Why won’t my USB work in my Car?

Many people enjoy listening to music during their daily commute, but instead of the usual radio stations, they plug in their USB devices so that they can listen to their own playlists or favorite songs. Although this is an enjoyable way to pass the time, many drivers are starting to question why won’t my USB work in my car?

Reasons why USB not working in car

There are a few reasons why your USB might not be playing the music on your playlist. you should consider all aspects of how you use your USB and which devices it’s being used with when considering possible explanations as to why won’t my USB work in my car.

USB Jack Issue

  First, it could be that there is no power going from your vehicle’s cigarette lighter jack into the input for the USB port. If you have a newer vehicle, the USB port may be powered from a separate power supply and not from the cigarette lighter at all. So it would seem that your USB device does not work in my car because there is no power going to this jack.

USB Input

Second, if your vehicle doesn’t have a USB input, then you’re going to need an adapter for this setup to work. The adaptor will convert the signal from your USB into a signal that can be read by the standard audio input on most vehicles. Once again though, if there is no power going into that input then even with an adaptor plugged in, nothing will play through it when inserted into my car USB port

Protected Music

Thirdly, one explanation be due to whether or not the music is protected with DRM. If you’ve ever used iTunes or another online service to purchase its media files, they will most likely be in this format. There are many devices that can play these files, but some car head units cannot play protected audio files at all. And if your device does not have the option of unprotecting the file before transferring it into your USB device then drag won’t work in my car.

Compatibility Issue

Or finally, it could be that the USB device is not compatible with your car. This is especially true for older vehicles because many of their head units will only play audio files from CDs or AM/FM radio. If this is the case, then you are out of luck when it comes to listening to your USB in my car.

There are numerous things you can consider replacing your vehicle’s stereo system with an aftermarket one if none of these reasons are why won’t my USB work in my car. These stereos can be connected via any input on the back including USB and have a plethora of options that allow them to play almost any type of audio file regardless of DRM restrictions or whether or not the songs are protected.

I hope that after reading this article you understand why won’t my USB work in my care and how to fix the problem yourself. You can also consult with a professional mechanic for more advice on why my USB won’t work in my car, as he may be able to fix the problem more easily than you can.