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I have a Land Cruiser 2010. It's the third time this is happening. Any USB stick that's connected to the Audio USB/AUX port gets super hot and stops working after a few seconds. Yesterday I connected a bluetooth receiver in this port as well and it was killed the same way. I'm sure this USB port is for music and not charging as its right next to the AUX port.

Any idea why this is happening and how I can prevent it?

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4 Answers 4

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The port is badly broken, stop using it until you get it fixed.

If it has always been like this, chances are the port is miswired so that the +5V and ground pins are swapped (perhaps an internal cable plugged in the wrong way round). The reverse polarity would almost certainly destroy any devices plugged in (there's no way to plug in any USB connector the wrong way round, so this is not a risk that device designers would normally protect against).

On the other hand, if the port used to work normally and then started doing this all of a sudden, it's fairly likely the USB hub powering the port is toast and its 5V regulator is potentially letting full 12V+ through. Such an excess voltage will likely fry any unsuspecting device. The only solution would be to have the USB hub inspected and replaced. (Which might entail replacing the whole entertainment system or something, I'm not familiar with the car.)

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    The bottom line @HaaniJessin is don't plug anything else into that port until you have it fixed.
    – GdD
    Jun 16, 2022 at 14:49
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    @GdD Right, I originally had a similar direct answer to "how to prevent it" at the end, but then I felt it is too obvious and might come across as a little patronizing.
    – TooTea
    Jun 16, 2022 at 14:53
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    I take your point, my personal view is that answers on this site should always be written for the broadest possible audience, who may not be completely comfortable with the English language. It's worth being blunt if it keeps someone from frying their brand new iPhone.
    – GdD
    Jun 16, 2022 at 15:10
  • @GdD Fair enough, edited.
    – TooTea
    Jun 17, 2022 at 12:23
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If you have a multimeter, you can check what is going on. Find an old usb cable you have lying around, and strip it until you get 4 wires. Then, find which wires are 5V and Ground by using the continuity test and a usb pinout online.

After you have identified these wires, plug the cable in and test the 5V and Ground wires with the multimeter. If it reads a negative voltage, then the USB socket in the dash has incorrect connections to the car's wiring harness, and the socket should be removed and repaired, or it should be replaced. If the voltage is over 5.5v, then you need to replace the voltage regulator.

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    It isn't clear what "...see what you can get there" means. Do you mean test for power and ground and signal and see if they appear on the correct conductors? Then rewire the USB socket to correct any errors? Or construct a non-standard USB cable to connect external devices? (The latter is a bad solution, as it risks any device that's plugged in by an unknowing user.)
    – DavidRecallsMonica
    Jun 17, 2022 at 19:30
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Alternative solution, fill the port with hotglue to prevent anyone using it in the future, and use a cigarette-lighter to USB adapter for charging things.

You could just tape over it, but that's not as secure and may fall off.

Downside, this won't help with reading the USB disks for audio, but you'll stop frying devices.

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    Land Cruiser is such an expensive car that whoever buys it used may want to fix the electricals of the USB port rather than to avoid using it. This may therefore affect the resale value of the car, if it is ever sold used.
    – juhist
    Jun 19, 2022 at 9:43
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This assumes it's the power source only, not the data lines being out of spec, but...

Take a USB extension cable (shorter one; non-active), and carefully cut only the outer sheathing somewhere along it. Cut ONLY the red and black (usually those colors, ymmv), and wire them to a separate USB A plug. Power the device from a cigarette lighter socket adapter instead of the radio.

Alternatively, spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to replace the media center radio.

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    this answer is a salty, poor clone of existing answers.
    – Phil
    Jun 19, 2022 at 21:33
  • This answer is a potential solution to the problem, at least temporarily, that the OP is facing. Car manufacturers mark their radios up ridiculously, so of course I'd suggest working around the problem. Sorry if that bothers you, Phil. Further, no one else suggested a solution that would still allow the radio to read USB sticks potentially. I'm done trying to help people, this place is toxic.
    – Jimmio92
    Jun 23, 2022 at 16:03

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