Charging Smartphone via cig lighter burns out fuse # 8.

[Alex Povidailo]

Hi I am ruining into issue that when I charge my phone via cig lighter in my 1983 Vanagon ( water cooled) the fuse number 8 burns out. Then my break lights, interior lights and cig lighter stop working. It does not happen as soon as i plug in my phone to charge but rather after 3-4 days of charging it on a road trip. Any suggestions? ( I did replace the fuse and seem to fix the issue)

[shagginwagon83]

Maybe the charger is the issue? Bad ground? Maybe try cleaning inside ground of socket and phone charger. Maybe fuse panel socket is bad. I know one of my fuse sockets is bad. One for front header. I need new panel

The number 8 fuse controls your Interior lights, cigarette lighter, stop lights(8A). Maybe the issue happens at night? Maybe consider converting your stop lights to LED to lighten the load.
_________________
Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[dabaron]

newer phones are drawing a bunch of current... as you use the phone over the course of several days, the battery is draining lower and lower and requiring more current to charge - was the phone ever showing 100% charge? assume the worst and it draws 1.5A of current. add in the interior lights and their draw. what was the rating of the fuse you replaced?

[fxr]

Some ciggie lighter sockets are poorly made, with the rear plate containing the spade contacts not glued or welded in. These plates can be pushed back out of the body of the socket and then be shorted out by the tip of the lighter plug.

I've had this happen twice due to over-enthusiastic plugging in by Mrs fxr. Superglue cures the problem - I went around all the rest of the sockets and glued them up as well.
_________________
Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300

[Alex Povidailo]

Thanks, for your replies. i replaced with the standard 8 amp fuse. I guess its better not to charge the phone at night with any lights turned on to minimize the current draw.

[Yellow Rabbit]

The original cigarette lighter sockets are a really loose fit with modern accessories. Swapping it for a new one is a cheap simple thing to try. Also USB chargers are available in different wattages. You could try a different one.

[Vanagon Nut]

[Yellow Rabbit]

It seems unlikely a 2.1 amp charger would blow an 8 amp fuse. Maybe someone has wired other accessories to that circuit. Perhaps there’s something else like a bad brake light ground causes the overload when the brakes are applied. The phone charger just might be loading the circuit enough to expose another issue.

[Vanagon Nut]

[dabaron]

[Jake de Villiers]

Its not the draw, its the stupid lighter socket as mentioned by Yellow Rabbit previously.

I used to have a VW LED rechargeable flashlight in my lighter socket - and every time I touched it, it shorted out and blew the fuse...

Either repair a la Foxr or replace as per Yellow Rabbit and charge your phone day and night.

Happiness ensues.
_________________
'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
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