Scosche OBD-II to USB Adapter - Beware, it can kill your 12v battery and cause lots of problems!

[manishie]

Final update:
Seems like nobody else has had issues with this adapter. So it was probably just an excuse the service center gave me so that they wouldn’t have to take responsibility…

–---------
Original comment:
I installed the adapter and left my car unplugged overnight with only 10 or 20 miles of range. Yes, I know I shouldn't have done that. But that low level of range, combined with the Scosche adapter (which never turns off), killed the 12v battery and made it impossible to charge without sending it to the service center. See here for the full saga.

I'm going to replace the Scosche with the Garmin Constant Power Cable, which you can set to turn off 10 minutes after the car is turned off. And of course I will never let my battery get that low in range. ?

Edit #1: this didn't happen a second time. The link above is to the original thread. I just wanted to have a new thread specifically mentionging the Scosche adapter to make it more searchable, so that people don't make the same mistake as me. Just tryin' to help here...

Edit #2:
Fine, I changed the title to remove the word "bricked", based on the responses I got.

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[Polar]

Or I recommend fuse tap off a switched power source and don’t vampire draw off a port that isn’t switched power.

Also - are you confusing your 12V battery with your traction battery?

 

[eskudo12791]

This just in! Leaving something connected to your 12v runs the battery down, just like leaving the headlights on with an ICE. SOC of the high voltage and killing the 12v are two separate systems.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

I use OBD to 12v for my trailer camera but I don't leave it plugged in. I only have it hooked up when I need to use it. My device also has an on/off switch on it so I can leave it connected to OBD port but turn off power draw.

https://amzn.to/45scSEF

 

[COdogman]

Wait, you left your Rivian parked AGAIN with only 10-20 miles range after the first time you posted about it? This time with something plugged in using 12v power? If you did that again it’s very hard to feel sorry for you. Or are you referring to the same event?

You, from December 23:

so, with my old electric car, a nice simple Chevy bolt, I could leave it unplugged for weeks without any issues. well, not the case with my Rivian R1S. apparently, this car has quite a big “vampire draw.“ Meaning it uses a lot of power even when it just sits there doing nothing overnight. So I had something like 10 or 20 miles of range when I parked my car at the parking lot in the Berkeley Marina the other night. and then when I woke up the next morning, nothing. Zero battery power. not even enough that I could unlock the doors. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/my-r1s-charging-nightmare.22581/

Also, it didn’t “brick” it. Your 12v batteries were depleted.

 

[SoCal Rob]

Wait, you left your Rivian parked AGAIN with only 10-20 miles range after the first time you posted about it? This time with something plugged in using 12v power? If you did that agin it’s very hard to feel sorry for you.



https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/my-r1s-charging-nightmare.22581/

Also, it didn’t “brick” it. Your 12v battery. The batteries were depleted.

My understanding is that this is a follow-up based on info received from the original (parked with 10-20 miles range) incident. A Rivian Tech pointed at the Scosche OBD 12V always-on adapter as a contributing factor to the failure of the expensive 12V battery.

edit: Regarding “bricked” in my mind something is bricked if it can never be made to function properly again. As in, this will never have more utility than a brick. I think devices used to be considered bricked if a firmware or other update was interrupted/failed and there was no way to get the device operational.

 

[COdogman]

My understanding is that this is a follow-up based on info received from the original (parked with 10-20 miles range) incident. A Rivian Tech pointed at the Scosche OBD 12V always-on adapter as a contributing factor to the failure of the expensive 12V battery.

Thank you. I’m not sure how he expected anyone to know that

 

[manishie]

No no, not it didn't happen again.

As I mentioned in the original thread, the technician pointed out that this was an additional mistake I made in addition to leaving it at 10/20 miles of range overnight. And as I mentioned in that thread, I thought it would make sense to highlight this one issue about the Scosche adapter in a separate thread to make it more searchable so that others don't make the same mistake as me.

I called it "bricking" as the 12v battery was so depleted that I was unable to charge the car at 2 different chargers, and had to get it towed to the service center for repair. But fine, if you don't want me to say it was "bricked" I won't. ?

 

[Zoidz]

"Bricked" is becoming genericized like "Kleenex", but it classically it does specifically mean permanently unusable. Its use really became mainstream during the smartphone jailbreaking craze in the 200Xs. But I recall hearing this term in the 80s/90s, referring to dead 5.25" full height hard drives ... which were very roughly the size of ...... wait for it ......... a brick.

 

[manishie]

Fine, I changed the title to remove the word "bricked", based on the responses I got. ?

 

[ndmiller]

Bad day sorry

 

[manishie]

The adapter did nothing, is not at fault and your thread title is misleading at best, clickbait at worst.

Another example why legal disclaimers on most consumer products telling to not do something stupid with them exist.

Seriously? I admitted I screwed up, and I'm just trying to prevent other people from buying this and having the same issue. Happy to change the title to something less triggering for you...

 

[ndmiller]

Seriously? I admitted I screwed up, and I'm just trying to prevent other people from buying this and having the same issue. Happy to change the title to something less triggering for you...

Sorry I had a crappy day and don't have version 50 available to download.

 

[manishie]

Also - are you confusing your 12V battery with your traction battery?

No, the Rivian tech said my 12v battery had been drained to 5.8 volts, and that's why I was unable to charge my car.

 

[Riv_Goat]

What were you powering with the OBD-II to USB adapter?

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