PS443

SUBJECT:
GROUP
Body Electrical
MODEL
NUMBER
PS443
DATE
March 2016
All Vehicles
USE OF AFTERMARKET USB CHARGING CABLES
IN USB /12V PORTS
This article provides information regarding the use of USB ports and 12V power outlets to
connect/charge mobile phones. Customers may experience issues with their head units that
may be related to the use of aftermarket USB charging cables, including;






Electrical interference and limited or no functionality when attempting to play music, or
when charging a device through the USB port
Excessive static or noise when listening to the audio source
Malfunctions and screen freeze of the head unit screen
Slow down of the system response while device is plugged in
Music will not play from iPhone 5 or 6 with Kia iPod cable and aftermarket adapter
No or limited functionality when trying to play music from an Apple device
The following three topics are covered in this document:
1. Using phone USB cables to charge and connect devices to play music or for use with
features such as Android Auto:
2. Using 12V chargers to charge mobile devices
3. Recommendations for using USB port to play music from iPhone 5 or 6 in older
model/year Kia Vehicles.
1. Using phone USB cables to charge and connect devices to play music or for
use with features such as Android Auto:

Recommendation is to always use the USB charging cable that was provided with the
phone or a replacement cable from the phone manufacturer.

Use of aftermarket USB charging cables is NOT recommended.

Plugging in larger devices, such as iPads and other tablets, is NOT recommended as
they may draw a higher current when charging (reference PS276) NOTE: USB devices
should always be connected only after turning the engine ON and disconnected
prior to turning the engine OFF.
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2. Using 12V chargers through the power outlet to charge devices:

The use of aftermarket 12V charging devices is NOT
recommended. Note: use of some 12V socket to USB
adapters has been confirmed to cause issues in
some vehicles (see page 1).

The Recommendation is to ALWAYS use the USB
charging cable supplied by the phone manufacturer (e.g.
Apple, Samsung, etc.) or an approved carrier supplied
12v charging cable (for instance a Verizon branded charger for iPhone products)

ONLY plug in battery equipped electronic devices with reverse current protection or
current from the battery may flow into the vehicle’s electrical system and cause a
system malfunction.

Any devices plugged in to the 12V charging cable should draw less than 10 amps from
the system, when the engine is running.
3. Recommendations for using USB port to play music from iPhone 5 or 6 in
older MY Kia Vehicles:

For certain older MY vehicles, Kia offers an accessory
OEM iPod cable (P/N: P8620 00000) that is
recommended for
with some models / head unit
platforms. NOTE: reference TSB General 054 for
specific application.

Based on testing of some AVN platforms, it is possible to
use the official Apple lightning adapter with the Kia OEM
iPod cable to obtain functionality in older MY vehicles.
However, compatibility is NOT guaranteed as those vehicles were designed and
manufactured prior to Apple’s release of these new phones and Apple continues to
release new software for these phones.

Based on limited testing, use of aftermarket lightning
adapters resulted in no, or limited, functionality in the
older models and is NOT recommended.
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