Permanent 12V supply to Power Socket

[DV52]

Have you ever wanted the cigarette lighter in the centre console to be permanently connected to the 12 Volt battery (instead of the current arrangement where the 12V supply is switched through the ignition key)? Well, I found-out from a post on Golfmk7.com that it's a real easy thing to do!
The process goes something like this (grateful acknowledgement to Westy23 for the original information):

Access the fuse board behind the Glove-box (you should know how to access the fuse-board in case a fuse needs to be replaced)

1. Open the Glove-box and empty any contents
2. Gently but firmly push-in and lift the two tabs shown on the diagram below and hold the Glove-box so as to allow it to SLOWLY drop. As the Glove-box lowers, take note of the small "slider-bar" which is attached to the left side of the Glove-box. Notice how the bar slides out of its receptacle (which looks like a wheel with a longitudinal square hole).

Relocate Cigarette lighter fuse

1. [*=1]Locate the fuse in position #40 on the fuse-board. The correct fuse is on the lower right-hand corner of the fuse-board, It is yellow in colour and it has "20" embossed in white lettering on the top (meaning that it is a 20Amp fuse). See the picture below
   [*=1]Remove the fuse and note that there are three contacts for this fuse position (which has the number "40" embossed on the black fuse board). The fuse that you just removed was connected to the lower and middle contacts.
   [*=1]Replace the Yellow fuse but make sure that it is inserted so that it connects the upper and middle contacts on position 40

Re-install the Glove-box

1. [*=1]Gently lift the Glove-box and make sure that the slider bar on the left side fits back into the square hole in its receptacle (see picture below)
   [*=1]Carefully but forcibly push the Glove-box home against the resistance of the two catches
   [*=1]Put-back all the Glove-box junk that absolutely has to be there!
   [*=1]Fully close the Glove-box door

[giveway]

Does this do the same for the power socket in the hatch ?

[donweather]

Both my Tiggy and Occy have permanent power to the 12v socket (ie no ignition key but 12v socket still works/charges).

Wonder why this isn't automatically the case with the Golfs?

[DV52]

Does this do the same for the power socket in the hatch ?

giveaway: Yes. Fuse position #40 shares the supply to both the in-cabin 12V socket and the 12V socket over the driver's side rear wheel-well (in the boot hatch). So the tweak will convert both sockets to permanent 12V supplies.

Both my Tiggy and Occy have permanent power to the 12v socket (ie no ignition key but 12v socket still works/charges).

Wonder why this isn't automatically the case with the Golfs?

donweather: I have never been able to understand any of the reasoning that the good VW burghers in Germany apply to their cars! But I suspect that there would be as many VW owners that prefer to have a switched supply to the sockets in their cars as those that prefer a permanent 12V supply. Mercifully, the tweak above will allow both preferences to be realised!

[booba]

Love your work guys, will be doing this immediately.

[wai]

Just remember that the cigarette lighter socket is powered with the ignition on for a reason.

If you insert the lighter element in and it gets stuck for any reason (e.g. there is a mismatch and the grip/release mechanism gets caught in the element), it will set the car on fire unless you can get to the battery with the appropriate spanner, or find and remove the fuse.

This is not so much of an issue for an accessory socket because there is not a mechanism to hold a lighter element in them.

The powering of the lighter socket with the ignition on or on accessory was part of an ADR until manufacturers agreed to make that operation standard. This reduced the amount of paperwork required to get compliance.

[DV52]

Just remember that the cigarette lighter socket is powered with the ignition on for a reason.

If you insert the lighter element in and it gets stuck for any reason (e.g. there is a mismatch and the grip/release mechanism gets caught in the element), it will set the car on fire unless you can get to the battery with the appropriate spanner, or find and remove the fuse.

This is not so much of an issue for an accessory socket because there is not a mechanism to hold a lighter element in them.

The powering of the lighter socket with the ignition on or on accessory was part of an ADR until manufacturers agreed to make that operation standard. This reduced the amount of paperwork required to get compliance.

Wai: you make a very good point! Without wishing to be too critical about your concern, I make the following observation:

A decision to proceed, or not with the tweak above is (as you correctly infer) ostensibly a consideration about risk management.

I suppose that it is entirely possible for a car's occupant to do the tweak because he/she is unable to light a ciggy when the car's ignition is off. Having implemented the change, I suppose also that it is possible that car's occupant can then initiate the 12V lighter sequence and then to leave the car before lighting his/her ciggy and then for the mechanism to get-stuck and then for the lighter failure to cause a flame ignition inside the cabin that results in a serious fire. I would certainly agree that the conflagration of this sequence of events would be catastrophic indeed and worthy of consideration!

But, the management of risk has to include the element of probably, else we would live in a society of paranoid, psychotic and action-less individuals (and I don't believe that we do). In regard to the example above, I would make the point (which is perhaps better described as an irony) that the driver's perception of the likelihood of the catastrophe should be compared to the likelihood of the risk to the driver's health from smoking! If the driver continues the habit, then the risk of an inadvertent fire from the tweak is inconsequential IMO.

The other thing about how we manage risk is our counterbalancing view of the advantages that will result from a particular decision. The tweak does offer some advantages to those who wish to use the 12v socket for purposes other than lighting ciggys!

Again, my intention in responding to your post is not to be critical, rather it is to put forward another view. But I can understand if others have a different view that enables them to make different decisions!

[donweather]

Lighting Ciggys? None of my 12v sockets in either my Tiggy or Occy are cigarette lighters....they are purely a 12v source. Perhaps this is why VAG have decided to leave their 12v charging abilities always on, irrespective of the ignition status.

Do the Golfs still have a cigarette lighter in them?

[DV52]

Lighting Ciggys? None of my 12v sockets in either my Tiggy or Occy are cigarette lighters....they are purely a 12v source. Perhaps this is why VAG have decided to leave their 12v charging abilities always on, irrespective of the ignition status.

Do the Golfs still have a cigarette lighter in them?

Donweather: Hi Don?

No, the mk7 Golf is not supplied with actual "ciggy" lighters. The 12V sockets are supplied with a blank plastic plug for the in-cabin unit and a spring loaded flap in the hatch boot. These days it would be extremely un-PC to have car manufacturers promote smoking in their vehicles. You would have to go your local car parts shop to get a ridjy-dij ciggy lighter (I assume that you can still buy these). My reply to wai referred to ciggy lighters because I had understood that this was the item of concern in regards to my tweak. But as English is my second language, I could have been mistaken!

[wai]

Lighting Ciggys? None of my 12v sockets in either my Tiggy or Occy are cigarette lighters....they are purely a 12v source. Perhaps this is why VAG have decided to leave their 12v charging abilities always on, irrespective of the ignition status.

Do the Golfs still have a cigarette lighter in them?

It's not whether you light a cigarette in them or not. It is whether there is the bi-metallic gripper that can grip a lighter. If the lighter element gets put in so that it incorrectly fits onto the gripper and gets stuck, then the only way to cut power before the fire starts is to find and remove the fuse, or get the appropriate spanner, get to the battery and disconnected it.

If you have just an accessory socket (no capability of holding in a lighter element), then you can do what you like as the accessory you plug in cannot get stuck.

[Idle]

I think the 12V outlets were run via the ignition switch in Mk 6 & 7 Golfs to avoid flat batteries and the consequent roadside service calls, not from any sense of altruism.

[flight]

giveaway: Yes. Fuse position #40 shares the supply to both the in-cabin 12V socket and the 12V socket over the driver's side rear wheel-well (in the boot hatch). So the tweak will convert both sockets to permanent 12V supplies.

dv52 - I can't help wondering if any other functions can be similarly tweaked. For instance, if it were possible to reposition a fuse in order to deactivate the stop/start system that is hated by some owners. When deactivating the function by depressing the switch, the switch is illuminated by power from somewhere, so would applying power directly have the same effect and might this be achieved by moving a fuse? Your thoughts?

[b c]

I think the 12V outlets were run via the ignition switch in Mk 6 & 7 Golfs to avoid flat batteries and the consequent roadside service calls, not from any sense of altruism.

This. If you left a battery powered refrigerated esky in the boot on a hot day you might have considerable trouble starting the car...

[DV52]

dv52 - I can't help wondering if any other functions can be similarly tweaked. For instance, if it were possible to reposition a fuse in order to deactivate the stop/start system that is hated by some owners. When deactivating the function by depressing the switch, the switch is illuminated by power from somewhere, so would applying power directly have the same effect and might this be achieved by moving a fuse? Your thoughts?

flight: I do like the way your brain works -but, that's all the hagiography that I intend to give! (only kidding)

Seriously, it would be great if such a thing were possible. The way that I envisage that the SS console button works is that instead of providing a fixed 12Volt supply to the appropriate on/off control mechanism, the switch provides a "leading edge" to the control mechanism (i.e the console switch provides an AC signal, rather than a DC supply). That's why (I think) that the car resets the status of SS to the off position each time that the ignition is turned-on. But, I admit that I'm just guessing.

If anyone can find that elusive "quick-fix" for disabling SS, then he/she will have my undying admiration (worth lots at the check-out desk at Coles/Woolworths)! But as I have implemented the VCDS tweak for SS, this annoying little VW feature has not been a problem.

[DV52]

This. If you left a battery powered refrigerated esky in the boot on a hot day you might have considerable trouble starting the car...

b c: I agree that those folk that intend to operate a high powered refrigerated esky for an extended length of time while the ignition is off should not do the tweak (or they should refrain from using the esky on a hot day)!