Ok so smartphones are getting more powerful and more power hungry. Modern phones need at least 1A to charge. Preferably 2A.

Unfortunately the USB port in the center console seems to put out only around 300ma according to my measurements. This isn't even enough to keep the battery from draining on my phones (never mind charging it).

One solution is to get a car charger and use the 12v port, but then you have cables running everywhere and the phone takes up a cup holder spot.

Is there a way to stealthy get more power into the center console so that a modern day phone can be charged while stored in the console? There's a 12v outlet behind the console, that's for the rear seat occupants, is there a easy way to tap into that and get another 12v outlet into the console itself? Anyone attempt such a thing?

 

Not sure what can be done to the port. I think this is a common issue for usb ports that are used for data transfer on laptops or pcs. They usually max out at 500ma. You can pull more amps from a usb car charger when the data pins are shorted in the charger or cable since there is no need for transfer.

If you want to use the usb port for charging only, then you could try a shorted data cable (pins 2 and 3 for data are shorted) and that may allow a higher charge rate.

I am by means an expert and my W212 doesn't even a usb port. So hopefully someone with one can share their experience.

 

I don't know of any phone that requires 2 amps from a USB connection, nor am I sure any USB connection can provide that. There are cigarette lighter USB adapters that can put out 1 amp. I have a couple that are dual port, with one slot 1 amp and the other slot 500 milliamps. For iPhone charging they have been completely fine. ( IPhone can also be charged in the center console via the Iphone cable (there is a newer one for iPhone 5's with lightning connectors)). The dual plugs have worked for me to charge two phones simultaneously (mine and my wife's), and in some cases an ipad on the 1amp slot and an iPhone on the other. You can find these on Amazon. The last one I bought was from Schosche, but there are other reputable brands, including Kensington.

 

Here are a couple of articles about usb charger if you don't already have the info - background and how to make your own cable. The main issue is not a lack of power, it is normally what the phone detects as the charging source. For android (not an iphone user), if the phone detects a data connection (which I imagine the car is since it can music files via usb), then the phone will slow down the power draw to a safe level that does not interfere with data transfer. If the phone detects a non-data charging source (AC usb charger, car charger with shorted pins - not all have this done already) then the phone will draw power at a higher rate.

 

Thanks thefisch, I've got an electrical engineering background and do know how USB works. The main problem is not wether the phone detects data or not, it's what current can be provided by the source. You can short out the data pins and let the phone draw as much current as it wants, but it's not going to do much good if the source (MB's USB host) can only provide 0.3 amps, because that's still your bottleneck. It seems the MB USB port can't sustain more than about 0.3 amps or 300 milliamps from my testing. That isn't enough for modern phones.

As to weinschela, most high end smartphones sold within the last year or so have come from the factory with 2A chargers. My GS4 and now GS5, as well as my wife's iphone 5 all came with 2A chargers. I have a 1A 12v cig adapter that can't keep up with my phone's drain when I use my phone to stream pandora over 4G as well as share it as a wifi hotspot for the kids tablets. My battery will drain at about 10% per hour on top of the 1A charger when using it like this. If I try to use the USB port in the console, the battery will drain about 30% per hour on top of the 0.3A the port provides. Even just streaming pandora will cause the phone to exceed what that 0.3A USB port can provide.

USB 1.0 and 2.0 specs power up to 0.5A with concurrent data or 1.5A without data. USB 3 spec allows for up to 2A @ 5V or 5A @ 20V.

There are several 2, 3, or 4 port 12V cig to USB chargers that can output 5 to 8 Amps. I wonder if anyone tried retrofitting one of those inside the center console, and where they would tap the 12v source from.

 

300mA sounds broken.

Some phones need more than 1A when running with their navigation and LCD on, e.g. the Galaxy Nexus.

What phone and what cable? Are you using Android and if so, do you use a cable labeled "charge only"?

 

Like I said in my previous post, I've tested with a Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy S5 and Apple Iphone 5.

I've used the original cables that came with the phone and 3 other after market cables. Out of the 4 cables, 2 are data cables, 2 are charge only cables. Doesn't matter which one I use, same result.

I even picked up a device like this USB current tester to measure the amount of current flowing through. The on board port only provides about 300 mA. I checked with the service dept and they say its normal and that port is primarily for data, not for charging.

 

I wonder if its possible to rig something like this into the center console. There's got to be a way to tap into a 12v power source in/under/around the console somewhere.

 

There are some threads around about taking about the center console and I recall someone posted instructions on how to disassemble it. I think it was related to the repair of the comand control knob. I also have some docs on the disassembly of the rear vents and cigarette lighter than konigstiger shared with me on another project. If you interested, pm me with an email and I can forward them to you. You'd probably find the lead of the rear 12v outlet running under there that you could tap into as your source for your project.

 

Hmmmm. Still is a bit foul. You sure they didn't just make this up on the fly?

Even if they want data then they would normally supply 0.5A which is almost twice of what you get.

 

That port is for data only, I've tried charging my phones on that usb port and took like 2 hours for staying at the same battery level.. I got sick of it and got a cigarette port charger. I know it looks ugly, but it gets the job done at least..

 

I am using a cigarette adapter with 1amp and 2amps , and I can tell the difference... difference lets say from a computer or home plug in.. noticeably faster with 2amps. Bought It at fries electronics 9$.
Just saying... really happy with it. Cheap amd fast. Lol

 

I charge my iPhone 5 in the center console all the time. Just this morning it was at 52% when I got in the car. 45 mins later I arrived at work it was at 75%. It charges..

 

I want to do something similar, as detailed here. I was going for a cigarette lighter solution (with a in it) but I think I'll try to find a flush mount USB port that'll wire to the rear passenger cigarette lighter. I need a separate charging USB port because I want to retain the existing USB as a media input source.

Please let me know how you progress, and I'll do the same.

 

Any progress, anyone? Looking for a flush mount USB port as well..

 

I've since discovered that all three cigarette lighters (rear seat area, trunk, and forward center console by the ashtray) aren't hot when the ignition is off. Big dissapointment. So I have decided to install a cigarette lighter in the glove compartment and to run the leads through the firewall and connect directly to the battery (fuse protected, of course). I'll then just keep my cell phone in the glove compartment and on a constant charge via the .

I did install a flush mount USB connector in my airplane a few months ago. Got one off ebay from a Chinese guy- took a month to get here. The claim was 2 amps but it didn't even provide 1 amp. That's why I'm going with the Scoshe + Cigarette Lighter combo. Be careful, some of those USB sockets don't do what they claim.

 

Thanks, useful info.