[AHughes]

I've seen a couple of posts similar to this but have seen where someone resolved the problem. In my bolt I've noticed that with some cables (but not all cables) I have to alternate which port I plug my phone into every time I get in the vehicle. I leave the cable plugged into the port (I unplug the phone from the cable and leave the cable in the car).

When this is happens the phone won't even charge. It appears the port is completely powered down.

I can unplug the cable and plug it immediately back into the same port. Nothing. If I unplug and plug into the other port everything is fine, at least until the next time I get in the car and I have to switch which port the cable is plugged into.

One thing I have noticed is this is cable specific. I've had it happen every single time with 2 different cables (1 was an Amazon Basic Cable and the other was a Mediabridge brand cable). Believe it or not cheaper cables from WalMart have never exhibited the same problem. So, I suspect it's something to do with the cables but for the life of me can't figure out what.

 

[XJ12]

Welcome to the forum.

Many people have discovered that their cables exhibit this behavior in about six months apparently from the wear 'n tear in this automotive environment. Vibration?

I never use my USB connections, but have wondered if they should be covered to protect from dust as the ones on the arm rest face up.

 

[Edchris]

I have not seen any specs, but I think the bottom port, (LT model), has more power.
I plugged my phone into the top port, it said 3 hours to charge, the bottom port, 1.5 hours.
Can anyone confirm this, or perhaps my phone just interpreted them differently.
We have a mix of Apple and Android phones. I leave a cable for each plugged in, & have had no problems just removing the phone.

 

[psyflyjohn]

The manual says to use "good quality cables". I thought that this was B.S. until I tried several cables and got different results with them. I guess this case may be to use the best quality cable available for consistent results.

 

[Sean Nelson]

The manual says to use "good quality cables". I thought that this was B.S. until I tried several cables and got different results with them. I guess this case may be to use the best quality cable available for consistent results.

Cables are the bane of USB. There are a LOT of really crappy cables out there, and then on top of that you have the issue of cables that have no data connection, are only useful for charging, and have zero identification to tell you that.

Find a good cable that works well and buy a few spares, that's my strategy.

 

[dave]

I had similar problems (and CarPlay issues too) and thought it was hardware and/or software problem. It turned out to be USB cable issues, even though there were no physical indications of cable wear (fraying, etc.).
I've had good luck with Amazon and Monoprice braided cover cables.

 

[Raymondjram]

I have no USB ports in my 2009 Chevy Equinox, but I have a ZUS (Nonda) Smart Charger that supplies 2.4 A per port (both ports are reversible so USB cables plug it any way) and are at a 45 degree angle to reduce cable bending. The Smart Charger also communicates via Bluetooth to the app in my Samsung Galaxy S8 and supplies some details, plus the app uses GPS to locate the Equinox after parking it.

Read more here:
https://www.nonda.co/products/nonda-zus-smart-car-charger

It may be expensive but it is of a high quality, and I recommend it!

 

[TimBolt]

I have intermittent issues, it actually feels like the USB ports are a bit loose. Sometimes jiggling the cable fixes the problem, sometimes switching the port fixes it.

I don’t think it’s cable related, at least in my experience, as I’ve had the issue with two different new cables. My best guess is that the USB ports don’t make a firm connection to the cable USB plug, there’s some slop (technical term) in the connection.

 

[max]

I had taken my 2017 in to have one of the center console ports checked as one worked with CarPlay, the other did not. I was told only one port was supposed to work and took their word for it, though I was fairly certain the other worked in the beginning. I had a battery backed phone case on my phone at one time and wondered if I fried one of the ports - though it still provided USB power.

Well, now in a 2019, both ports in the center console work just fine with CarPlay.

And to add to the cable commentary - I had a braided cord Aukey cable from Amazon that I felt was high quality but often had some odd issues with the 10.5" screen. Going into the 2019 - similar experiences and I decided to try another cable. Based on pure convenience, I went with an "ONN" branded lightening cable, 6' from Walmart. Works great, haven't had an infotainment glitch since...

 

[JPT]

I've had similar problems. I had a cable that worked fine for my Nexus 6p but then became unreliable with my Pixel XL. I switched to a cable that worked reliably, but would only slow charge the phone. I've now switched to yet another cable that is both reliable and charges quickly. Good luck.

 

[AHughes]

Odd part is it's the "cheap" cables that work every time. The more expensive / heavier gauge wire cables are the ones I seem to have the most problems with.

In one respect it's nice that the cheap ones work, but they also always wear out the fastest.

 

[GregBrew]

I've had similar problems. I had a cable that worked fine for my Nexus 6p but then became unreliable with my Pixel XL. I switched to a cable that worked reliably, but would only slow charge the phone. I've now switched to yet another cable that is both reliable and charges quickly. Good luck.

I bought a DROK USB power meter from Amazon (link, below) and was shocked to find that my charging issues on both Android and Apple products were almost 100% cable-related. Most of the dozen or so cables I had must have been ~24AWG wires, because they passed 1A at the most. A couple were in the .5A range. Several were charge-only cables, too. The old ones got recycled, and I bought high-quality, higher current (2.4A, min.), data-capable cables. Problem solved.


[ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XL2Y8L6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]

 

[dbostrom]

Thanks for the tip on that tool, GB. Taking the mystery out of USB cables is a Great Leap Forward.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Most of the dozen or so cables I had must have been ~24AWG wires, because they passed 1A at the most. A couple were in the .5A range. Several were charge-only cables, too. The old ones got recycled...

My old boss introduced me to the habit of "recycling" flaky cables by cutting the ends off them so that they never darkened my doorstep again...

 

[GregBrew]

My old boss introduced me to the habit of "recycling" flaky cables by cutting the ends off them so that they never darkened my doorstep again...

I have a box in the garage that contains broken electronics, dead batteries, dead CFLs, and bad cables. When the collection gets out of hand, I drop it off at the local refuse transfer station along with other toxic waste like paint and household chemicals. You can also pick up chemicals that you might need, that others dropped off. It's a free service for residents that (IIRC) is mandated in CA. Another one of those [email protected] regulations (that help keep toxics out of landfills). The horror!