FI Flyer

My car has the Bluetooth phone connection and the factory iPod connectors. Rather than risk leaving my iPhone in the car when I leave it, I bought an iPod to remain permanently in the car and leave my iPhone in my pocket. And it all works perfectly. But -- isn't there always a 'but'? -- I worry that having the iPod in the car will tend to draw down the car's battery.

How real is this concern? In other words, how much does an iPod draw when it is merely sitting there and how long before it would significantly deplete the car's battery? Or does the USB port, which charges the iPod, turn off with the car unlike the cigarette lighters?

Come to think of it, does anyone know why German cars leave the cigarette lighters live when the ignition is off?

sharmat

Sure about the draw from the iPod. Probably minimal at best. However, you can put the battery tender if you don't use the card for a while. If you use the car daily it shouldn't be a problem.
Maybe that's why the lighter socket is kept live.
So that we can hook up the battery tenders would be my guess.

JasonKM

I leave an ipod in the car all the time and only drive the car once a week or so. Never had an issue.
This is on a 997.1 with Dension unit

stevepow

I leave my iPod in the car always. I also always have a CTEK on it in the garage though.

19_hole

I leave an iPod in the car all the time, don't use a battery tender and have never had a battery problem.

Mark618

I have left my ipod in the car for up to 2 weeks at a time. The car starts perfectly.

Minok

Its not a problem. The PCM will cause the ipod to totally discharge its own battery and shut down long before the car's battery becomes a problem because when the car is shut off, all power to the ipod is shut off so the ipod isn't draining anything from the car... the ipod just sits there in standby mode until its battery runs out.

utkinpol

perhaps it is so on 997.2 cars but with mobridge it works properly - this unit simply disconnects from ipod after 30sec of PCM inactivity. ipod stays in car permanently without any issues.

jcnesq

I put an iPod in my car over a year ago (when it was new) and haven't touched it since. No problems. However, it is my daily driver.

erenyes

do as i do on my 997.2 if your worried about it, leave it in but disconnect it...problem solved

rsdarcan

My porsche tech told me that after 10 minutes all power is shut off except to the clock. I have an I pod I leave in my C4S and never have any problems.

Minok

I'll admit that part of my particular problem is I'm using an iPod photo, 2005 vintage, so the battery in that thing, which is now 5 years old, doesn't hold a super long charge anymore... enough to get you through a week, but if there are not long enough drives, it eventually just drains that 5 year old battery.

I could probably solve my problem by getting a new battery for it.