Anyone else find their car chargers keep dying/failing?

[CreeDorofl]

Let me know if this isn't the right forum... not even sure if this is the
best site to ask, but I figure thousands of you must use car chargers daily.
Maybe you've noticed the same problem.

All of my chargers die within a month. I've tried various cheap
ones from walmart and radio shack.

On the adaptor plug that goes into your car... When I first buy one,
the metal prong in front and the two metal braces on the side are springy,
meaning if I push them in, they pop right back out.
When one finally dies, and I push them, they stay pushed in.

So is this normal for anyone else? I don't ram them in there or anything.
But I do insert and remove them a lot because I heard it's not good
to leave them in the car nonstop. Maybe that's bad info?

Can anyone recommend a brand that will last like a year?

 

[Ssith]

i use something like this:

Amazon.com: GTMax Mini USB Car Charger Vehicle Power Adapter - Black for Apple iPhone 4 4G 16GB / 32GB 4th Generation: Cell Phones & Accessories

it's not EXACTLY that, but it's the same. usb port on it, light to show when it's on. i tried it one day in my truck. the light stayed on - means it was drawing power, not good to keep it plugged in. i tried it in my wifes car and the light didn't stay on, means it's not drawing power, perfectly fine to leave it plugged in.

short answer: it might be ok to leave em plugged in, depends on the car. do some checking.

also: if you're breaking them that fast, consider looking for something similar to what i linked, only in bulk. even the one i linked is only 62 cents, you should be able to get like a 50-pack of them for $25 or so if you make a phone call. that should last you until forever.

 

[nickdalzell]

Not 'dying' per se, but with my high end devices such as my Galaxy S3, they don't seem capable of charging the battery. It displays charging but the percentage continues to drop, albeit slower than normal. The car chargers just don't seem compatible with the mega batteries used today. I haven't tried my radio's USB port though, but will see if that works better.

 

[Harry2]

HTC car charger C200 for phones up to 1A and C300 for phones up to 2A (... or two phones up to 1A)

Harry

 

[divinebovine]

I've been using dollar store ones and that happens. Sometimes I can fix it, sometimes the thing is just too broken up to bother when a replacement only costs $1.

If your car has a 12v outlet that switches off when the car is off, you can leave it always plugged in to that one without consequence. If you leave one always plugged in to an always-on outlet then it will add a slight amount of drain...probably no more than your stereo does to keep time and your settings, but then if you're buying cheap crud that breaks like that there's always the worry that it could short-circuit and blow a fuse (or, extremely unlikely, catch fire).

If you feel like doing a little wiring (and are capable) you could hardwire one. You won't even need to buy a new one, just use one from your collection of broken ones, which are probably all fully functional except for the physical structural issue. Look up your car's wire colors on the12volt.com and choose one that's only on when the car is on. I recommend the one that powers the stereo. Tap the wire (I like 3m Scotch-Lok connectors but the rest of the internet insists that they break wires, I guess I've just had good luck with them for 15 years) (I recommend including an in-line fuse here), connect it to what's left of the center connection, and wire what's left of the side connection to any convenient ground.

 

[Slug]

Don't buy cheap - it's a false economy. Not only are they probably poorly made, the power regulation is likely suspect resulting in wasted energy.

Buy two-part chargers and remove the cable from the 'hub' part when not in use. Nothing connected = no current draw therefore no heat/damage.

Ensure adequate amperage for the device; don't expect a 500mV output to charge a 5" smartphone that uses a 1.5V mains charger anytime soon, if at all if used (for example) as a sat nav.

 

[badblue1]

All of my problems are at the other end, where charger plugs into the phone. No matter if i buy one from the dollar store or my last one (paid $20.00)at phone store ,they only last a short time.

This has been really ******me off, right now i have to set it a certain way for it to charge and i'm fed up with these chargers. They fit nice and snug in the phone, then after a couple weeks it's all loose and wiggles around! I AM SICK OF BUYING CHARGERS!!!!!!

 

[Demache]

All of my problems are at the other end, where charger plugs into the phone. No matter if i buy one from the dollar store or my last one (paid $20.00)at phone store ,they only last a short time.

This has been really ******me off, right now i have to set it a certain way for it to charge and i'm fed up with these chargers. They fit nice and snug in the phone, then after a couple weeks it's all loose and wiggles around! I AM SICK OF BUYING CHARGERS!!!!!!

I bought a cheap AC charger at Walmart about a year ago. Within a few months the plastic cover around the connector came apart and a wire pulled loose. mmmm quality.

 

[saptech]

It seems most car chargers do not last very long. So far the last one I got is lasting longer then the others I've had.

 

[CreeDorofl]

See lots of helpful replies here, thank you all.
I decided on this one and gave it a couple of months before coming back to post.

Griffin PowerJolt Dual Universal Micro Charger

I decided on it because it's a 2 part (as recommended) and I confirmed my car does indeed keep sending out power even if the car is off. So I stopped pulling it out of the slot whenever I stopped the car.
I think that was wrecking the physical housing of it.
I just detach the cable.

I also got one with the little ring at the end, rather than a rounded end,
so it sits more flush inside the charger slot.

Lastly I opted for a $10 model rather than a $1 or $2 model, though for all I know they're made with the same cheap parts. I'm willing to gamble 8 bucks that this one costs extra because it's made better.

Also it had lots of good reviews on the site.

 

[divinebovine]

I decided on it because it's a 2 part (as recommended) and I confirmed my car does indeed keep sending out power even if the car is off. So I stopped pulling it out of the slot whenever I stopped the car.
I think that was wrecking the physical housing of it.
I just detach the cable.

Detaching the cable does nothing (unless of course the phone is still plugged into the other end of the cable). The phantom power usage is in the adapter itself.

Anyway I too solved my problem. At Walmart for $10 I found a thing that you mount to the car, wire in, and it has 2 12v and 2 USB outlets. It's rated to push 2 amps per USB (or up to 3 amps total if both are in use). I wired it to constant power (stays on when the car is off) because I prefer that. I drive every weekday, and it doesn't drain my battery...and now my car has USB ports of its own.