12V Outlet Question

[chimp1000]

Does anyone know if the the 12V outlet is always on or does it turn off after a certain period?

 

[Gonzo]

Does anyone know if the the 12V outlet is always on or does it turn off after a certain period?

I haven't done extensive testing on the front outlet but I think it is the same as the rear.

At any rate I can confirm with certainty that the rear outlet on my car stays on for exactly 10 minutes after most typical interactions with the car.

 

[chimp1000]

Thanks Gonzo.

I will also give it a test tonight.
I just got a Dash Cam recently and I don't want it to keep running if I forget to turn it off.

 

[Gonzo]

I had the same concern. I currently have most of my accessories running of a suitable multiport usb charger on the rear 12v, including my dash cam.

It reliably records off external power for 10 minutes after locking the car or last opening the door, ect. As long as you're not looking for true parking mode capability I think just using the 12v adapter is a great solution. It won't have an real impact on the car's electric system and will at least get a little footage after you've left.

 

[justinsane]

I have a 2014 (Canadian) and the front 12V stays on all the time. Rear 12V turns off after a short amount of time and turns on when I unlock the car with the remote/keyless

 

[XuperXero]

That's strange, my front turns off the moment engine's off and door opened. Rear is always on.

 

[Zormecteon]

2014 modell, I don't think the front EVERY turns off. I left my radar detector plugged in for a couple of days that I didn't drive the car and the battery went dead. I had to use the key that's in the fob to get inside so I could open the hood for a jump. It was that dead.

 

[KKaWing]

To add to the confusion: I added an anti drain circuit with battery backup to my dashcam, hooked into the OBD fuse via add-a-circuit. I set it to 12.4v (gets cold here sometimes) yet it never charges when the car is off. Seems to read ~11.8v when the car is off. One of these days I'll actually get a meter and read the volts. Oh, both mine don't turn off that I noticed (NA '15).

Edit: I think I swapped to the brake lamp fuse afterwards since I didn't need such a high amp source...

 

[RichXKU]

Thanks for confirming the rear 12v shuts off. I have also timed this to exactly 10 minutes after leaving the car.

The USB ports are a different matter. They seem to power off anywhere between 1m45s and 4m35s after leaving the car. I had been using the second USB media port to power my dash cam since I had originally thought both 12v outlets stayed on.