Charging through cigarette lighter socket

[darko]

Hi,

does anyone know if you can charge an S3 through the cigarette lighter socket ?

increasingly I have to leave the car unused for a week or 2 and am looking at getting a solar
trickle charger. Most seem to charge through the cigarette socket but its not something I have done before.

thanks for any advise !

 

[merlin2002]

i personaly think charging throught the cigarette socket is rubbish, if I were you get yourself some crocodile clips and fit them to the lead instead

regards
Rob

 

[AndyMac]

Yes there's nothing wrong with using the cigarette lighter socket for a very low amperage trickle charger. Those solar panels are excellent, I fitted one to my sisters classic mini and it has sorted out her flat battery issue when the car hasn't been used for a few weeks. Checked the draw on the battery when the car is just left standing and it was 54mA, so about 3-4 weeks with the feeble 40aH mini battery, the solar panel provides over 100mA, so evens it out perfectly.

 

[darko]

thanks for the replies guys

agreed that a high amp charge through the socket would not be good but im sure a trickle from a solar panel would not be a problem.

The only issue i can see at the moment is that the socket goes dead when you remove the key. Seems most cars keep the socket live but Audi do not. Problem is without buying the solar charger I have no way of testing this.

 

[Cockney Boy]

thanks for the replies guys

agreed that a high amp charge through the socket would not be good but im sure a trickle from a solar panel would not be a problem.

The only issue i can see at the moment is that the socket goes dead when you remove the key. Seems most cars keep the socket live but Audi do not. Problem is without buying the solar charger I have no way of testing this.

All Audis have a perminant feed to the cigarette Lighter. What year is your Audi?

 

[jojo]

The only issue i can see at the moment is that the socket goes dead when you remove the key. Seems most cars keep the socket live but Audi do not. Problem is without buying the solar charger I have no way of testing this.

LOL! Surely you have the actualy cigarette lighter thing inside the plug, just press it to see if goes hot and springs back out with the keys out the ignition, and you will know if it's live, or plug anything into it like a phone charger or tomtom, you must have one or the other lying around?

 

[darko]

Sadly the lighter is missing and my ipod / iphone charges through the dension kit.

however borrowed a multimeter and its true the socket is live without the key in the ignition.

so just bought a 4.8w solar panel charger from maplins

hopefully no more flat battery !

 

[Pmol66]

Five years later sorry people. Can you really charge a car through the ciggarette lighter?! Amazing lol...
iv had two audis now and iv never had a working lighter. The female bit of it has always worked but the male bit doesnt stay in, and neither does it get hot when i hold it in.
-Paul-

 

[kkk]

mine is different, i have 12v in my socket with a multi meter but no matter what i plug into it i cant get anything to take power :/

 

[Pmol66]

Thats strange. What have you tried in there? Iv had a few after market things off ebay that have been too short to connect with the lighters terminals. They were twin usb things that take power from the cig lighter.

 

[kkk]

telling me, iv tried my tom tom, worked first then i left it plugged in when i went in somewhere came back out and the green light on it was dim then wasnt chargeing and nothing has worked in it since, although i get 12v at the socket. tom tom still works fine in my van though lol :/

 

[Pmol66]

telling me, iv tried my tom tom, worked first then i left it plugged in when i went in somewhere came back out and the green light on it was dim then wasnt chargeing and nothing has worked in it since, although i get 12v at the socket. tom tom still works fine in my van though lol :/

Beats me mate lol. Id buy a new ashtray then sell yours