Nexus 5 Slow/Not Charging In Car, But Fine On Wall Chargers

[DirkBelig]

I have a launch day N5, rooted stock 4.2.2 running ART. A few months ago my car charger died and I picked up a Duracell-branded charger to replace it that uses a USB cable. (I can't recall if I'm using the one that came with it or the old one the old charger had.) It was fine for a month or two and then I started noticing occasionally I'd take it off the cord at the end of a drive and it was lower than I'd started. The screen had come on and the charge icon appeared, but the battery graph was a straight line down.

I dug an old $1 Monoprice charger I had and it just treads water, perhaps gaining a percent or two after 20-30 minutes; nothing like a wall charger (or car charger before) which does 25% per half-hour. I bought a PNY 2.1A charger and it's only marginally better. 30 minute drive home and it only increased 4% with Tune In feeding Bluetooth. To rule out the cable I took it and used it with a wall charger and it was fine, charging full speed. I'm really at a loss as to what's causing this terrible charging performance. I'm going to try the power point in the console as opposed to the dash, but I don't get what difference that should make.

My battery performance was never super-duper - I see the people calling 4 hours SOT and going to bed after 18 hours with 30% left "so-so" and want to scream - but if I can't top off while on the road, much less use navigation, I've got a problem. Anyone else seeing similar weirdness? TIA!

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I rooted last week so I could run Greenify and while that helped a little with drain, it had no effect on charging.

 

[DirkBelig]

45-minute drive home just now with phone powered by center console power point. 17% to start, 25% at the end. 8% in 45 minutes = 9-3/8 hours to fully charge from empty, or just over 1/5th the wall charger speed. Unreal.

For grins, I plugged it into my computer's USB port to see how much it got juiced: 10% in 30 minutes or 25% more in 33% less time than the car charger. I used the cord from the car charger for this test to rule out a defective cable making the phone think it's just got a data connection. I'm really at a loss now. This is a 2013 Ford, so it's not as if it's a junker with poor electrical system.

 

[foxbat121]

Most aftermarket car chargers with USB port are designed for iPhone usages. As such, it will not get recognized as AC charger for non-iPhones as every one else use a different USB wiring than Apple. Check your phone's status. It will show your phone as USB charging which max out at 500ma only as opposed to AC charge which can go above 1000ma.

I only buy car chargers that has fixed wire with microUSB plug at the end. This guarantee to work as there is no iPhone take microUSB.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[DirkBelig]

That makes absolutely no sense. First, Android devices with micro-USB are legion so there are a ton of phones needing chargers, so why would all these chargers assume they're being used with iPhones? It's not as if they say, "For iPhone only" though the 2.1A Duracell one that started this odyssey does say it's for all the iToyz. Next, since iPhones require proprietary connectors - either 30-pin or Lightning plug - why would USB wiring matter since there's no USB cable? I'm pretty sure I just tool my old charger's USB cable and attached it to the Duracell one.

I just went out and used two different USB cables in both power points with the 2.1A Duracell, 2.1A PNY and 1A Inland charger and all report as USB in the Battery screen. (I'd never noticed the A/C and USB detail before.) In Googling around I see various posts about charging vs. data cables and how the charger signals whether it's USB or AC by how many pins it has and how you can short USB to report as AC, but the Duracell was meant to be used as a car AND wall charger by plugging the car part into a dock that goes into the wall. (I was a little miffed to discover this; I thought I was getting TWO chargers, not one convertible one.) In the USB pin-out makes the difference, then wouldn't the charger only deliver 500mA as you claim? (I can't find the damn dock at the moment to test this.) Why does my PC charge faster than the car if they're both USB?

The reason I use detachable USB cables is because I had a $20 charger with a fixed cable fall apart. First the plastic broke, then the solder joints broke, and eventually resoldering and taping up the tip stopped MacGyvering it. Besides, if these chargers are all iPhone chargers only delivering 500mA as you claim, how can they label themselves 1A or 2.1A and, more importantly, how come they never had a problem charging my phone satisfactorily?? It always charged at near-wall charger speeds - 30 minutes would put ~20% back on the battery IIRC.

 

[joselito76]

I haven't found I car charger that won't put the phone on USB mode. I take pictures tomorrow, but I got a sprint wall and charger all in one 2.1amp like every other car charger it also put the phone on USB mode, so I got a charge only cable on eBay and bang charge like any 2 amp car charger.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[crxssi]

45-minute drive home just now with phone powered by center console power point. 17% to start, 25% at the end. 8% in 45 minutes = 9-3/8 hours to fully charge from empty, or just over 1/5th the wall charger speed. Unreal.

LiIon battery charging is not linear that way. Unfortunately, it is actually WORSE than your estimate. Charging to 80% is rather quick, then the remaining 20% will take longer than the 80% took.

For grins, I plugged it into my computer's USB port to see how much it got juiced: 10% in 30 minutes or 25% more in 33% less time than the car charger. I used the cord from the car charger for this test to rule out a defective cable making the phone think it's just got a data connection. I'm really at a loss now. This is a 2013 Ford, so it's not as if it's a junker with poor electrical system.

It is likely the charger, not the car.

 

[DirkBelig]

It is likely the charger, not the car.

ChargerS, plural. Odd how all these different chargers simultaneously pooped the bed, huh?

I broke down and installed faux123's kernel, which has fast charge settings. Let's see how that behaves.

 

[foxbat121]

In retails, iPhone accessories are an easy sell and hence majority of them are for iDevices. Android is too fragmented to attract attentions from retailers. Even though iPhones require special connector at other end, but it still use a standard USB plug at charger end.
Android phones require the charger to have two data pings shorted out to indicate AC charger.
As long as your phone shows USB charging, you are only charge at USB current limited speed, It will charge very slow or not charge at all when you are at or below 20%. So, either get a real charger or get a special USB cable that has the wires shorted properly.

PS, the phone pulls more more than 500ma when you use it in GPS navigation mode (with both screen and GPS on). So a inappropriate charger will not even keep the phone charged at current level.
PPS. You can install the CurrentWidget app to display how much current the phone is using (discharging) or charging. Very handy.

 

[DirkBelig]

Android is too fragmented to attract attentions from retailers.

With all due respect, MALE BOVINE EXCREMENT!!! Do you even own an Android phone? In 2009, all the phone makers (except Apple) agreed to use micro-USB for charging which means every GD non-Apple device out there from $20 burner phone to a $700 off-contract smartphone uses the same charger spec. Yes, there are differences in capacity of the AC chargers, but fundamentally they're pretty much the same. This is why some phones have even not bothered to include a charger as a cost-savings based on the presumption that people already have a charger from their previous device. Look at the list in my sig; other than the now-gone iPad and the Transformer, every. single. one. works with every other device. Period.

To recap - phone chargers fall into two categories: Apple and everything else. Android "fragmentation" has NOTHING to do with it. Nuth. Ing.

Even though iPhones require special connector at other end, but it still use a standard USB plug at charger end. Android phones require the charger to have two data pings shorted out to indicate AC charger.

I've had a "non-charging" cable for my iPod, to connect to my car, but it managed to keep it running; battery never died and this was a HD-based iPod Classic. Whatever. The shorted data pins point keeps getting bandied around, but the problem is that I'm using the cables that came with AC chargers. If the only thing that determined flow to a device was this cable signalling, then how come the same cable reads as AC when plugged into wall chargers and USB everywhere else. Same cable; different results. I've seen things about how to modify your charger to short the pins on the charger side and this leads me to believe that COULD be a factor except that I've NEVER run into a problem before.

PS, the phone pulls more more than 500ma when you use it in GPS navigation mode (with both screen and GPS on). So a inappropriate charger will not even keep the phone charged at current level.

You really think I'm an moron, don't you? Look at the list of devices again. Not. My. First. Rodeo. I've used four Android phones (and a Palm Pre before that) across three cars with multiple chargers and have NEVER had this situation where the phone shows as charging and then either doesn't charge or just treads water or increases slowly. When the charger stopped working, it'd stop working. Period. No charge icon, no power LED for those phones that have them, just pfffft, dead.

PPS. You can install the CurrentWidget app to display how much current the phone is using (discharging) or charging. Very handy.

I'm suspecting the voltage level of the power points is too low and since I don't have a multitester to probe it, this may help. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

 

[foxbat121]

Calm down. I owned more Android phone than you ever had. The Android chargers (the ones from phone makers) has data pins shorted internally in the charger so that you can use any USB cable to charge without problem. You really have zero clue about chargers and yet balk at anything that contradicts your own false belief. Get a clue. I have already told you what to look for and how to check it. And yet, you chose personal attacks and posting non-sense.

 

[DirkBelig]

Your arrogance has been well-represented as well as your illiteracy as you seem to fail to comprehend what....

THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE WITH THESE CHARGERS

...means. You keep burping on and on about "incorrect chargers" when until a couple of weeks ago these chargers performed properly, quickly filling the battery, even if GPS and music were playing. If you think you're helping by ignoring what I'm saying over and over while you sniff that "Android is too fragmented for retailers to cope with", you aren't. It's amusing that you say I have zero idea about chargers when you think that "Android fragmentation" is the problem with car chargers. SMDH.

I'm about to go drive and we'll see what Charge Widget reports.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

1. Try a different charging port in the car. Oxidation happens.

2. Everyone please chill. It's OK for someone to say something you think is stupid. Just let it go.

 

[DirkBelig]

Jerry - As I noted, I tried the other power point and was getting the same results.

The Charge Widget gives the impression that the Duracell charger was running at a lower voltage (<4V) than the PNY. It was drawing ~300 mA while the PNY is in the ~800 mA range. I'll test further, but the phone is now charging like gangbusters. I left it on in the car when I ran into the house for about an hour and it went from 50% to fully charged. Hmmm. I'm going to test further, but I wonder if loading the faux123 kernel which has a fast charge functionality is the difference maker.

 

[Bront]

Kernal changes could be the issue. I have noticed my phone charges slower in the car chargers than on a regular charger, but that's to be expected. The super slow charge seems odd.

I would suggest trying a different phone to see if that phone has the same issue (IE, different make/model, not just another N5). It's also entirely possible there's a slightly loose connection or frayed internal wire (in the cable) that's slowing the power flow down.

 

[greydarrah]

I've always had the best results from Motorola's Rapid Charger (Amazon.com: Motorola Vehicle Power Adapter micro-USB Rapid Rate Charger: Cell Phones & Accessories). It always outpaces the phone's demands, even when navigating for hours.

If you don't want to buy/try another car charger though, you could always use one of those small power converters that let you plug a regular 110 volt charging unit in (like for a laptop), then use your regular wall charger.

Out of curiosity, are you able to try your existing car charger in a different car?

If none of that helps, the only culprit left is the phone. I'm no electrician, but possible the circuitry for the 12 volt converted charge is screwed up. It's a sucky solution, but you could always try a factory reset.

 

[ppaz]

I had the same issue, I solved it using the following car charger PowerGen 4.2Amps / 20W Dual USB Car charger (Amazon.com: PowerGen 4.2Amps / 20W Dual USB Car charger Designed for Apple and Android Devices: Cell Phones & Accessories). Also consider your cable 28/24AWG cables work better than standard USB cables. Look at the following post: 28/24AWG Micro USB Charging Cables for LG Nexus devices

 

[JeffDenver]

45-minute drive home just now with phone powered by center console power point. 17% to start, 25% at the end. 8% in 45 minutes = 9-3/8 hours to fully charge from empty, or just over 1/5th the wall charger speed. Unreal.

For grins, I plugged it into my computer's USB port to see how much it got juiced: 10% in 30 minutes or 25% more in 33% less time than the car charger. I used the cord from the car charger for this test to rule out a defective cable making the phone think it's just got a data connection. I'm really at a loss now. This is a 2013 Ford, so it's not as if it's a junker with poor electrical system.

Not all chargers are the same capacity...not even car chargers. 10% an hour is not unusual for mine either, even with other phones.

 

[JohnnyBroccoli]

[inappropriate content deleted by moderator]

I had the same problem in the car when switching from iPhone to Android. . . and [found] an easy answer.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FYQKMRG...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU3541022

 

[Arie Portnoy]

I am facing same issue with Nexus 5 Android 5. The problem is visible and real when I use the GPS.The only charger that is good for me is the ANKER with integrated Micro USB cable. (Anker® 24W Portable Dual-Port USB Car Charger with Built-in Micro USB Cable for Galaxy S5 S4; \Tried several other chargers, They all failed to charge the the N5 while I was using the GPS.

 

[bjrosen]

Your problem could be the cable. Make sure that you are using a charging cable not a data cable. A data cable will charge at USB speeds not at wall charger speeds. If it is the charger then I recommend getting a Bolse charger, they work very well for me. I have a Lerway Qi vent mount charger driven by a Bolse charger. A Qi vent mount charger is much more convienient than plugging a cable directly into the phone.