Faulty phone charger point in VW Golf

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declanja

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Hope this is in correct forum. We have a 2006 VW Golf. Phone charger (cigarette lighter) causing problems. Main dealer has fixed twice but continues to stop working after 2-3 weeks. Dealer now refuses to fix permanently, stating that VW to not recommend charging phones through this point and are not liable for replacing. Car remains under warranty.
Is this a common fault with VW golf?
Any advice?
 
Use the cigarette lighter function a few times and then go back to VW saying that you can't light the cigarettes (assuming that lighting ciggs causes it to blow). You are using it as it was designed so VW can't object.
You could check the fuse panel to ensure the correct rated fuse is in it.
Also check the mob phone manual to see what current is drawn when charging!.
Keep on to VW, put your request for service in writing and ask for a written refusal to sort the problem, then go up the chain with your refusal!.
 
declanja said:
Phone charger (cigarette lighter) causing problems. Main dealer has fixed twice but continues to stop working after 2-3 weeks.
Click to expand...

Any possibility of testing this phone charger in other car, though may inconvenient if testing has to last at least 2-3 weeks?
 
Thank you both for your advise. Bringing car in again today so will keep you posted on progress or lack of same. Anyone heard of this problem before with VW?
 
The cigarette lighter power point is only for the cigarette lighter. It will continue to blow fuses as V.W. designed it to heat the lighter element, IT'S NOT A POWER POINT FOR ANYTHING ELSE! On some other cars at this stage they will come with a 12v power supply point that is designed as a power point.

Remember your using a non-genuine part in a V.W. car, there is no manufacturing fault with the car, no warranty claim.

Be careful when looking at the fuses, if you do replace it with a larger fuse and you over load the cig lighter point, the wire could melt and you will have a fire and it won't be V.W.'s fault and your insurance won't cover it either. You'll be at fault.
 
Mr2,
What is the wattage used by the lighter element? IMO far much more than what's require to recharge a phone...

Why do VW has a 12v power point (cigarette lighter type) in the boot if you can not plug something else than a lighter element? or it is of a different design than the one close to the dash board?

There are many cigarette lighter adaptors on the market providing AC at at least 75W, complying with standards. Are you saying they sould not be used in a VW?

I do not believe for a second that car manufacturer's nowdays design 12v point only for cigarette ligher.


Declanja,
It could well be that there is nothing wrong with the car ... but the fault lies in the charger. Have you tried it in the boot.?
 
bacchus, if you look at most new cars, they have removed the cig lighter from the car and replaced it with a 12v supply outlet. Some cars have both as they are designed for seperate jobs.

The fact that some people use the cig lighter output for something it was not designed for invalidates the warranty.


It's like putting your clothes into the Microwave to dry them instead of the Dryer, it will probably work for a while but it's not designed for it and when it stops working you won't ring Whirlpool etc demanding them fixing it under warranty.
 
Is it not purely down to wattage specifications?
Is there a norm regarding how much current current can be drawn from these 12v points?


Additional info:
It looks like a heating element of a cigarette ligher is 12V - 80Watts. That's 6.66Amps!!!
My phone charger (and i guess others) output is max 5.9V - 0.375Amp. That's 2.2Watts!!
So, i don't see a problem there.
 
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It's designed for a cig lighter only and should be used for a cig lighter only. It's not to be used as a power supply. What sort of draw does the phone charger have on a car? It must be more that a cig lighter if when the cig lighter is used it doesn't blow and when something else is used it does.

Also what you have to bear in mind when you push your cig lighter down it pops up usually in less than a minute but a phone charger usually is on for much longer sometimes an hour or more.
 
Mr2 said:
It must be more that a cig lighter if when the cig lighter is used it doesn't blow and when something else is used it does.
Click to expand...

No, a phone charger will draw much much less than the cigarette lighter. Afaik, they are current controlled as to not draw too much at the start when the phone battery is low.

My gut instinct is that the phone charger has developped a fault as i think any car's 12V supply (being power point or cig lighter) is pretty bullet proof, and fuse will blow if overloaded.
 
It's designed as a cig lighter port, that's it's only use.

I've had customers with this, I had a customer when I worked for Toyota, it kept blowing fuses in her Yaris but when she drove her husbands Avensis it never blew, Toyota and all other Manufactures will tell you it purpose is for the cig lighter.

They have like I said put 12v power outlets on some cars and they are for approved genuine extras, if you don't use them then there is no warranty.
 
We really need more info on this one.Is the cig lighter solely used for charging the mobile phone or is it lighting the odd ciggy as well?When it stops working is the fuse blown or is something else stopping the current flowing.A loose or damaged connection.Is something else on the cig lighter fuse?Phone kit perhaps?
 
Its never used to light a cigarette! Seems crazy to me that a company like VW will claim its not for use except as a lighter. every one uses a mobile phone this day and age, smokers are a dying breed! Will check if cigarette lighter blows it. Garage are refusing to put anything in writing- a well known one with two large outlets,-can I hint where?
 
Hello I work in a VW dealer in the west and see cars regularly blowing fuses for cigarette lighter. The problem is always with a certain type phone charger. Its hard to explain but the wrong ones have a metal twist fitting on the end that goes in to the lighter and if the charger is leaned a bit to one side when a pull comes on it, then it makes contact between the earth and power and blows the fuse. Get a charger that has a plastic twist/screw fitting on end, it will look the same and still have the shiny chrome bit at the end which is held in by this plastic part of the charger.
Sorry if this is confusing as its hard to type what you are thinking.
 
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