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Android Auto USB port draining battery

20K views 27 replies 13 participants last post by  scosgt 
#1 ·
Hi,

I have a 2017 SX. I have started using Android Auto by using the USB port near the front of the gear shift. I am not sure if it's some setting that I am doing wrong but that is sucking battery like crazy. I have it constantly plugged it obviously and was using maps and google music, and battery went from 86% to 56% in 1 hour or so. It was charging but the charging rate was abysmal. It wasn't keeping up with it. Then I switched off google music and still the same. I tried the USD port under armrest console and that was fast.

So Do I have broken USB connector or is it like this ? If this is how it's supposed to be, then can I get a USB that has separate and data wires and basically connect the data side to the USB port for Android Auto.

Really frustrating :eek:
 
#2 · (Edited)
That port isn't really meant for charging phones and provides very little current. 30% in an hour seems a bit high so there may be something on your phone using excessive power. The car side of it is working as designed. I believe the output is the USB standard 500mA (same as a PC)whereas most phone chargers are at a minimum of 1A. Your phone is drawing more power than the port can provide.
 
#3 ·
Hi,

I have a 2017 SX. I have started using Android Auto by using the USB port near the front of the gear shift. I am not sure if it's some setting that I am doing wrong but that is sucking battery like crazy. I have it constantly plugged it obviously and was using maps and google music, and battery went from 86% to 56% in 1 hour or so. It was charging but the charging rate was abysmal. It wasn't keeping up with it. Then I switched off google music and still the same. I tried the USD port under armrest console and that was fast.

So Do I have broken USB connector or is it like this ? If this is how it's supposed to be, then can I get a USB that has separate and data wires and basically connect the data side to the USB port for Android Auto.

Really frustrating
That port isn't really meant for charging phones and provides very little current. 30% in an hour seems a bit high so there may be something on your phone using excessive power. The car side of it is working as designed. I believe the output is the USB standard 500mA (same as a PC)whereas most phone chargers are at a minimum of 1A. Your phone is drawing more power than the port can provide.
While I have not measured the current provided by front USB port, I can attest that my iPhone does charge rapidly when connected and running Apple CarPlay. I can charge it from almost empty to almost full in about one hour commute, which would be impossible if the current drawn from the port would be limited to 500mA.
 
#4 ·
It doesn't seem possible to charge from empty to full in an hour on the UVO port while in use unless that port is putting out 3+ amps which it isn't. Even the ports they call the rapid charge usb in the car are only 2.1. If you search the forums I don't think you'll find anyone that has gotten a phone to fully charge while in use plugged into that port.

http://www.kia-forums.com/2016-sore...arging-amperage.html#/topics/204657?_k=qjgisg
 
#9 ·
Highly unscientific test this morning. Started with my iPhone 6S at 6%. Commute was 45 minutes and the charge at the end was 58%. That's consistent with my previous observations. In 1 hour, I would easily get to 75%. Phone was running CarPlay all the time (Navigation, music streaming over LTE, one phone call, few SMS messages, 3 or 4 times turning on the screen to verify best route with Waze). That's probably the extent you can expect from phone operations in the vehicle.
 
#7 · (Edited)
USB 1.0 and 2.0 only allow for 500mA of power supplied to the device plugged in. You will get the same result using your phone while plugged into a computer. The phone will only charge at higher rates when a USB data connection isn't present. Even if the port allowed for higher current most phones will still only charge at approximately 500mA as they know they are connected to a data device. USB chargers don't use the center 2 pins (Data+ and Data -) so the phone knows it isn't connected to a data device and will charge at the higher rate of the charger.
 
#8 ·
USB 1.0 and 2.0 only allow for 500mA of power supplied to the device plugged in. You will get the same result using your phone while plugged into a computer. The phone will only charge at higher rates when a USB data connection isn't present. Even if the port allowed for higher current most phones will still only charge at approximately 500mA as they know they are connected to a data device. USB chargers don't use the center 2 pins (Data+ and Data -) so the phone knows it isn't connected to a data device and will charge at the higher rate of the charger.
ok so I guess it depends on your phone and if you are running any battery intensive apps.

although the OP said he was only running android auto and music.

do the rest of you carplay/android auto users find that you drain more battery than the car puts out?
 
#12 ·
Well I tried a y cable with data and extra power leg and it didn't really work for me, but I only tried my one quick charge power supply. Maybe someone else can find the magic cable, charger (and phone?) combo [emoji3]

Seems like all the android stuff is a much larger power draw than apple equivalent... future AA app updates could improve it I hope.
 
#14 ·
I just did an overnight test drive on a 2017 Sorento. I took it for a 2 hour drive, and I had my Note 7 (yes the one that bursts into flames) plugged in and running Android Auto, I was streaming music and a podcast, and I was using Google Maps to navigate. My battery was at 95% when I started, and when I got back home, it was at 96%.
 
#22 ·
From what I read here its all about (and correctly so) the cable, you want to get one with the 56k resistor fitted internally which of course is hard to tell from the 'advertising blurb'!! So if you want to know more I would suggest checking this site How to Buy USB Type-C Cables That Won?t Fry Your Gadgets which describes cables etc, there are two links within that site. One takes you to a spreadsheet that details the cables and gives some info on suitability and also there is a link to tested cables by the USB org. I think it was summed up by one person saying that if you buy a cable on the way out of the store that costs less than your coke it probably isn't a good cable!!
Happy cabling :)
 
#24 ·
You might want to try using a quality cable. If not the one that came with your phone, or if you have a older phone, purchase a good one. I use either Anker cables or Monoprice cables.

I was in a Hyundai sonata rent a car for 7 days and it had android auto. I hooked up my phone everyday I was in it (I drove about 1300 miles), and was using Navigation and Pandora at the same time, it never drained my battery. The battery percentage was always higher once I got to my destination.

I have a older Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
 
#25 ·
I tried the Startec Y-cable yesterday while going to pick my plates. I had the power end connected to a fast charging Car charger(12v port) and the data end to the UVO usb port. I was just running google maps.

In the hour that it took me get there, battery went from 11% to 1% ... Pathetic...

I am guessing the Y cable is not a solution if it splits/reduces the power. What micro USB cable you guys would recommend to get (I have 2013 Moto X, will get S7 edge soon).

thx.
 
#27 ·
It's Android/Google Maps, IMO. I had a Samsung Galaxy S4 using Pioneer's App Radio. Mostly it was fine (iHeart Radio) but the minute you fired up google maps, the phone got super hot (as does my roomate's Galaxy S5), and battery life goes in the toilet. The only "solution" I found was at BEST, a trickle charge of the phone. And in that case, I hooked up the phone to an Anker cigarette lighter adapter with the 2.1amp charger and had to use NetGear Push2TV to mirror the HDMI stuff (since there's only one port on the Galaxy S4).

I may plug my roomate's S5 into my Hyundai and see if AA does the same thing, but again I don't think it's AA per se, (just run iHeart radio or Pandora for example) but more of a Google maps issue because it's cranking the GPS and always having to download the data.

I could be wrong, but I thought I read up further that someone else got a whole 1% battery charge, so that seems to "jive" with what i was seeing with Google Maps and Pioneer Appradio.

Maybe the S7 is better, I dunno.
 
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