VW Passat: Cigarette Lighter used as a Charger...
VW Passat 2008:
Thought it was funny when I left my 'phone on charge when I left my newly acquired car and came back to find it FLAT. After a few minutes could NOT believe that the cigarette lighter socket lost power when the ignition was switched off... Have NOT seen this happen in a car for 25 years or so. Is there any way in the electrical system to override this lunacy!!! PLEASE???
Would NOT have bought the car if this had been made known in advance!!!
5 Answers
I am not familiar with the Passat, but most cars have more than one cigarette lighter, and usually one of them is hot at all time, check inside the console.
None of the sockets in my 2012 Beetle stay hot with ignition off. If you leave a charger in one and connected to a device, it will drain the device completely after a while. I recommend a solar charger or external battery pack.
Wife's eclipse is the same way. I installed an aftermarket charging station in the center console. Wired and fused it directly to the battery. Stays hot full time. Only the end of her phone charger sticks out of the console. It does not interfere with operation of console lid or take up to much room in it.
Christopher answered 9 years ago
It's to help assure that too much energy won't get drawn from the battery, thereby affecting the car's electronics or even its ability to start. I find it convenient, actually, to not have to turn off accessories that I've plugged into the car.
Get and inverter and connect to you battery to charge your phones and other items. When key is off, sockets should be off, so no current draw from battery.
