Hi there. I am new to the forums and new to Mazda this past month. I have a new used 2014 CX-9 GT and want to know about battery drain possibilities when using a USB charger that plugs into the traditional cigarette lighter jack inside the center console (the part where the driver's arm rests). The regular USB connection is good for charging but very slow and doesn't charge fast enough so I am using a cigarette lighter style one that has a few USB ports. Nothing is actually charging when I leave the vehicle but I want to know if the charger draws enough power to drain my battery. The charger has a small blue indicator LED light that remains on so I clued in that it is sucking some sort of power when the CX-9 is off. Should I be at all concerned with leaving it for a few days or a week even without driving the vehicle? What's your experience? Thanks in advance.

 

All modern automobiles have vampire current draw when turned off. A USB charger plugged into your 12V accessory port will draw a max of 1.5A when charging a mobile phone. When the phone reaches a full charge then the current draw slows to a trickle.

Not driving the car for a week should be no problem. If I were going to leave it unattended for a month, I'd probably use one of the many battery maintenance chargers such as Battery Tender by Deltran. I've used one for years and they are great!

 

Understood. The only thing that is plugged into the 12V when the vehicle is off is the USB hub with nothing charging. I noticed the hub’s blue LED light on which prompted me to ask the question. Guess I have nothing to worry about as the vehicle is driven once every day or two.