12v socket

[Steve1803]

Does anyone know if the 12v in the boot of the MY14 Ultra is permanently live. I only ask as I spend a fare amount of time outside the UK and intend use a Ctek trickle charger to keep the battery topped up. I know that there are connection points under the bonnet but don't know if the bonnet can be secured with the charger in situ!

[johnsimcox]

Does anyone know if the 12v in the boot of the MY14 Ultra is permanently live. I only ask as I spend a fare amount of time outside the UK and intend use a Ctek trickle charger to keep the battery topped up. I know that there are connection points under the bonnet but don't know if the bonnet can be secured with the charger in situ!

Afraid not, it is switched with the ignition

[ukgroucho]

Yes I can confirm that it is NOT live (none of the 4 in my allroad with storage pack) are live with the ignition off This is a step back from the behaviour of my old C6 Avant where i could leave things to charge in the boot if i wanted to (like an iPad when camping).

I did ask if anyone reckoned it might be a VCDS option but there was no response that I recall which suggest that "no-one knows / it is probably not possible.

[Guest 2]

Won't be vcds as it's wired to be switched.

[Passatier3]

Don't know how long you are talking but due to illness I wasn't able to drive my car for three months and it started fine and that was during the winter.

I did get a trusted friend (very!) to give it a run then before I could return to driving. He works for one of the dealers and says that they commonly have cars in the compound for quite sometime without problems.

That's the advantage of a big, heavy duty battery.

Have you got a trusted friend!!

[Steve1803]

Thanks for all your help/advice. Pity I can't use the boot socket but sounds like I might not need the trickle charger after all!

[ukgroucho]

I think that the A6 (C7) onboard brain keeps an eye on battery level and car usage and will start shutting down auxiliary electrical bits to maximise battery life. I don't have details but I can imagine things like listening for your key to be nearby to allow an unlock etc. might get pushed into 'slow' or off mode etc.

[Guest 2]

I think that the A6 (C7) onboard brain keeps an eye on battery level and car usage and will start shutting down auxiliary electrical bits to maximise battery life. I don't have details but I can imagine things like listening for your key to be nearby to allow an unlock etc. might get pushed into 'slow' or off mode etc.

Correct. The car will shut down stuff after a period of inactivity so that the battery isn't drained and it keeps charge on your return.

[Alex jb]

UKgroucho, is your new car an Avant with battery in the boot?
In my A4 Avant there is a whole stack of fuses next to the socket, many of them are permanently live and only 10-15A same as the socket fuses, it would be quite easy to re wire to get a permanent live socket.


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[ukgroucho]

Alex jb,
Yes it is a new allroad with a socket in the right hand side of the boot (in the little storage area... actually the C6 avant I had also had a socket back there but on the 'wall' of the boot side and that proved to be a bad place as I snapped off the little folding cover.

Not sure I am into rewiring bits of the back of my car to get a socket live.. think I'd be more likely to rig some croc clips and go digging under the boot floor to find the battery on an 'as needed' basis, actually i pretty much have that sorted already ...