12v socket not steady

aristotle25

I have an issue where the 12v socket in my car doesn’t seem to be outputting 12v of Power consistently.

I was wondering why my dashcam was turning itself off after a few mins and when I got a device that you plug it it the socket, and it displays the voltage coming out, it usually drops for a few seconds to 0.4 etc and then goes back to 12+

It actually just seems to happen when driving. It would be 12+, drop to 0.4, back to 12 for a while etc. but when the car is stationary it seems fine.

So it is a loose connection, loose fuse or something like that?

Thanks

greasepalm

What type of car is it and has anybody piggy backed of it .Check fuse to make sure its not burnt and of correct amp.

colm_mcm

I’d say it’s a fault in the socket itself.

aristotle25

greasepalm wrote: »

What type of car is it and has anybody piggy backed of it .Check fuse to make sure its not burnt and of correct amp.

It is a BMW 5 series, nothing has been changed on the car that I know of since I bought it a year ago.

The other 2 12v sockets do the same thing.

I’ll have a look at fuses, I thought it would be a case of them either working ok or not working at all. But all I can do is look, I don’t know or have tools for checking amps.

Car is still in warranty but o just know asking a bmw dealer about this is going to be a right pain.

greasepalm

Hmm german electronics wonder if any faults are logged and just need to be cleared.If they all have the same issue.

What i meant is the colour of fuses are for different things and rating is to match what handbook says.

biko

If it happens when driving only then I'd say it's a loose connection.
Pull socket out and check behind it for loose wiring.

Cerco

greasepalm wrote: »

Hmm german electronics wonder if any faults are logged and just need to be cleared.If they all have the same issue.

What i meant is the colour of fuses are for different things and rating is to match what handbook says.

Fuse ratings would not cause this issue. Ratings determine the max current , if this is exceeded fuse will blow. A loose connection is the most likely cause as already stated.
How are you measuring the voltage?
How long does it take for the dash cam to stop? I would expect the battery in the dash cam to smooth out any short term drop outs at the socket.

trellheim

could be crap/crumbs fallen into the socket

CrowdedHouse

Usually the socket has a grip at the bottom like in the attached pic.

DO NOT USE A METAL TOOL but try bending them slightly inwards to provide a tighter grip on the plug. (try your fingernail, piece of hard plastic etc)

colm_mcm

If it’s under warranty don’t go messing with it

Cerco

colm_mcm wrote: »

If it’s under warranty don’t go messing with it

This is the best advice. I doubt the repair shops are overly busy at the moment. Anyway if you have a warranty it is their problem not yours. I think most dealers would be happy to resolve. If it is a BMW insured warranty they will get paid for the work by the insurers.

aristotle25

To my embarrassment I just spotted over the weekend that the display on the device was alternating between showing voltage and I think AMPs.

So the 12v is working fine and looks like the issue must be the internal battery on the dashcam I think, or the dashcam is just gone funny.

greasepalm

Or you bought a BMW:D:D:D:D:D:D

trellheim

If its a standard micro-USB cable then the cable itself could be kinked, happened to me on a camera cable a few month back, may be worth replacing, should be cheap enough.

Bikerman2019

Could also be a cheapie usb car adapter. I bought one but found it was not outputting what it said it could. Once I changed it, problem was solved.