DIY How to activate your 12V socket so that it's always on.

[doowopaudi]

If you have owned a VW or Audi before your B8, you will remember that the 12v sockets were always on, even with the key removed from the car.
Well, I finally figured how to activate the socket in the arm rest so that I can leave my phone charging while I go into a restaurant or store or while I wait in my car!

Disclaimer: There are people on this forum who will advise against this mod, saying the car can catch fire, blow up, or who knows what. It's been over a month and nothing has happened. I don't see how this is any different that people adding air bags to their car and using the fuse panel to get power. Anyhow, if you are unsure of this mod, please do not proceed, however, know that many have done this mod on other forums and appear to have no problems. I, for one, HAVE NOT HAD ANY ISSUES!

Firstly, here are the links to the original DIY walk-throughs I followed. Link 1 and link 2

Time to complete this mod: Less than 10 minutes.

What you need:
*An inline fuse holder for 30 amp MAX fuses. (~$4)
*Crimp-on Flat 16-14 gauge connectors (~$3/box)
*Crimper pliers (~$10-20)
*15 amp fuse (~$3/ pair)

Prep: Take your 15amp mini fuse and insert it into the inline fuse holder designed for it. Next, crimp one connector on each end of the wires on the inline fuse holder. Also, remove the purple covers easily by lifting one end and then lifting the other. They snap right off.




Now, go to your trunk and locate the fuse panel.
Next, locate the fuse associated with the desired socket (see owner's manual). It is located in the right luggage compartment fuse array in the #2 position of the red fuse panel (right).



The tan colored fuse array compartment is the "always on" array, so you want to connect one end of the inline fuse holder to an unused slot in this section. In my case, it was the sixth one from the bottom.
Now connect the other end to where the arm rest 12v socket's fuse was making sure to insert the connector's blade into the left side if the other connector is inserted into the right side. (see picture)

Really, this picture below says it best. That's how it's supposed to look.

[languiduck]

Yep, I did the same thing in my Avant, and installed another fuse holder to keep the 12V outlet in the rear hatch always on. The people who spout off stuff about running the battery down, blowing the battery up, car catching on fire, and that this will cause of Apocalypse are morons and just like to instill fear. Almost every other vehicle out there has a 12V source always on. Running short fused length of wire in this manner is not going to be a problem. The power source you are tapping in to is already protected and you are just connecting that power to same terminal that normally gets power when the key turns on. Someone told me the phone charger itself will kill me and my family while we sleep. Its ridiculous. Both my Ford truck and Jeep have a direct wired 12V outlet, and so do 90% of the other vehicles on the road.

[BrewDude]

I do not have the tan colored fuse block in the back of my allroad, so no constant on power back there. :(

[doowopaudi]

Yep, I did the same thing in my Avant, and installed another fuse holder to keep the 12V outlet in the rear hatch always on. The people who spout off stuff about running the battery down, blowing the battery up, car catching on fire, and that this will cause of Apocalypse are morons and just like to instill fear. Almost every other vehicle out there has a 12V source always on. Running short fused length of wire in this manner is not going to be a problem. The power source you are tapping in to is already protected and you are just connecting that power to same terminal that normally gets power when the key turns on. Someone told me the phone charger itself will kill me and my family while we sleep. Its ridiculous. Both my Ford truck and Jeep have a direct wired 12V outlet, and so do 90% of the other vehicles on the road.

Too funny. It's their loss.

I do not have the tan colored fuse block in the back of my allroad, so no constant on power back there. :(

Get a circuit tester and test the fuse slots to see which one is active. Perhaps yours are located in a different location. Check your manual.

[TGabriele]

Great thread! Actually all three of the 15A fuses in the red block power each one of the three outlets in the car. Instead of using the inline fuse holder method described above, I just broke out my handy Schwaben terminal release tool set that I picked up on ECS and moved all three wires and fuses over to the tan block. Very easy, clean, and now I have all of them always on like it used to be in my B6!

Clearly the doomsday naysayers have no clue what they're talking about. The gage thickness of the ground wire for both blocks is more than enough to load them up entirely with 30A fuses.

[Elliott]

Yep, I did the same thing in my Avant, and installed another fuse holder to keep the 12V outlet in the rear hatch always on. The people who spout off stuff about running the battery down, blowing the battery up, car catching on fire, and that this will cause of Apocalypse are morons and just like to instill fear. Almost every other vehicle out there has a 12V source always on. Running short fused length of wire in this manner is not going to be a problem. The power source you are tapping in to is already protected and you are just connecting that power to same terminal that normally gets power when the key turns on. Someone told me the phone charger itself will kill me and my family while we sleep. Its ridiculous. Both my Ford truck and Jeep have a direct wired 12V outlet, and so do 90% of the other vehicles on the road.

You joke, but honestly, the constant 12V power will eventually catch up with you. For me, it started with randomly dropping by the house. 12v power is very good at building comradery and earning your trust. My family came to love 12V power, even inviting it over for our holidays since it had no family. However, one night I caught 12V breaking into our garage wearing nothing but a tutu with marshmallow fluff smeared over its body. I don't know if this was something ritualistic or sexual, but we had to call the police and get a restraining order. It has really affected our sense of security. So just be careful with 12V power is all I'm saying.

[alancaster]

Is there a VAGCOM code to change the timeout? For example to 30 minutes?

[doowopaudi]

Is there a VAGCOM code to change the timeout? For example to 30 minutes?

Yes there is. I changed mine to 99, which is the max.

[1_clean_Audi]

i think my fuse blew up, cause a penny got stuck in there and now i have to locate the right fuse. hopefully with this ill be able to find what fuse it is and take on that fuse mode as well cause it sure would come in handy.

[Gts*Jason]

Great $5 dollar mod

[doowopaudi]

Great $5 dollar mod

Yep!

[doowopaudi]

Update:

Still no issues. yesterday we were at the beach and one of us had a dead phone so I said, let's go take it to my car and leave it charging. Came back an hour later and the phone was at 75%. turned on the car with no issues.

[doowopaudi]

Great thread! Actually all three of the 15A fuses in the red block power each one of the three outlets in the car. Instead of using the inline fuse holder method described above, I just broke out my handy Schwaben terminal release tool set that I picked up on ECS and moved all three wires and fuses over to the tan block. Very easy, clean, and now I have all of them always on like it used to be in my B6!

Clearly the doomsday naysayers have no clue what they're talking about. The gage thickness of the ground wire for both blocks is more than enough to load them up entirely with 30A fuses.

I'm curious, do you have a picture of the exact tool you used to remove the terminals or wires?

[skis4hire]

I do not have the tan colored fuse block in the back of my allroad, so no constant on power back there. :(

I believe all 2013+ have no always-on fuses in the trunk, they are moved to the panel on the drivers side of the dashboard facing the door.

[pwdrskr]

Has anyone done this on a '13 or later allroad? Looking at the fuse layout in the manual I see only one reference to 12v power. It is on the brown panel in the fuse block in the right rear luggage compartment. It is labeled as "12-volt socket, cigarette lighter". So if on the brown block this should always on? I don't see either of the other two 12v locations: luggage power and center console armrest listed.

[shonseb]

You joke, but honestly, the constant 12V power will eventually catch up with you. For me, it started with randomly dropping by the house. 12v power is very good at building comradery and earning your trust. My family came to love 12V power, even inviting it over for our holidays since it had no family. However, one night I caught 12V breaking into our garage wearing nothing but a tutu with marshmallow fluff smeared over its body. I don't know if this was something ritualistic or sexual, but we had to call the police and get a restraining order. It has really affected our sense of security. So just be careful with 12V power is all I'm saying.

This is one of the funniest posts I've read in a while!

In all seriousness, is this also possible in the B8.5 or is it just limited to the B8?

[skis4hire]

Has anyone done this on a '13 or later allroad? Looking at the fuse layout in the manual I see only one reference to 12v power. It is on the brown panel in the fuse block in the right rear luggage compartment. It is labeled as "12-volt socket, cigarette lighter". So if on the brown block this should always on? I don't see either of the other two 12v locations: luggage power and center console armrest listed.

There is no ACC (red) fuse panel in the trunk compartment for B8.5 vehicles, so the 12V socket fuses aren't there.

I believe these fuses will all be behind the dash on the driver or passenger side.
You can potentially do the same mod at that location, ass there should be an always on power bar up there also.

[pwdrskr]

There is no ACC (red) fuse panel in the trunk compartment for B8.5 vehicles, so the 12V socket fuses aren't there.

I believe these fuses will all be behind the dash on the driver or passenger side.
You can potentially do the same mod at that location, ass there should be an always on power bar up there also.

I looked at the fuse box in the front and was unable to identify the correct ones to use. I've since effectively given up on the project sadly.

[Audi 4 Life]

Can someone please tell me how to use my vagcom to change the time out on this

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[rattlehater]

Great write up and many thanks for it. I appreciate that it's an old post but it took you time and effort to put it together so that others could benefit which is unselfish.

Managed to get mine sorted but had to connect each connector to the right side of the blocks so I assume the polarity is reversed on one of them. It works though :)

[Audi 4 Life]

did this recently great mod that should of come from the factory.

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[jaycurn]

Can someone please tell me how to use my vagcom to change the time out on this

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I'd love to know this too! 99 minutes would be plenty. Would this adjust all of the outlets?

[S5Toks]

Back from the Dead! (figured that was better than a new thread)
I have a b8.5 S5 and i would like to make at least 1 of the outlets in the cabin always on.

Has anyone figured out how to do this in the 8.5s since the always on block seems to have been moved upfront?

[tbaudi]

Great thread! Actually all three of the 15A fuses in the red block power each one of the three outlets in the car. Instead of using the inline fuse holder method described above, I just broke out my handy Schwaben terminal release tool set that I picked up on ECS and moved all three wires and fuses over to the tan block. Very easy, clean, and now I have all of them always on like it used to be in my B6!

Clearly the doomsday naysayers have no clue what they're talking about. The gage thickness of the ground wire for both blocks is more than enough to load them up entirely with 30A fuses.

Great suggestion, this approach makes for a totally clean upgrade and doesn't leave a bunch of wires sticking out of the fuse block, worked great on my '11 Avant. Thanks!

[jaustin]

Does anyone know off hand what locations to tap for the rear 12v socket on an avant?

[tbaudi]

Does anyone know off hand what locations to tap for the rear 12v socket on an avant?

Unfortunately my rear socket wasn't working before I did this, so I can't confirm. However, on my car, I believe all 4 of the socket fuses were together, I think the rear was the last in the red block.

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[jaustin]

^ thanks for the reply. I tried that but it didn't work out. Opened the manual up and found the layout and mine happened to be backwards...

I've got power up front will have to get another to get power to the rear.

[pwdrskr]

Has anyone figured out how to do this on a B8.5 allroad (MY 2013+).

I'd like to turn both the front center armrest and the rear plugs into always on. Never use the cigarette lighter plug so don't care about that one...

Thanks

[Dcferolino]

2014 audi a4 b8.5 does anybody know how to make 12v power always on from the center console?


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[DrZEUS]

Bumping to see if anyone has figured it out for B8.5 setups. Need my dashcam working at all times when parked.

[Bbonz001]

If you hardwire it, you can get constant 12v from either the mirror or rain sensor. I can't remember what one is what, but I tapped the one that is switched. Decided against parking mode for now


Pretty sure the mirror is the constant. Easy to check it with a multimeter though. This way you don't have to have a silly wire running down to the 12v outlet.

[Novarider]

Yes there is. I changed mine to 99, which is the max.

Can you share how you did this?

[quattrataco]

do you have the steps involved to do this?