Strange sized 12v cigarette lighter socket

Unbreakable · 10 Jul 2013 at 14:10

Iv recently bought an 09 Golf 1.4 Tsi. The other day I went to plug my satnav charger into the 12v cigarette lighter socket only to find that it doesn't fit. The socket seems to be very shallow, so much so that the side sprung negative contacts on the plug don't even go in. There is also a 12v socket in the boot and this fits the plug perfectly.

Has anyone experienced anything like this on a car? Do I have any options apart from changing the socket for a more standard one?

miniyazz · 10 Jul 2013 at 17:16

Use an angle grinder or elbow grease to grind away the positive on the sat nav charger* until it's short enough.

I've had this issue before and it was so close I just did the above, which seemed to work. I've also had issues the other way round and ended up shortening the socket so the plug would reach the bottom.

*Don't grind through or bad things might happen

morfmedia · 10 Jul 2013 at 21:23

Maybe try a socket doubler or 4 way and plug into that?

morfmedia · 10 Jul 2013 at 21:33

Double post...

mattyprice4004 · 10 Jul 2013 at 23:27

Charge your phone in the boot. Won't be tempted to use it then

randal · 10 Jul 2013 at 23:32

Swap the boot and the cabin socket over.

Or run a really long extension cable.

Or just sell the car, if VW made that design mistake who knows what else they got wrong.

bitslice · 11 Jul 2013 at 09:30

It's about time the car manufacturers came up with a properly designed method of supplying +12v to the cabin, a fag socket is a fag socket, not a reliable power source.

How many people now have laptops, iPads and phones, yet there is still no way of recharging these devices without bodging something together.

Third Opinion · 11 Jul 2013 at 09:35

yeah stick a few USB ports in a car and job done

rodenal · 11 Jul 2013 at 09:42

Most new cars do have charging USB ports - most of the hire cars I get do at least

Unbreakable · 11 Jul 2013 at 10:03

Iv found the car has a media port in the center console that connects an iphone to the radio and also charges it. Seems you can buy a cable that plugs into it that goes to a USB socket instead of the iphone connector. Think i'll buy one of those to see if I can power the sat nav from there in the meantime.

Swapping the cigarette lighter socket out looks like it could be a pain.

Cuchulain · 11 Jul 2013 at 10:05

Unbreakable said:
Iv found the car has a media port in the center console that connects an iphone to the radio and also charges it. Seems you can buy a cable that plugs into it that goes to a USB socket instead of the iphone connector. Think i'll buy one of those to see if I can power the sat nav from there in the meantime.

Swapping the cigarette lighter socket out looks like it could be a pain.

Lighter sockets are normally pretty straightforward, clip in/clip out with plugs on the back rather than soldered connections.

Duke · 11 Jul 2013 at 12:25

Cuchulain said:
Lighter sockets are normally pretty straightforward, clip in/clip out with plugs on the back rather than soldered connections.

Bit 80s like a scart connector

oversized and must be neater ways of doing it now.

Dogbreath · 11 Jul 2013 at 12:49

Duke said:
Bit 80s like a scart connector oversized and must be neater ways of doing it now.

But it's effectively become a standard (albeit a crap one) and it has dual functionality. If you introduce a dedicated power connector, then you'd still need to keep the cigarette lighter so more cost and space required, and you'd have to get all the car manufacturers and accessory manufacturers to agree to it.

Hades · 11 Jul 2013 at 13:27

I've plugged a USB adapter into my lighter socket. It sits almost flush and is far more useful.

JohnnyDrama · 11 Jul 2013 at 17:29

My sat nav charger fits in my 09 golf tsi fine! Or you could run the cable to the MFD and use usb (mines in the arm rest not sure where it is if you don't have this as an extra!)

miniyazz · 11 Jul 2013 at 20:21

Problem with switching to USB is realistically it's unlikely to support more than 500 or maybe 900mA at a push, which renders it next to useless for modern smartphones (at a guess, around half of what people charge while in the car).

Biohazard · 11 Jul 2013 at 20:33

Dogbreath said:
But it's effectively become a standard (albeit a crap one) and it has dual functionality. If you introduce a dedicated power connector, then you'd still need to keep the cigarette lighter so more cost and space required, and you'd have to get all the car manufacturers and accessory manufacturers to agree to it.

Some new cars don't come with the lighter, just a socket.