iPhone 17 Pro Max battery drains when connected to car

17 pro max suddenly losing power when connected to car (2022 Honda CR-V)

I bought my 17PM in September '25 and hadn't experienced any issues with the battery, car connection, or CarPlay until 2 months ago. Ever since then my phone's battery drains whenever it's connected to my car - doesn't matter if I'm using CarPlay or not.

My fiancé's now experiencing the same with her 17 pro.

Buying an adapter for, and plugging into, the 12V outlet isn't an option as I need that for my dashcam.

I've been using a Belkin USB-A to USB-C cable. As of late it won't even connect to CarPlay at all (Battery icon in the top corner will turn green and show a lightning bolt to indicate charging, but still loses power)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Posted on Oct 12, 2026 1:48 PM

2 replies

Lawrence Finch

Level 10 (244,490 points)

Oct 12, 2026 6:17 PM in response to MCurtis92

As it’s two iPhones, one car, the car is the prime suspect. The fuse that supplies power to the USB ports has probably blown.

MCurtis92 Author

Level 1 (0 points)

Oct 13, 2026 6:22 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Going to check this out. Thank you!