12v Front Socket - Permanently Live?

[Modders]

I’ve searched this topic both on here and Google and there doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer: some say yes it is, others say either ignition dependant/times out.

 

The reason I ask I have a small VW rechargeable torch permanently plugged into the socket and I obviously don’t want to damage anything or cause any electrical issues, so does anyone know for sure? Not much useful information in the handbook that I can find.

 

Car is a 23 MY SportLine if that makes a difference, thanks.

 

 

 

[NottsIan]

Mines a MY 21 SeL and its permanently live. I often plug a tyre inflator compressor into it when parked on the drive, without turning on the ignition. So unless it operates when a door is opened, its permanently live...

[agedbriar]

Mine is a MY 19 and is permanently live too.

I have a V-meter permanently plugged in, so I can monitor the battery voltage through the closed window while the car is parked and locked for several days.

[KenONeill]

I've never known an "accessories connector" (cigarette lighter) that wasn't a permanent live.

[Routemaster1461]

On the contrary, I've never known an accessory socket which didn't switch off when 'ignition' was off ,apart from an early Citroen C4 Picasso, which had a permanently live socket in the boot. The other two sockets were ignition controlled. This led to me running the battery flat in Austria when my kids forgot to unplug a fridge. The replacement car, a 2011 version, had a switched socket in the boot.

[Modders]

Thanks all, I’ll start unplugging it if it’s not going to be used for more than a day or so.

 

My experience with all of my cars (of the last 20 years or more that I can remember) has always been that they’ve been switched by the ignition, I’ve never knowingly had a permanent live 12v accessory socket.

[DSL]

Ignition live or when the car is unlocked and switches off when the car goes to sleep?  A simple way to test that is plug in something that has an LED telltale light, or cheap ciggie socket 12v readout.  I’m pretty sure my car’s front socket isn’t live once the car has shut itself down, but the boot one is live permanently.  Can’t nip outside to check as in South Aus atm. 😀

[Breezy_Pete]

11 hours ago, Modders said:

Thanks all, I’ll start unplugging it if it’s not going to be used for more than a day or so.

 

My experience with all of my cars (of the last 20 years or more that I can remember) has always been that they’ve been switched by the ignition, I’ve never knowingly had a permanent live 12v accessory socket.

 

Most Skoda models have them wired directly to battery positive via nothing but fuses. Citigo is a counter-example, there may be others.

 

Karoq has all of them fed from fuse 40 which is in turn fed from an under-bonnet fuse that connects directly to battery positive. 

[Routemaster1461]

I have a bullet connector in my front socket. The tell-tae red light is always on. I would have preferred to run my dashcam from this outlet, but as it is always live I have to run it from the usb c socket. But that is a problem in itself, as connecting direct the car sees the dashcam as a computer, and will only work with a data only lead.

[Modders]

Thanks again for the replies, I must admit I like the idea of the socket being permanently live, I just wish that was made clear by Škoda either in the handbook or at the socket itself like some Jeep models do.

[Baxlin]

6 hours ago, DSL said:

A simple way to test that is plug in something that has an LED telltale light, or cheap ciggie socket 12v readout.   😀

Have to say I thought the same, and try it with ignition on, ign off, door open door closed etc

Edited 7 May, 2023 by Baxlin

[agedbriar]

Try first 10 min after the car was normally parked and locked. If the plug is on, then it's on permanently.

 

 

Edited 7 May, 2023 by agedbriar

[JEFF-the-Bowman]

20 hours ago, Modders said:

I’ve searched this topic both on here and Google and there doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer: some say yes it is, others say either ignition dependant/times out.

 

The reason I ask I have a small VW rechargeable torch permanently plugged into the socket and I obviously don’t want to damage anything or cause any electrical issues, so does anyone know for sure? Not much useful information in the handbook that I can find.

 

Car is a 23 MY SportLine if that makes a difference, thanks.

 

 

 

You do know that the boot light pulls off so it can be used as a torch .

[DSL]

I thought they’d dropped the boot light/torch???

[Modders]

13 minutes ago, JEFF-the-Bowman said:

20 hours ago, Modders said:

You do know that the boot light pulls off so it can be used as a torch .

As @DSL says above, the removable boot light was dropped a while back unfortunately.

 

[JEFF-the-Bowman]

1 hour ago, Modders said:

As @DSL says above, the removable boot light was dropped a while back unfortunately.

 

My Karoq (2019 ) must have been the last before it was dropped then

[sussamb]

3 hours ago, JEFF-the-Bowman said:

My Karoq (2019 ) must have been the last before it was dropped then

Possibly as my wife's 2018 Karoq has it

[BoxerBoy]

In my current and previous SKODAs the socket has always been live at all times.

 

But my wife’s current Polo is only ON when ignition is on.

 

You just have to know which is which and act accordingly.

[jOnNYtURboFiNGaz]

just put my dashcam in from my other car and it plugs into the cigarette lighter, now it wont turn off when i get out the car, why would you want that to be live all the time without ignition or atleast unlocked?

[sussamb]

Think it stays live for around 10 minutes then shuts down 

[jOnNYtURboFiNGaz]

my car has been locked for over half an hour and its still on

[VRT24]

12v sockets remain live and usb-c sockets go off. You'll need to get a usb power lead for the dash cam if you want it to power off when leaving the car.

[Routemaster1461]

You can use a USB C to USB A cable. Be aware that when I first did this the dashcam thought it was connecting to a computer, and my cable had to be power only/no data cable. This turns off when the engine stops. You can tell if they are live as they are illuminated white.

Edited 6 March by Routemaster1461

[Viffer800]

1 hour ago, jOnNYtURboFiNGaz said:

my car has been locked for over half an hour and its still on

 

Do you need to tweak your dashcam settings?

My accessory socket (MY 22) is permanently live regardless of the ignition/lock status.

I enabled Parking Mode on my Nextbase dashcam in its settings and it goes to Standby after 5 mins.   If I bump the car with my arse it switches on and starts recording

Edited 6 March by Viffer800

[MrAdamwood]

On 07/05/2023 at 17:55, sussamb said:

Possibly as my wife's 2018 Karoq has it

My 2020 SEL has the torch in the boot.