yr by Wino

Ah, I'd guess your 9N Polo has a switched cigi socket though.

No.

18 hours ago, Wino said:

No.

 

Oh! All VW Group cars had owned or had dealings with, have all had a switched cigi lighter/12V Power socket, and that means:- 2000MY Passat 4Motion, 2003MY Polo 1.4 16V SE,  2010MY Ibiza 1.4 16V SE S/C,  2011MY S4,  2015MY Polo 1.2TSI 16V 110PS SEL.