Power Issues

[CarlPalmer]

I just purchased a VIA 1535TM and I have gone through the battery options. I couldn't find anything to have the TomTom turn itself off, except when the power is cut off.

My Cigarette Lighter keeps pumping juice even after I turn off the vehicle. I really don't want my TomTom running all the time, as an even more blatant cry for smashing my window or to sit and drain my battery.

What options are there? I made the mistake of calling and talking to a support representative last night. She didn't know the product or the menus. It was embarrassing for TomTom!

 

[dhn]

Battery Saving Preference. I think there is a second screen to check or uncheck Turn off when External power lost (or something like that ..........

 

[CarlPalmer]

My old Garmin knew when the car had been parked and turned itself off after a couple min of the car not moving.

My lighter is on ALL the time, even when the car is off, so the TomTom is always on if I don't turn it off manually.

 

[canderson]

Some previous TomTom models were also able to shut themselves down if the GPS position held more or less steady for 30 minutes or so, longer than a typical Garmin would wait. I do not know if the Via 1535 firmware that you are running includes that feature. Unless someone here knows for certain, you can find out easily enough by leaving the unit powered on the car adapter for 30 minutes (give or take) and find out that way. Report back what you see!

 

[CarlPalmer]

It is still on from lunch, about 1 1/2 ago, so no. :-(

I guess that I am going to get a new cigarette lighter and install it in the car, making sure that it is not constantly on by wiring the power to a switched fuse. I am honestly blown away that this isn't a standard feature.

Thanks for you help.

 

[canderson]

What kind of vehicle do you own, and are there multiple cig outlets? Some vehicles have both sockets on both the switched and unswitched side.

 

[CarlPalmer]

No, just one. I own a 1997 ford explorer. I wish there were more. :-(

Hacking in a new switched one shouldn't be that big a deal, and I am planning on a major work on the vehicle weekend anyway...

 

[Andy_P]

While you're at it, why not install a new socket behind the dash, then you can install the cigarette lighter power supply semi-permanently for a much neater look (and you get to keep the normal socket for other things.

The easiest way is to use one of the cable-mounting sockets like this:

Connect the TT power supply to that and run the cable through the air vent and you can end up with something like this:

(Don't be tempted to bypass the TomTom power supply completely... it contains electronics to reduce the 12 Volt car power down to 5 Volts. Without it, the TomTom will FRY).

 

[CarlPalmer]

Yeah, I was thinking about buying 2 cigarette lighters and doing something like that. I will definitely look for one of those. That is a really good idea.

 

[Andy_P]

That socket is only a couple of pounds/dollars. Cheaper than a whole cig. lighter assembly
I got mine in the UK from "Maplin Electronics" (Similar to Radio Shack)

 

[CarlPalmer]

I ended up buying a 12 volt accessory plug for about $5 and installed it behind the dash. I already had the dash apart, and it was a snap once I found a wiring diagram and figured out which darn wire to tap into.

I also installed another outlet in the center console that is also switched with the ignition.

It amazes me that TomTom doesn't have some of the standard features others do, like automatic off and automatic on. Had I known, I would have got a Garmin. I hope they fix those kind of little things, as I really like my TomTom otherwise.

 

[Andy_P]

It amazes me that TomTom doesn't have some of the standard features others do, like automatic off and automatic on.

They DO have automatic off. It's in the power save menu.
For "Automatic on" you may not need to be patient much longer. It has already been added in a recent software update to certain GO models (see here).

 

[CarlPalmer]

They have an auto off if the unit losses power, but it should turn itself off after a period of the vehicle not moving, imho anyway.

 

[dhn]

I know that some models already do that (turn off if the unit senses no movement after, I think, 30 minutes). Just not sure whether all models have that functionality, I think not.

 

[canderson]

@mvl
With all of the recent changes in the auto-on/off area, we probably need to make another couple of rows for our spreadsheet.

 

[Andy_P]

..... it should turn itself off after a period of the vehicle not moving, imho anyway.

What time delay would you want though?

I think it would drive me mad if it switched off after just a few minutes. (At every traffic light?)
And if you only wanted it to happen after 10-15 minutes, then surely you would have switched the engine off anyway?

 

[canderson]

@Andy
The issue is for those with the cig adapter on the unswitched side of the ignition. Leaving the unit powered up and shutting down the ignition won't shut down the unit. It was for that reason that some of the older models had the 30 minute timeout. Saved a lot of people a lot of grief at the airport after returning from business trips to dead batteries.

 

[adidas1124]

I just received my 1535M Go Live yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see that this option is actually in the Battery Settings. It also announces what side of the street the destination is on (I know this was a huge loss on TT's part).

 

[dhn]

Don't forget to:

• Use a different email address for the new model in MyTomTomSA (tomtom.com/getstarted) than with the old unit
• You MUST use the Web app MyTomTom (see bullet 1) and NOT Home 2 with the new model
• You MUST activate the lifetime maps functionality. Don't waste your time trying to do in online. Call CS at 866-486-6866/

 

[adidas1124]

Sooooooo if I already did the /getstarted and entered my existing TT email address, can that be changed or am I screwed? The MyTomTom web app worked ok after I deleted TTHome2 from my laptop. About the Lifetime Maps, I guess I will have to call CS since there is no option to add a promo code on MyTomTom's drop down like they call out.