Cigarette lighter socket always live

[Corrie]

Hi 👋 the cigarette lighter socket in my 2012 a3 is constantly live. I've had a look at the fuse and theres no way of moving it to be able for it to turn off with the ignition. Is there any way I can change this or am I going to have to concede defeat? Thankyou.

[Steve Q]

Yea the light is always live. Can I ask why you don't want it to be live? 

[Corrie]

I'm always worried about the battery consumption when my phone charger is plugged in. I know I can always unplug it, but there's times I forget, especially when I get home late.from work

[cliffcoggin]

If you are prepared to open the fusebox cover at the end of the dashboard, you will be able to connect a wire to an ignition switched supply. It's what I did to power a satnav.

[Corrie]

12 minutes ago, cliffcoggin said:

If you are prepared to open the fusebox cover at the end of the dashboard, you will be able to connect a wire to an ignition switched supply. It's what I did to power a satnav.

I'd be terrified that I'd mess that up. 

[cliffcoggin]

Corrie.

Did you find a solution, or did you concede defeat?

[Corrie]

2 hours ago, cliffcoggin said:

Corrie.

Did you find a solution, or did you concede defeat?

I conceded defeat. Just have to unplug the phone holder/charger from the socket 😢

[Magnet]

Hello Corrina,

Do you actually leave your phone plugged in in its holder when you are not in the car? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 
 

[Corrie]

24 minutes ago, Magnet said:

Hello Corrina,

Do you actually leave your phone plugged in in its holder when you are not in the car? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 
 

No, I unplug it

[Magnet]

Thanks Corrina,

If you don’t actually connect the phone to the charger then it just isn’t an issue - no current consumption at all - even though the charger is plugged in. It’s rather like your light switch at home. That’s permanently live, but current doesn’t pass through it until you switch the light on. 
If you do actually leave your phone on-charge in the car when the engine isn’t running then even then the current consumption would be very low. 
I think you have an unnecessary concern - If I understand it correctly.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[muppetbam]

The question I'd like to add is "Is the socket left permanently live? Or is it on a timer?" I'd be surprised if it stays on constantly, I would suggest it might remain live for a temporary period and then power off after a set time of locked doors and no activity?

[Magnet]

Some such ‘live’ points can indeed be on a timed system. Audi’s?? 
Even the radios are on a short timer on some marques, so you can’t even listen to the radio after a couple of minutes. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[cliffcoggin]

My 2007 model had a permanently live socket. I don't know about later models.

A permanently live socket was fine when used for its original purpose of lighting a cigarette: current only flowed for 20 seconds, so there was no significant drain on the battery. Nowadays it is often labelled as an auxillary power socket, and is used for all sorts of electronic gadgets which might draw power continuously. The consumption of a phone charger is small and will stop when the phone is fully charged, but there has been a case on this forum of a dashcam draining the car battery because it continued operating after the ignition was switched off.

[Den]

What fuse is the cigarette lighter in an A3 2011