My tin-top can use Android Auto, and accesses my phone via a normal USB-C lead.

The problem when I try to use it is that it keeps losing the connection. My car's not very old so I immediately thought the worst - a faulty connector on the dash. However, while playing around I realised that the issue is at the phone end - waggle the USB-A connector on the dash and it stays connected; waggle the USB-C connector even slightly on the phone's end and it disconnects, reconnects, disconnects, etc. Being an optimist at heart, I blamed the phone connector. I tried my wife's phone, and got the same result, ruling out my phone's socket.

Went back to my phone and tried again - and it worked. Fiddled for a while and found out that I got an intermittent connection when the USB-C connector was plugged in one way round, and was fine when reversed - same result on my wife's phone. This confused me as USB-C is supposed to be fully reversible, but it seems to happen with a few leads I've tried.

Am I going nuts?

And can anyone recommend a supplier of really good-quality USB leads? Almost all of mine came via ebay, so that may be the root of many of my problems...

I've had similar problems using usb-c with a serial adaptor to megasquirt, it seems to be contamination of the pins within the phone due to it living in pockets etc, exacerbated by using wireless charging which leaves the port otherwise unused.

I had some success cleaning the connector with contact cleaner, a non metallic pick and compressed air, but still had some issues. You won't have the same levels of vibration in your tintop so cleaning may be enough for you, also there seems to be a lack of positive locking while plugged in which doesn't help, this was much better with my old note 3 that had micro usb3, i didn't have any issues with that and the same serial adaptor, even when the phone was 6 years old.


Dave

Genuine Samsung? from Samsung.

Try cleaning the socket on your phone. If it lives in your pocket they collect fluff easily. I get the same issue on my Samsung where the lead won't click in properly. Fluff removal required about once a month.

All good points - how have people cleaned the socket? There's not much room to work in there!

I use a plastic toothpick. You can buy cleaning kits off ebay aswell.

Youll be amazed how much crap you get out if the phone lives in your pocket

Tepe interdental floss brushes are also good for this kind of thing, like tiny bottle brushes and available from 0.4mm thick upwards.
They do have a metal inner core, so power down the phone first.

Dave

I blow my iphone out with the compressor, as even with a genuine lead it wont charge when full of fluff/dirt

From personal experience of my 3 kids and several nephews/nieces the connectors in the phones are not particularly robust. i.e., the connector solder joints to the PCBs inside the phones can get fractured resulting in intermittent connections. It has to be said kids are generally worst at this as they don't hesistate to stretch the cables and putch the connetors under unecessary mechanical strain (a longer cable is often the answer to overcome the stretching issue).

My nephew's parents sent one of his phones off to have the connector repaired £££ (nephew was pulled up pretty sharp on how and how NOT to treat the phone thereafter).

David Jenkins - sounds to me if the connector cleaning suggestions don't work for you then the connector to PCB solder joints may be at fault (not suggesting you misuse your kit BTW). Do you have alternative cables and phones you can test with to see what results you get?