Reliable USB power - clearly not from the Cigarette Adapter

[DavidS]

I've been powering my phone via the provided cigarette adapter and a USB plug, but it seems to be pretty unreliable. Many times, it just stops charging, and If I don't notice it, I end up with a dead phone.
 
It doesn't look like you can just replace the existing cigarette plug, it's part of the dash. How are others powering USB devices on your FJ-09? Keep it simple, for those of us who are electrically challenged.......

[betoney]

You should be able to replace the 12v socket, you can buy them from Yamaha as an accessory (you can add a 2nd one on the right side) and plug it into available wiring.
 
12v DC Outlet
 

[BBB]

Remove the fairing parts around the cigarette adaptor and the two wires to it just pull off. Unscrew the adaptor and swap it for this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1x-Car-Motorbike-3-1A-Dual-USB-LED-Charger-Socket-Voltage-Voltmeter-Panel/391872303737?epid=2205215850&hash=item5b3d68d279:g:wVUAAOSwz~VZn7c-
 
I had to make the hole slightly bigger with a half-round file. It should just be a case of putting the wires back on and then the fairing surround. You gain two reliable charging ports and a voltmeter to check your battery and charging circuit.
 
I swapped it to the empty right hand side as it fiited the hole in my tank bag better.

[zebart]

Are u sure it stops charging mine does not stay plugged in when I am riding I had to build up the bottom of wheat ever I was plugging in with electrical tape I ended up putting a universal 12 vol plug in the middle of my handle bars ran straight off my battery it is a 12 amp where the factory one is a 2 amp which is ok for cell phone or gps I carry a air pump also it will not run off the 2 amp socket.

[betoney]

Are u sure it stops charging mine does not stay plugged in when I am riding I had to build up the bottom of wheat ever I was plugging in with electrical tape I ended up putting a universal 12 vol plug in the middle of my handle bars ran straight off my battery it is a 12 amp where the factory one is a 2 amp which is ok for cell phone or gps I carry a air pump also it will not run off the 2 amp socket.

Holy smokes that was one heck of a non-punctuated, run-on sentence. I’m out of breath just reading it. 

[wessie]

Not got my Tracer now but, yes, some plugs will come loose. I found a plug that fitted nicely and put this on the end of a lead, then mounted one of these on the bars.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-2-1A-Motorcycle-Cigarette-Lighter-Waterproof-Power-USB-Port-Socket-Charge/172656125990?hash=item28331b6826:g:2CkAAOSw6khayzfc
It has a 12V socket and USB outlet. Note the USB is only an amp so fine for charging a phone if it is in your tank bag but won't keep asatnav.
 
Wrapping tape around your plug is another solution - just don't insulate the earth contacts!

[DavidS]

Are u sure it stops charging mine does not stay plugged in when I am riding I had to build up the bottom of wheat ever I was plugging in with electrical tape I ended up putting a universal 12 vol plug in the middle of my handle bars ran straight off my battery it is a 12 amp where the factory one is a 2 amp which is ok for cell phone or gps I carry a air pump also it will not run off the 2 amp socket.

Yep, tried pushing it in a bit further while on the bike, but no difference. When I pulled over and pulled it out, then put it in and twisted it a bit, it started charging. I've had problems with this since I got the bike, and I'm a bit frustrated with the experience. I just ordered the one BBB suggested, and will try that.

[texscottyd]

Hi @pcwizz!  I was going to point you towards this prior thread, but just realized it was one you started on a similar topic back in September: 
https://fj-09.org/thread/5908/cigarette-lighter-plug-woes
 
Here is a revelation I've recently realized:  It may be your phone, and not the USB charger.   I also use an iPhone 6 (hardwired in via USB as shown in the thread linked above), and have noticed on several occasions that the phone is not charging despite clearly being plugged in and receiving power.  After a bit of head-scratching, I figured it out:  Always plug the power cord into your phone AFTER YOU'VE STARTED THE BIKE.  Every time I had an issue, it was when I secured the phone and plugged in the power cord, and then fired up the bike.  If I start the bike first, then plug in the phone as the bike is idling, the phone charges perfectly 100% of the time. 
 
My suspicion is that there is enough of a power fluctuation when the starter engages that it trips some sort of power surge protection in the iPhone itself.  It doesn't always happen, but I've been able to reproduce the scenario enough to convince me that is absolutely the issue.  So now I've just modified my pre-ride routine a bit...   (1) start bike, (2) plug in & secure phone, (3) earplugs/helmet/gloves/etc...  
 
Give it a try and see if it works.  Good luck! 
 

[stumpy]

Are u sure it stops charging mine does not stay plugged in when I am riding I had to build up the bottom of wheat ever I was plugging in with electrical tape I ended up putting a universal 12 vol plug in the middle of my handle bars ran straight off my battery it is a 12 amp where the factory one is a 2 amp which is ok for cell phone or gps I carry a air pump also it will not run off the 2 amp socket.

Holy smokes that was one heck of a non-punctuated, run-on sentence. I’m out of breath just reading it. 

I hear ya...but at least he used a period at the end to tell us it was over!   
 

[betoney]

I've been powering my phone via the provided cigarette adapter and a USB plug, but it seems to be pretty unreliable. Many times, it just stops charging, and If I don't notice it, I end up with a dead phone. 
It doesn't look like you can just replace the existing cigarette plug, it's part of the dash. How are others powering USB devices on your FJ-09? Keep it simple, for those of us who are electrically challenged.......

Well, this started happening to me as well, instead of my phone, I use it to power my Garmin GPS. 
Odd symptoms; the 12v power adapter light stays lit but the GPS continuously powers off then within a few seconds it turns back on.  I tried a brand new Garmin power cable and the new one does the same thing.
I then began to suspect the GPS itself, so I removed the GPS and cable from the bike and plugged them into a different 12v socket for 4 hours and it didn't turn off once.
Another odd symptom is the display brightness was very dim when on the bike, like its set to 50-60% when it was at 100%, when I plugged the GPS and cable into another 12v socket, it was so bright that I had to turn the brightness down.
I'm going to install it in my work truck tomorrow and let it run all day long and see if it turns off and on at all. 
This is leading me to believe that the socket itself is faulty.
 

[britelitebob]

I've been powering my phone via the provided cigarette adapter and a USB plug, but it seems to be pretty unreliable. Many times, it just stops charging, and If I don't notice it, I end up with a dead phone. 
It doesn't look like you can just replace the existing cigarette plug, it's part of the dash. How are others powering USB devices on your FJ-09? Keep it simple, for those of us who are electrically challenged.......

Well, this started happening to me as well, instead of my phone, I use it to power my Garmin GPS. 
Odd symptoms; the 12v power adapter light stays lit but the GPS continuously powers off then within a few seconds it turns back on.  I tried a brand new Garmin power cable and the new one does the same thing.
I then began to suspect the GPS itself, so I removed the GPS and cable from the bike and plugged them into a different 12v socket for 4 hours and it didn't turn off once.
Another odd symptom is the display brightness was very dim when on the bike, like its set to 50-60% when it was at 100%, when I plugged the GPS and cable into another 12v socket, it was so bright that I had to turn the brightness down.
I'm going to install it in my work truck tomorrow and let it run all day long and see if it turns off and on at all. 
This is leading me to believe that the socket itself is faulty.

I never had much luck pulling power from a lighter socket, believe it or not they were actually designed for cigarette lighters and didn't even work for that very well. I usually just wire things like a gps in directly to an accessory lead and install a couple of sae plugs for other things I may need. And those little usb chargers that plug into the lighter sockets are just as bad and usually take forever to charge anything.  
A while back I started carrying a power bank and now I rarely ever charge anything from the bike at all anymore. Most of my gadgets will make it through the day but now if i need to charge something I'll usually do it during a lunch break with the fast charge feature. The nice thing about the power bank is that it's mobil so I just take it in the restaurant or wherever it is you may be at the time, or just charge things with it while in the top case or tank bag.
 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2JBTEM/ref=twister_B075D9JXQT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
 
And If you do need a usb charger and have an sae plug these are excellent.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-081-0158-Disconnect-Smartphone/dp/B00DJ5KEF4
 
 
 

[betoney]

I put a tiny notch in the connector (at the seam) to keep the plug snug in the socket. Also shortened cable slack (drip loop) to reduce vibration. Problem disappeared. YMMV.

 
I'm trying to visualize what this means.  You are talking about on the USB connector end of the power cable? or the USB receptacle on the back of the GPS?
 
 
Thanks
 
 

[betoney]

Ok, that makes sense now. Thank you.
 
The cable is a genuine Garmin branded cable. I too have found that Garmin devices are VERY picky about using a genuine cable. The universal cables all seem to put the device into data mode instead of navigation mode.

[betoney]

I went to the Yamaha shop a few minutes ago and asked if Y.E.S. covered the outlet, the service manager said it does. He ordered the new part, booked me an appointment for a replacement and will cover it under warranty.

[betoney]

I went to the Yamaha shop a few minutes ago and asked if Y.E.S. covered the outlet, the service manager said it does. He ordered the new part, booked me an appointment for a replacement and will cover it under warranty.

Did you nail it down to a bad socket? I though the PSU light remained lit..., or was that @david .

 
The Garmin power cord must have a small capacitor, it stays lit for a few seconds when pulled from power.  I think that might explain the light staying lit when the GPS saying is has lost power momentarily.
 
 
During my ride yesterday, there were occasions where it would stay lit for several minutes at a time, then others where it was going on/off/on/off every few seconds.  I connected the GPS and power cord to a different 12v socket in my work truck today and ran it for the entire 8 hour shift and it didn't lose power once.