Question on iPod Power after Turning Off Car

[achin422]

All,

I have a question concerning the how to properly operate the iPOD in my car. I have the factory iPod setup in my '07 328xi.

So while the car is running, I'm playing my iPod. I'm trying to figure out what to do with the iPod once I turn off the car. BTW, it is an iPod Classic.

Once I turn off the car, do I need to disconnect the iPod from the docking cable? My concern is I'm wondering if I do nothing but turn off the car and leave, that somehow, the iPod is still draing power from the battery.

Can this community please tell me how they use their iPod in their cars under this situation?

Thanks in advance.

[Beer Goggles]

I leave mine in there and never have a problem. My guess, and I've never checked is like the radio, the power goes off after like 15 minutes when you turn the car off. When you open the door I think it may repower the ACC in the center box.

[achin422]

I leave mine in there and never have a problem. My guess, and I've never checked is like the radio, the power goes off after like 15 minutes when you turn the car off. When you open the door I think it may repower the ACC in the center box.
OK, thanks. I'll do nothing with the iPod or anything else when turning off the car and hope I don't find my battery drained the next time I go to start the car. Thanks again for the quick response.

[mryakan]

I only take it out of the car when it is extremely cold or hot outside to protect the iPod itself. The circuit is disconnected when the car is off so there is no issue of draining the battery. You can verify that by leaving the iPod connected and then checking it screen to see if is says charging, it won't, but wait for the car to go into sleep mode.

[rcroane]

I never turn my iPod off and have never had any problem.

[cemman]

I am on my second iPod classic. I left mine in the car all the time, but heat can be bad for it. Mryakan is correct, protect the iPod heat can damage it. By the way, the symptom of a failed iPod because of heat is that it appears to work, but no sound comes out. If you squeeze the case in the lower right hand corner, you can get it to work again, but only briefly. This was not the car's fault or the iPod's, it was my laziness.

[mryakan]

I am on my second iPod classic. I left mine in the car all the time, but heat can be bad for it. Mryakan is correct, protect the iPod heat can damage it. By the way, the symptom of a failed iPod because of heat is that it appears to work, but no sound comes out. If you squeeze the case in the lower right hand corner, you can get it to work again, but only briefly. This was not the car's fault or the iPod's, it was my laziness.
And if left in extreme cold (or even anything below freezing really), it will stop working and complain that the battery is dead and won't work till it is warm again even if you have the connector attached. Also there is a risk the disks may shatter at extreme cold (for the hard drive equipped ones).

[achin422]

Thanks everyone for all your good response. I've left my iPod connected the last time I drove the car on Monday. Have not driven it since but am confident all will be OK based on all of your experience.

Thanks again.

[5050punk]

I'm sure it's not normal, but I had an issue with a faulty connector for the iPod in the center console. One problem was that I had to push the cable at an angle to get it to play sound (which I did by wedging in a pack of gum between the cable and the lid), and the other was that it kept charging when I shutoff the car. As a result, the battery was completely draining to the point where my comfort access didn't work to unlock the doors, and a few times the car wouldn't even start.

After waiting a month, the new connector finally came in and got installed yesterday, so hopefully that fixes it.

[achin422]

Just an update (if anyone is interested). Drove the car today after two days of not driving and car started ok. No signs of any battery drainage. But you guys already knew that and told me so.

Thanks again everyone.