How to Use a Car Charger?
4 Answers
Instructions for using a car charger: Prepare the car charger, with the bottom of the car charger being the positive pole and the contacts on both sides being the negative poles. Insert the bottom of the car charger directly into the cigarette lighter and secure it. When inserted correctly, the LED indicator on the cigarette lighter will light up, and you can then connect a USB charging cable to charge your phone as usual. Note: For safety, remove the car charger promptly after charging. Principle of the car charger: It converts the 12-volt voltage from the car's cigarette lighter socket into a 5-volt USB voltage and charges electronic devices via the charging cable. Precautions for using a car charger: 1. Avoid throwing, dropping, hitting, or vibrating the charger during use. Especially in summer when the car is exposed to the sun and the interior temperature exceeds 45 degrees Celsius, temporarily stop using the charger, as this can severely damage the internal circuit board of the car charger. 2. A car charger is an electronic device. Owners should avoid leaving it in a humid environment for extended periods to prevent corrosion or oxidation of its internal electronic components. When charging an electric vehicle, try to do so outdoors with good ventilation and heat dissipation conditions to avoid overheating the charger. If water is accidentally spilled on the charger while driving, remove and dry it immediately. 3. After turning off the vehicle, remove the car charger and store it. If left plugged into the power interface for a long time, the contact parts may corrode and become difficult to clean. Also, continuing to use the cigarette lighter for charging after the car is turned off may drain the battery. Although 80% of cars cut off power to the cigarette lighter after removing the key, the cigarette lighter will draw power directly from the battery after the engine stops supplying power. If the car charger's power consumption exceeds the battery's capacity, the battery can easily be depleted.
When I first bought my car, I also didn't understand how to use that charging port in the car, but later I found it super simple. That round socket is actually the cigarette lighter port. First, insert the plug of the car charger into it until you hear a click, which means it's securely locked in place. The charger usually has a USB port or Type-C port, so you can directly plug in your phone's charging cable. During long drives, I use it to charge my phone and tablet, but be careful not to charge too many high-power devices at the same time, as it can easily blow a fuse. It's best to unplug the charger after turning off the engine, otherwise it will drain the car battery. When choosing a charger, pay attention to the output power—most fast chargers nowadays support 18W or higher.
Modern car chargers are quite user-friendly in design. I often use the model with a voltage display. Locate the cigarette lighter socket near the steering wheel or in the center console, plug in the charger, and check that the red light turns on to confirm power supply. A word of advice: don't go for cheap off-brand products. Last time, a friend bought a low-quality charger that ended up melting the socket. For charging phones, the standard 5V1A port is sufficient, while the 12V port is only needed for drone batteries. During long road trips, I use it to charge my action camera, but remember to unplug it before turning off the engine, otherwise it may drain the car battery.
Using a car charger is more convenient than a power bank. Locate the cigarette lighter socket on the center console and choose a compact charger that doesn't obstruct your view. After inserting it firmly, the blue light will turn on, and you can connect your phone cable to start charging. Note that for cars with aging batteries, avoid using it when the engine is off. The maximum output of a car charger is only 120W, which is sufficient for charging regular phones but not suitable for larger devices like laptops.
