Ashtray Cigarette 12v socket - plug / cable burnout!

[Phil Hall]

Hi.

I keep a 12 volt usb adaptor plug inserted in the cigarette socket in the ashtray ( in hindsight probably silly) with an Apple usb cable plugged in and the phone end free until I plug the phone in.

To my horror, I got in the van and there was the classic acrid electrical plastic burnt smell.
Note passed tense “burnt” as burning had ceased.

The plug and inserted cable had a massive burn out so much so that the plug had sufficiently melted away such that the little Tordial doughnut transformer was on show. See attached photo.

I also note that the end of the cable had became very hot in order to burn the little connector. Almost implying that the cable phone end had a short and that was the cause of the excessive current.

Yes I can here you cry now cheap charger plug or cheap cable. Cable was an Apple cable not sure about the usb plug adaptor been using it for many years.
Anyhow, has anybody else had or heard of an experience like this?
I have tried searching the forum.

I feel I have been very very lucky; how the van did not go up in smoke I do not know.

One other question - does anybody know of a smoke / fire detector that I can put in the van that will give me a warning on my phone rather than alarm in the van?
Similar to my ring smoke alarms in my house maybe?

 

[Stu@rt]

Would this kind of alarm be any good?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08SJ4LN82/?tag=eliteelect-21

or this one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WVMR28H/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[Stu@rt]

I'd stick with quality USB adapters for long term use, something like this Anker maybe?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PGT7LSR/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[Stu@rt]

Glad that the outcome wasn't serious for you.

 

[jts46]

I'd stick with quality USB adapters for long term use, something like this Anker maybe?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PGT7LSR/?tag=eliteelect-21

I use these

 

[egena]

I use these

I do also. I have several of the dual 90W PDv3 chargers scattered. utterly brilliant units

Envoyé de mon SM-N950F en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[steve_b]

fuse on the cigar lighter is either 10 or 15 amp - I think 15 - so 180 watts of power.

60 watts can power a good soldering iron so the fuse won't blow until quite a significant amount of heat can be generated - imagine what 3 good soldering irons would melt, and that won;t be considered out of spec for 15A. So the fuse would deal with a dead short but not with anything that fails and generates a lot of heat, like this appears to have done.

My money says poor cheap cigar -> USB converter that should have better handled the problem downstream (which probably started at the apple end) - so a cheap unit that should have failed safe that "failed dangerous" - and you were lucky in that it didn't spread.

As an unrelated aside, on my T5 model the ashtray lighter is powered permanently, so an easy way to flatten your main battery by leaving something plugged into it if you don't use the vehicle often.

 

[Loz]

Another reason you shouldn’t leave USB adapters plugged in. (Apart from the parasitic battery drain)

 

[Phil Hall]

fuse on the cigar lighter is either 10 or 15 amp - I think 15 - so 180 watts of power.

60 watts can power a good soldering iron so the fuse won't blow until quite a significant amount of heat can be generated - imagine what 3 good soldering irons would melt, and that won;t be considered out of spec for 15A. So the fuse would deal with a dead short but not with anything that fails and generates a lot of heat, like this appears to have done.

My money says poor cheap cigar -> USB converter that should have better handled the problem downstream (which probably started at the apple end) - so a cheap unit that should have failed safe that "failed dangerous" - and you were lucky in that it didn't spread.

As an unrelated aside, on my T5 model the ashtray lighter is powered permanently, so an easy way to flatten your main battery by leaving something plugged into it if you don't use the vehicle often.

Thanks everybody for your input and recommendations. I should have known better. A lucky boy I feel.
Anyhow, lesson well learnt and every device removed from sockets and wait for this and in the house too!!!

 

[ArunAlec]

Another reason you shouldn’t leave USB adapters plugged in. (Apart from the parasitic battery drain)

When you look at the way most cheap 12v car plugs are made it’s surprising there aren’t more car fires!
Amazes me that the car industry hasn’t migrated away from a cigarette lighter socket to something safer and compact.

 

[steve_b]

I would agree with this entirely - it is testament to the quality?? of the cheap junk that even though they probably saved one penny in manufacture to skip the overload protection, they must fail rarely enough for it not to be in practical terms a problem. Unless of course it is your car or house that ends up smouldering.

This is a teardown of main powered USB supplies but the principle is the same

The ranting starts about 2:30 in , his presenting style is a bit "aussie" but I find him amusing

 

[Phil Hall]

I would agree with this entirely - it is testament to the quality?? of the cheap junk that even though they probably saved one penny in manufacture to skip the overload protection, they must fail rarely enough for it not to be in practical terms a problem. Unless of course it is your car or house that ends up smouldering.

This is a teardown of main powered USB supplies but the principle is the same

The ranting starts about 2:30 in , his presenting style is a bit "aussie" but I find him amusing

Amusing - he is a hoot, brilliant but extremely frightening. This has certainly been a wake up call for me.
So I guess the only way you can ensure you are buying the safest certified product is to buy directly off the manufacturer?
Cheap and poorly made product that is obvious is one thing but “fake” look a-likes with the correct certification labels on as in this video is very worrying.
As an aside- love the Aussie where can I pick his blogs up from!
Thanks again

 

[egena]

I would agree with this entirely - it is testament to the quality?? of the cheap junk that even though they probably saved one penny in manufacture to skip the overload protection, they must fail rarely enough for it not to be in practical terms a problem. Unless of course it is your car or house that ends up smouldering.

This is a teardown of main powered USB supplies but the principle is the same

The ranting starts about 2:30 in , his presenting style is a bit "aussie" but I find him amusing

In the interest of balance, that particular tear down is almost a decade old and, where I do agree there are still a few rogue build quality units found in the wild, I would suggest that manufacturing and cloning from China has massively improved making such experiences an exception rather than a rule.
In some instances they have improved apon and excelled.

Envoyé de mon SM-N950F en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[66tim99]

I'd stick with quality USB adapters for long term use, something like this Anker maybe?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PGT7LSR/?tag=eliteelect-21

Do these draw power when ignition off?
This one sits almost flush (could it stay in the roof socket for example?), includes fast charging via USB-C, doesnt seem to have any lights to drain batteries when not in use, and is all metal so might not fail so meltingly...?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08W1SVT1L/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Do these draw power when ignition off?

A tiny bit, as has a small led. 12V Sockets remain live even when ignition is off / key out.

 

[Gina-B]

My view, for what it's worth - leave nothing plugged in unless you're in the van. We had a burn out problem in one of our regular cars and now we unplug everything when we leave the vehicle.

 

[Phil Hall]

“Now - I totally agree”.
Unplugged everything in the house too.

 

[egena]

My view, for what it's worth - leave nothing plugged in unless you're in the van. We had a burn out problem in one of our regular cars and now we unplug everything when we leave the vehicle.

or an isolated switch for the living area. If you have a factory california the this can usually be installed under the left front seat.

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[Gina-B]

“Now - I totally agree”.
Unplugged everything in the house too.

Not the freezer I hope!!