So, my daughter called me this morning complaining of her car not starting. Her husband had this dongle installed on his 2009 Camry for awhile without any issues so they put one into her 2014 Corolla yesterday afternoon, but it appeared to have drained the battery overnight. The car eventually started after about 1/2 dozen tries.
They are sure that they did not leave the interior/exterior lights on, and the light is turning off eventually after the doors are shut.
Anyone had any issues with these dongles draining the car battery overnight?
Yes this is a common complaint with those devices. Allstate, progressive, etc, they all seem to have those little plug in devices, and common complaints are that they all make a car not start after being plugged in for a while.
I was very interested in trying one to "see how much I could save" but after a little research, I sent it back to the company without ever plugging it into my car.
The companies deny anything is wrong with them but they're lying.
Haven't heard of it specifically, but it doesn't surprise me too much.
I use an Ultragauge with the 2002 Focus that plugs into the OBD II port and they had to re-design the way it turns off to keep it from killing the battery on 2011 and up Fords: http://ultra-gauge.com/customer_support/knowledgebase.php?article=16 Toyota isn't mentioned but since the issue was corrected prior to 2012, it is possibly they would be affected also ...
There are numerous complaints about these insurance company plug-in units causing all sorts of problems - from battery draining, overheated/melted dash wiring, brake pedal pressure change, etc., etc. Personally, I would remove it immediately and return it.
Hopefully it just drains the battery and a jump-start and the alternator fixes the car.
If the battery dies and can't be re-charged due to their device, the insurance SHOULD replace the battery for you, but depending on your coverage, they might try to make a claim against your comprehensive coverage - which goes against your claim history even though it was caused by their device.
We will probably have those devices mandated by the government soon enough so they can issue tickets whenever they wish. Why invite them into your lives? I am a very careful driver. I have never been in an auto accident in over 30 years and probably close to a million miles of driving, but I will still not invite them to spy on my driving habits. Sure, they sell it as something to save you money, but what they are really looking for is patterns in driving habits so they can crunch the numbers and maximize their profits (nothing wrong with that, but I do not want to participate)
At some point in the near future parents will be told that inserting a small chip into their babies heel will help if they are ever abducted, later this chip will be used to for security purposes at places like airports. it will all be sold to us as making society safer.
At some point in the near future parents will be told that inserting a small chip into their babies heel will help if they are ever abducted, later this chip will be used to for security purposes at places like airports. it will all be sold to us as making society safer.
Yeah, the hell with those plug-in dongles. Every time the battery is run down it's lifespan is shortened. Can't possibly be worth the trivial premium discount.
I wonder if anyone ever got burned & had their rates go UP instead of down cause they didn't realize they were actually a terrible driver?
I did it with Progressive when I had my 2003 Buick, and I treated it like a game. No hard brakes, no driving at night, no excessive driving during the day, and after a few months of that, I sent the device back and got a tasty 30% discount, then went back to my normal driving ways!
after reading custemer issues.
If it could cause issues like overheated/melted dash wiring, brake pedal pressure change, etc.
I will never put thos devices in my car!!!
Toyota could void waranty if u mess up with car setting by the ODB II plug.
And it could melt dash wireing, then it could start fire!!!!
That very scary
Essentially this is not true unless the device caused the failure that you are trying to correct via warranty (at least for Toyota).
Do this procedure with the ignition off, one time without the device plugged in and one time with the device plugged in. Make sure all lights are off etc before testing. The delta would give you the additional parasitic load caused by the device:
The Ultra-guage article explained what is happening pretty well - for their product, but I assume the allstate,snapshot devices work similarly.
It isn't really the parasitic drain of the dongle that is the problem - it is that with something connected to the OBD II port, the other computers in the vehicle don't go into sleep mode and THAT is what drains the battery.
I think the test would work, but I'm not sure if a modern car might sense a meter in the circuit and therefore not shut down - cars aren't as simple as they used to be ...
As fun as it is concocting conspiracy theories it's easy enough to prove or disprove what Allstate says about battery load:
Does this device drain my battery?
The device has a sleep mode that reduces the draw on the battery to a very small amount — comparable to the voltage used by your car's clock. The effect on battery power is negligible. However, Allstate would suggest that you follow your vehicle manufacturer's recommendations regarding long-term storage. Manufacturers generally recommend starting the engine and driving a few miles every few months.
Do this procedure with the ignition off, one time without the device plugged in and one time with the device plugged in. Make sure all lights are off etc before testing. The delta would give you the additional parasitic load caused by the device:
You could then determine if the official quote above is accurate or inaccurate although I assume if it's inaccurate it may also be because of a device error.
You don't want to get the Hum (by Verizon), which you may have seen advertised recently on television that apps with a smartphone. It is used by permanently plugging it into the OBD port also.