Phone not charging

[Muddymike]

I have recently changed my car. The new one has a fancy socket in the glove box that charges and transfers information from my iPhone. I bought a lead to extend this socket up to a dash mounted phone holder so that I can see the screen when using the Tom Tom app.

One lead was not long enough so I bought a second and had it professionally installed behind the dash. Not DIY I know but I didn't feel confident enough to start pulling the dashboard of a new car apart to route the cable myself.

When plugged directly into the socket the phone takes a charge. When connected via the leads the charge symbol shows on the phone screen but it does not actually charge.

I have queried this with the cable manufacturers who claim it is probably because two cables linked together is too long a run. They will happily refund the cost of the cables but won't contribute towards having them professionally replaced.

Any thoughts on the long run issue or whether they are liable for my installation costs appreciated.

Mike

[the_constructor]

The cable manufacturers are certainly not liable for the instalation costs as you decided to have this done yourself. If they had sold you the cables including fitting, then thats another matter. Jim G

[John Williamson]

They may be right, some data protocols don't work if the cable is too long. I'm surprised that the charge icon shows when the phone isn't getting charged, though.

If you had it professionally installed, then the installer should have checked that it worked before it was released to you. If he didn't, then he's liable to correct the problem, I'd have thought, unless he told you beforehand that it was likely to be a problem and you told him to go ahead anyway.

You may, of course, have one or more defective cables, and if so, the seller is responsible for them under current legislation, and you are entitled to refund, repair or replacement of any defective items. The seller is not responsible for third party labour costs incurred in fitting or removal.

[Paul D Smith]

Since this "transfers information from my iPhone" it's a fairly specialized cable. It's quite possible that your symbol means "someone plugged a cable in" and not "I'm receiving enough juice to charge" (at least this may be how Apple implemented the interface thinking, if I'm plugged in, a real Apple product will charge me).

Silly question, but before any work started, did you try these cables plugged end-to-end to see if they actually worked? As others have implied, it's quite possible they are simply poor quality. Alternatively, the installer might have broken them, perhaps pulling too hard to get them into place and breaking one of the many wires inside? But you can't apportion blame unless you did a "before and after" comparison, and it's not the cable supplier's fault that you didn't I'm afraid.

Personally, I'd got to somewhere like Halfords, or better still somewhere which specialises in car HiFi - they will probably have access to longer cables (perhaps even building their own) and they can probably do all the install for you. It's even possible that the cable in the glove box is carefully threaded from almost exactly where you want it AWAY from your preferred place and perhaps the original cable can simply be rerouted to end where you want it, without any extensions etc.

Paul DS.

[Mike Barnes]

Muddymike :

This is an ongoing issue with me, in a two-iphones-two-ipads-two-ipods household with multiple charging locations. Some cables look as if they are charging, but don't. I don't think length is the only issue because I've found third-party leads that are the same length as the official Apple leads, but don't work properly. I think the thickness of the conductors might have something to do with it. Much as it pains me to say so, IME the only way to get something that really works is to get an official Apple lead.

If you can show that an Apple lead of the same length works any better[1], then you have a very slim chance. Otherwise, none.

[1] You don't need to install it behind the dash.

[Muddymike]

Yes, but I assumed that when the charge symbol appeared the phone was actually charging. I didn't leave it connected long enough to see if the phone actually received a charge.

Mike

[Muddymike]

Muddymike :

Oh but I do, I hate wires trailing around the dash.

Mike

[Muddymike]

Muddymike :

This one was described as. "Proxima Black Dock Extension Cable for iPhone 4 4S 3GS 3G iPod Touch iPad iPad 2-- Support Audio Video Signal, Sync Charger -- with 17 Core not the slim 4 core version"

and had reviews suggesting it does work with full function. Would connecting two of them together really effect the charging that badly? Everything else works.

Mike

[Paul D Smith]

...snip...

To be honest, that's probably all I would have done.

I did somethig similar with a Nokia 5800; despite researching I still didn't twig that to charge if from USB I needed a nokia special "USB to mini-USB + small plug" Y-cable. Although this model has the standard USB socket which most companies use for charging, it doesn't charge via the USB socket - doh! But at least it doesn't "show" it's charging when it's not.

Paul DS

[hugh]

In message , Mike Barnes writes

If it's charging infinitely slowly, it ain't charging. :-)