Does Phone Charger Drain Battery?

[ups4]

Does anybody know if keeping your cell phone charger plugged into the aux outlet continuously drain the battery on the KJ?

I like to keep mine plugged in to help me remember to charge my phone while driving to and from work. (It's a old-age thing #-o )
I wouldn't think it would cause a drain, but this particular charger has a little light on it that stays on while plugged in...even with engine off.

Paul
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Suzuki GSX-R600 history

 

[2003KJ]

As long as you're not charging it with the engine off you should be fine.

However, I have my radar detector and my iPod charger both split off of the power outlet using a splitter I got for cig. lighter outlets in vehicles. I do leave my radar detector on over night, and about every other night i'll let my iPod charge overnight in the Jeep with no issues.

 

[ups4]

Thanks Tim.

My old charger stayed plugged in all the time, but it didn't have the little light that stays on.

I just wanted to double check with someone else before I found my battery dead one morning.

Paul
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Jaguar Mark V picture

 

[hyde]

Doesn't our lighter port on when engine running only? Or was it the other one in the back.. I forgot, but one is active when Running other active all the time..

 

[Corwyyn]

Doesn't our lighter port on when engine running only? Or was it the other one in the back.. I forgot, but one is active when Running other active all the time..

Both of mine have continuous power. I leave my charger plugged into the front port with no problems - the little LED doesn't draw near enough to drain a car battery overnight. Now if I left my 150w inverter plugged in that might be different...

 

[Bennett]

You could run that little LED on that car battery for 30 years. LOL. maybe more.

 

[Hauntedyards]

Now my little XM radio will kill my battery if left on over night in the cold... I haven't had that happen in the Jeep yet but in the beetle it was a PIA... but I'm going to wire it to a switched power point this time.

 

[2003KJ]

I forgot to mention that my splitter does have a small LED on it too.

 

[Jeger]

Heck we have left the phone on charge, it was dead, overnite. Do it all the time and have never had a problem. That little cell phone battery wont put much of a drain on the system at all.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Doesn't our lighter port on when engine running only? Or was it the other one in the back.. I forgot, but one is active when Running other active all the time..

Both of mine have continuous power. I leave my charger plugged into the front port with no problems - the little LED doesn't draw near enough to drain a car battery overnight. Now if I left my 150w inverter plugged in that might be different...

I've accidentally left my inverter plugged in for 2 days and had no issues starting...

 

[Corwyyn]

I've accidentally left my inverter plugged in for 2 days and had no issues starting...

Cool, good to know...

 

[Paul M]

Our battery would die after three days of the vehicle sitting (mainly during cold temps). Dealer said "no phantom found". Baloney. Started keeping a jump starter in the back. Pulled the battery cable when leaving the Liberty at the airport. Finally figured it was a faulty factory battery so replaced it only to have the new one die after a cold few nights. Just took the Liberty back to the dealer a second time. They said (I'm still not convinced) the multi-socket 12v plug unit we installed (hardwired) has a light that is drawing 200ma (it's an LED - which draws microamp, so I find that hard to believe). This "draw" is supposedly keeping the main computer module on even after the key is turned off thus allowing amps of phantom draw. OK, so my engineer thinking is this: The outlet in the back is supposedly for small electric coolers which means we have to unplug the thing before leaving the car for a hike or else the module will stay on and drain the battery? The dealers repsonse sounds completely fishy to me me because that would defeat the entire purpose of the outlet as well as simply being stupid. (Modern batteries are pretty robust and can handle a pretty good draw for a while without requiring a charge).

If the dealer is correct and a small draw will keep the module on thus causing a large phantom draw which kills the battery, then ANYTHING plugged into the lighter will keep the computer on and drain the battery in a few days. I'm still investigating.

 

[twack]

i onced used a feed standing battery with alligator clips that went to a cigarette outlet that i charged my phone off of for over a year with having to charge the car battery. dont ask why

 

[jnaut]

Thanks Tim.

My old charger stayed plugged in all the time, but it didn't have the little light that stays on.

I just wanted to double check with someone else before I found my battery dead one morning.

Paul

The amount of current draw from smaller devices like that is negligible. If you're running your KJ every day or so, or even every couple of days, those devices won't matter.

Hyedpin: The kj's cig lighter socket is up all the time, ignition or not. At least on the 04 model.

 

[speedracerbubba]

like others have said, the little led itself draws so little power a couple of aa batteries could power it for days on their own and whatever they use in your car charger to convert the 12vdc to whatever your cell phone uses draws just a slight bit more power.

Here is an example:
I made a charging circuit that fits in an altoids mint tin and uses 4aa batteries that are hardwired to the circuit to convert the 3vdc from the batteries to 5vdc for the phone (USB outlet). After months of having it in my girls purse and many times being used to charge her iphone, it is still putting out enough juice to charge the phone.

I would think your car battery would self discharge faster than the phone charger would being plugged in would.

 

[Clyde Frog]

I have an iPod broadcaster thingy majigger that plugs into my outlet in the front. It has a little LED light on it and charges my iPod and I leave it on 24/7, rain or shine, 80 degrees or -30. I've yet to have any issues.

 

[m_volyrakis]

You could run that little LED on that car battery for 30 years. LOL. maybe more.

To infinity and beyond!!! LOL!!

 

[mikey1273]

I leave my Blackberry charger plugged in 24/7 it even has an LED on it. I charge it with the engine off too sometimes and its never been a problem for me.

 

[jnaut]

You could run that little LED on that car battery for 30 years. LOL. maybe more.

X2.... charging your cell phone off the battery uses an inconsequential amount of power. Look at the size of your cell phone battery. Imagine the amount of stored current that battery can suck up. Now look at your car battery. Think about it.

Think of your cell phone battery like a cup of water. How much water do you think your car battery holds, and how much water would it take to fill the cell phone battery from the car battery?

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

ThunderbirdJunkie forgot to unplug his electric cooler the other day.

Jeep be dead