12v Sockets on 981

[CMA]

I have my dash cam plugged into the footwell 12v socket and I'm positive it used to turn off after about 20-30 mins and never drained the battery.

The other day I noticed the light flashing on the cam and it was still powered after 4 days of last being used and gave me a low battery warning when I opened it. I've just done some checks on both the footwell and armrest sockets and neither turn off after 30 mins. Even tried overnight.

Confused as it used to turn off and not drain the battery but now it doesn't. Any pointers as to why this might have changed?

[Jon61]

I don't know why it should have changed its behaviour (assuming your car hasn't had any form of sytem update). But various threads have touched on this point in the past, both (I think) regarding powering dashcams, but (more commonly) re using the sockets to trickle charge the car while not in use. I thought the consensus was that on the 981, the sockets remain live if they are still in continuous use and only switch off if not. But I also seem to recall that not everybody agrees that their 981 does just that even (I've never tested mine). Also, I presume there would be a certain level of current draw required for the socket to be recognised as 'in use'. Is it possible that when you previously recall it switching off that you were using a different device (eg with a lower current draw)?

[CMA]

Thanks for the reply Jon, it has been the same dash cam for 18 months and no system updates recently (or ever I think)

[Greenman]

I use the socket in the glove box and mine still switches off after about 30 mins (I think).  You didn’t recently update the SatNav maps did you? (As per the thread on here), not that it should affect it but you never know.

[CMA]

Nope, no updates to sat nag either. Really strange. Tried a different dashcam and lead, no difference.

[Greenman]

I wonder if you have some other battery drain? which is preventing the full shutdown.   Maybe disconnect the battery (+) for half an hour to reset and see if any change. (Obviously to you would have to reset the windows etc after if you did this).

Did you change the battery on this car or was that your other one?

[topradio]

Are you locking the doors. I think that's the trigger for the 30 minute delay.

I believe that I've seen some inconsistent behaviour from my 12 volt sockets but it been so infrequent that I've not been able to replicate it. 

[CMA]

Thatnks, Doors locked as I thought the same. 

 

It was my old one that I replaced the battery on. This is the original Porsche one.

Something somewhere causing it need to investigate more I think. Thanks for the help so far.

[Patt]

I have a USB socket in the footwell with a LED for in use.

I only use it to charge the phone and it definitely turns off else my car would be lit up overnight like something out of F&F. 

I have the same USB adaptor in the glove box and that always seems to be on even though all that is plugged in is a charge lead with nothing charging.  Or it could just be I only check in there when the engine is running. 

[topradio]

That's the thing, it automatically powers up when you unlock so unless you have a device plugged in where you can see it's status from outside the car it a little difficult to know when it's on. 

[CMA]

Yep, that's why I used devices I can see from outside to test it. Frustrating as its draining the battery now when it didnt used to. Shame you cant control them through settings in the system.

[T24RES]

I use a Power Magic Pro:

 https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F362674972859

For the dash camera, allowing the camera to function , switching off the power to avoid flattening the battery. 

Doesn't exactly explain the socket not now shutting down but does give peace of mind that you'll have enough charge to do what you need.

 

[RBD914 v2]

Up to 2015MY 981's, the internal sockets stay live after switching off ignition if something is plugged into them, such as a battery charger.

In 2016MY onwards cars, the sockets power off after 30minutes, even if something is plugged into them, so you cannot charge the battery using them. 

[Toeside]

All sockets on the Black pearl follow the same rule. Unless they see a current draw when the ignition switched off they switch off. The only one that doesn't appears to be the glove box socket.

This subject has causes some discussion over the years and there doesn't seem to be a consistent or definitive answer  😥. Perhaps its a coding issue with particular batches or car spec's?

[CMA]

I imagine some cars can be different. But not why mine used to switch off but now doesn't. Guess I'll need to look to hard wire into a switched live somewhere so it defo turns off when the key is not in

[Toeside]

Weird........ To be honest I am sure that the Glovebox socket used to switch off when I first fitted my cam untiI ending up with a flat battery. That was about 2 years later without issues.

 

[Greenman]

1 hour ago, Toeside said:

The only one that doesn't appears to be the glove box socket.

There is certainly some confusion,  that’s both yourself and Pat mentioning that the glove socket might stay active, yet I’ve always had my dashcam plugged in the glove box and it has always deactivated after 30 mins (and still does, I checked after this thread started).

I bet Rob’s issue is due to some module not properly terminating and hence preventing correct full shutdown.

[Stuart21UK]

7 hours ago, RBD914 v2 said:

Up to 2015MY 981's, the internal sockets stay live after switching off ignition if something is plugged into them, such as a battery charger.

In 2016MY onwards cars, the sockets power off after 30minutes, even if something is plugged into them, so you cannot charge the battery using them. 

mines a 2013 model and the footwell socket goes off after 20 mins or so, its the one I have my dashcam plugged into...has been like that for all my ownership.