If you're on the road and it's going to be a long trip, or you're stuck in traffic for hours on the way home from work, there's nothing worse than your smartphone battery running low. A low phone charge can spell disaster for a bored driver. But there’s no need to panic, because it’s so cool that modern cars have, and often several of them, and you can, if necessary, plug a splitter into the “cigarette lighter” and charge several devices at once, if you’re really impatient. Is there any catch to charging your phone using a car USB port? Let's figure it out.
At first glance, connecting your phone to your car's USB port may seem completely harmless. But if you can wait to charge, there is no emergency; you should not connect your iPhone or Samsung to the on-board power via a cable, because this can be a big mistake. Your phone's battery won't thank you for this.
Why is that? Here are a few reasons, it’s up to you to believe or not:
Charging a smartphone via a car USB port is almost impossible (the current is too low)
Firstly, charging your phone in the car is useless 80% of the time. The USB port in your car most likely won't provide the current that your phone really needs. As a result, your smartphone may simply run out of charge while charging if you use it.
“Many people may notice that during their 30-60 minute commute home from work, the connected phone barely charges, says Brad Nichols, a technician at a company that specializes in repairing Staymobile devices. - This is mainly due to the fact that the phone uses more power than the car charger can supply.”
In fact, this is easy to check, for example, in my car you can charge an iPhone for two hours and only progress by 10-15%.
If you plug your cell phone into the cigarette lighter, you will also get problems.
Things will be even worse when it comes to charging your mobile phone. In this case, the smartphone may receive too much power. Most cigarette lighters are capable of delivering current up to 10 amperes, while most chargers operate at one or maximum three amperes.
If the charger works normally, then in general there should be no problems. But if the charger is damaged, faulty, or simply a Chinese substitute for the original, expect problems. When inserted into the cigarette lighter socket, it can cause sudden power surges that can cause the smartphone to overheat, damage internal components, or, in rare cases, destroy the device.
An abandoned smartphone can drain a car battery.
Third, charge your phone via USB port. Don’t be surprised, as experts say, this happens. If you constantly leave the device plugged into the charging port of a car with the engine off, sooner or later the following will happen: you will not be able to start the car because the battery does not have enough starting current. It will simply run out.
This is usually not a big deal for those owners who have new cars with new batteries in their garage. But if your car is older, you should avoid charging your phone via USB, unless you're a forgetful person.
Modern phones have opened up many new opportunities for motorists.
The most obvious thing is that thanks to a smartphone you don’t have to buy a navigator. A lot of free applications allow you to use the gadget as a full-fledged on-board computer, track traffic jams, build routes and receive information about car services. Drivers have already appreciated all the benefits of using a smartphone; there is only one nuance left: how to properly charge the phone in the car?
Car chargers
You can charge your smartphone in the car using a car cigarette lighter charging adapter with one or more USB outputs. This interface can also charge a portable battery and other devices with this connector.
To avoid short circuits, gadget breakdowns or failure of car components, manufacturers recommend using only original accessories. Depending on the quality of the charger and cable, power may be delivered faster or slower than usual.
Try not to save money and buy quality accessories from well-known brands. Also pay attention to support for the desired version of Quick Charge.
They gained popularity due to their versatility and compatibility with almost any gadget. When choosing it, it is important to calculate the required capacity so that the battery is enough for several charges of the device. The most common and optimal capacity indicator for power banks is 10,000 mAh. In practice, such a battery will fully charge the Samsung Galaxy S7 three times.
Car stereo
Modern cars are equipped with radios. By connecting your smartphone to the radio via a USB cable, you can not only listen to music, but also charge your phone. The charging speed will not be high, but if there is an urgent need, this option can be used.
When choosing a solar panel, it is important to determine what device it will power. For phones, a voltage of 6V and a power of 4W will be sufficient. Everything you need to make your own solar charger can be purchased at radio stores. It is worth considering that the solar battery makes it possible to charge the smartphone only during daylight hours and rather slowly. This method is more suitable for geeks and lovers of experiments.
Is it harmful to charge a smartphone in the car?
Charging your phone in a car is easy, but it's important to consider the possible risks. Charging gadgets in a car indirectly violates the operating rules of the vehicle and can harm the phone battery. The use of low-quality chargers and adapters may result in local fire.
It is recommended to charge the smartphone only using original and reliable accessories and in the personal presence of the user. The second convenient, mobile and universal charging method - external batteries.
During long-term operation, the battery loses its charge, so it is important to periodically carry out maintenance (the battery is especially vulnerable in winter) and.
Today there are a large number of battery chargers on the market, which can be divided into two large groups: transformer and pulse. The first is based on a simple transformer and rectifier, the second is based on a less bulky but more reliable pulse converter.
Like any device, the battery charger fails and requires repair. This manifests itself primarily in the fact that the car battery is not charged from the charger.
Checking the battery voltage
If the charger voltage is below 13 V, or it “jumps,” then the electrical appliance is definitely broken.
You need to connect the battery to the charger and measure the voltage. It is measured on the clamps (crocodiles) coming from the device using a multimeter. The ideal voltage is 14.4 V. If the charger voltage is below 13 V, or it “jumps,” then the electrical device is definitely broken.
You can also check the serviceability of the current in the circuit. To do this, you need to connect a completely discharged battery to the charger via a multimeter (that is, insert a multimeter between the crocodile and the battery terminal). The current supplied to the battery should be 10% of the battery's capacity. If the readings are different, then the car battery charger is not working.
How to test a charger without a battery
Checking the charger using an incandescent light bulb
Instead of a battery, you can connect any device rated for 12 V, for example, a light bulb, to a charged device. If it is on, then the charger is working, if it is not on, then it is not.
Why does the charger not charge the battery?
There may be several reasons: damage to the wires, malfunction of one of the working elements, loss of current at a certain stage.
To determine exactly what malfunctions of the car battery charger are occurring, you need to disconnect the device from the power supply and disassemble it. To do this, use a simple screwdriver to unscrew the screws and remove the cover. The transformer type charger will have the following composition:
Before repairing the charger, you must disconnect it from the network and disassemble it.
- Diode bridge.
- Ammeter.
- Galetny switch.
- Power transformer.
- Fuse.
Repair of transformer type charger for car battery
Checking the car battery charger
First of all, you should check the fastening of the wires; often it is enough to solder the wire in place and the charger will work.
First of all, you should check the fastening of the wires. If any of them are weakened or even broken, then you just need to solder the wire in place. In this case, repairs will be simple and cheap.
If the wiring is in place and there are no other defects in the connections (it happens that some connecting plastic parts melt, in which case they should be replaced with new ones, or the elements should be secured in another convenient way), then we proceed to checking the components of the device separately.
Let's check the voltage at the input, namely along the wire to the point of connection with the power transformer. If it is intermittent or absent, we are dealing with a malfunction of the power supply circuit. Let's check the fuse; in order for it to work, power must be present at both terminals. If deficiencies are identified in this area, then we eliminate them (we change the fuse, or the wiring or plug).
Checking the charger power transformer
Next, we check the power transformer. To do this, you need to measure the voltage at the output terminals of the transformer. If missing, replace it with a new one; if present, check the biscuit switch. The galet switch should be diagnosed in its different positions, and replaced if there is no power at the output (in this case, there must be power at the input).
Monolithic diode bridges cannot be repaired and must be replaced entirely.
To check the diode bridge, you need to apply voltage to the charger. If the element is working properly, then the current will be present both at the input to the diode bridge and at the output from it. If this is not the case, then each bridge diode is checked. Normal operation of a diode is characterized by a small resistance on one side and almost infinite on the other.
We identify faulty diodes, remove them, and install new ones. By the way, monolithic diode bridges cannot be repaired and must be replaced entirely.
If previous checks did not reveal any defects in the operation of the charger, then we proceed to examining the ammeter. When the device is connected to plus and minus, there is no voltage, and the ammeter terminals connected to each other produce voltage at the output - this is a sure sign of a breakdown of the ammeter.
In general, repairing the charger and identifying why the battery does not take charge from the charger is not that difficult. But if you do not have good electrical knowledge and are not confident in your abilities, then it would be advisable to entrust such work to specialists.
Many who own Apple equipment will agree that sometimes it can be very capricious and forces you to buy only original devices for it. But all this is not connected with the idea of extracting as much money from you as possible (although there is some truth in this too), but with ensuring the long service life of the device. Today I will look at the following problem: the iPhone does not charge in the car via USB. I’ll also tell you how to solve it and why it occurs in the first place.
iPhone won't charge in car using radio or cigarette lighter - solution
As I wrote above, Apple technology is capricious for a reason. If your Android phone can easily be charged from the cigarette lighter, but your iPhone flatly refuses to charge, then there may be several reasons:
- Unstable voltage
- Non-original device (cable or device that is installed in the cigarette lighter)
- Radio tape recorder
- USB connector
Now let's look at each problem in order. In the first two cases, the device is most often to blame because it is unable to maintain the normal current for charging. Usually these are “No name” manufacturers, so buying a branded cigarette lighter socket should solve the problem with charging your iPhone. Many car owners speak well of the Belkin charger. In rare cases, the problem may lie in the wiring of the machine itself, and here you need to contact a specialist. An ordinary multimeter, which costs from 200 rubles, will help you recognize this problem. You measure the voltage in the cigarette lighter itself, after which it will be clear whether the problem is in the wiring or the cigarette lighter of the car or in the device. which you bought.
The next problem why the iPhone does not charge in the car via USB may lie in the radio. You can find out its presence using the same multimeter. By measuring the voltage everything will fall into place. For normal operation of the device, 1 Ampere is needed, if the measuring device produces more, there is nothing to worry about. It’s another matter if you receive less than 1 ampere, since such voltage may not only simply not charge your iPhone, but also damage the battery or render it completely unusable.
And the last reason why the iPhone does not charge in the car via USB is the USB connector itself. Namely, if you have USB 2.0, then the iPad, for example, will charge, but the iPhone will not. The solution to this problem is very simple - buy a device with a USB 3.0 port. It’s worth saying that any consultant will assure you that all devices are currently compatible with USB 2.0, but this concerns data transfer. That is, USB 2.0 has a much lower speed than USB 3.0, but the current strength of USB 2.0 is 500 mA, while USB 3.0 is 950 mA, which is why the problem of charging an iPhone arises when using an old generation USB port .
Precautions when using Apple phones
In conclusion, I will say: in order for your iPhone to last a long time, it is advisable to use original chargers and USB cables. If you use memory from other manufacturers, try not to buy Chinese analogues and always look at the technical specifications. This will save you from re-purchasing, as well as your phone from being sent to a workshop. Using cheap analogues, you damage the battery, and there is always a risk of simply “burning” the board on your iPhone.
Is your brand new USB car adapter charging your iPhone at a snail's pace? Indeed, from some chargers, even during a long trip, a phone or tablet manages to “suck” only a couple of tens of percent of energy! The resource's experts tried to find out why buying an inexpensive cigarette lighter charger is a lottery.
Many car owners have noticed that car chargers connected to the cigarette lighter work differently. Some charge quickly, others – slowly, and still others are not only “stupid”, but are also unable to even start the charging process on a dead phone... Why this happens is a mystery to the average car owner...
Needing to urgently charge a smartphone in the car, the author of these lines himself was somehow forced to urgently buy a car USB adapter during a trip in a store better known among the people under the nickname “All for 37 rubles.” The price is wonderful, but when working in navigator mode with this adapter, the smartphone did not charge, but only precariously balanced at the original battery level... When I tried to charge the device, the battery of which had run out before it completely turned off, the USB adapter could not even “ get moving” - the smartphone’s battery simply did not want to go into charging mode!
Why do some chargers show such sparse talent? And is it possible to somehow find out this BEFORE purchasing or fix something later?
What's inside?
The autopsy test included three car chargers with USB connectors, which showed their complete or partial unsuitability during operation, charging smartphones and tablets slowly, very slowly, and even demonstrating an inability to put an iPhone 6 into charging mode with a completely drained battery. This is a charger from “All for 37”, a charger from the Auchan store and another one of unknown origin. All gadgets are completely “mongrel”, noname.
As a rule, inside each charger there is a specialized microcircuit from the category of so-called “DC/DC Step-Down converters” plus several related passive parts, which are called “harness”. This microcircuit converts the 12-14 volts of the car's electrical system into 5 volts, as provided for by the USB standard. We disassemble the chargers and thoughtfully look at their “guts”. We find a stabilizer chip - there is only one there, and you can’t confuse it with anything. We read the name written on the chip, search the Internet for its description from the manufacturer - the so-called “datasheet” - and see what it is really capable of.
Here, for example, is the charger from “All for 37 rubles.” It says that it provides an output current of 500 mA, which is really not enough for a smartphone. But according to subjective feelings, there is not even a trace of such a current!
We open the charger case and see that it is assembled based on the MC34063 microcircuit. This is a good pulse stabilizer chip well known to electronics engineers, which provides an output current... up to 1.5 amperes! Amazing current (if it’s appropriate to talk about current!), suitable for fast charging of smartphones with a powerful battery, and even tablets. However, for some reason this does not happen - smartphones are charged barely, by 15-20 percent per hour...
We read the datasheet of the microcircuit and see that the output current of this chip is regulated by the “piping” elements - namely, a certain resistor. With its resistance equal to 0.2-0.15 ohms, the microcircuit will produce a current of about 1 ampere, with a resistance of 0.1 ohms - a maximum of 1.5 amperes.
But what has actually been established? Oops…. The Chinese soldered 2 resistors of 1 ohm in parallel, which gives a total of 0.5 ohms and limits the output current of the MC34063 to a ridiculous 300 milliamps - that is, almost five times less than what this wonderful microcircuit can provide!
What can be charged with a current of 300 mA? Well, maybe just a simple push-button phone with a tiny battery, and even then it’s not fast... But the iPhone 6s Plus with a 2750 mAh battery, this current is absolutely not enough.
Why is the adapter assembled this way?
Yes, because the Chinese did not have radio components of the required value on hand, and they supplied parts from the bucket that still had something at the bottom, without bothering with the accuracy and recommendations of the chip manufacturer.
In other defective Chinese charging crafts, it’s exactly the same story... We take the following charger, on the body of which an output current of 800 mA is announced. We open it and see a good old friend - the MC34063 chip. We look at the value of the notorious resistor that regulates the current - and we see a resistance of 0.33 ohms. And with it, the output current is, according to the chip manufacturer, 450 mA, and not 800, as promised.
We open the next charger - and again we see the most popular MC34063 chip, but the adjusting resistor already has a value of 0.7 ohm, which guarantees a current of no more than 200 mA! This is already a complete finish - such an adapter is not suitable for anything...
Conclusions are general and global:
– All the tested chargers, although they limited the charging current at an abnormally low level, still provided the required 5 volts of voltage at the output and, at the very least, transferred the phone, which was not fully discharged, into charging mode - for this reason it will be extremely difficult for you to prove to the seller that that he sold you a defective adapter.
– Alas, despite the love of many for cheapness, the mantra “why pay more...” and “analogs from AliExpress”, in the case of charging adapters it is worth noting that the lowest price category is not distinguished by quality and reliability - buy chargers without names and costing less than 100 It’s hardly worth rubles.
– And the last, final thesis - all the tested “three-kopeck” chargers technically COULD provide the necessary current and charge phones quickly, but were initially, even during manufacturing, ruined by illiterate Chinese assembly.
