(UK.) Solar trickle-charging 12V batt' when parked.

[AllFumbs]

Hello, All,

A Gen-1 is having to stand, unused. The 12V battery runs-down.

Can you recommend a solar trickle-charger, please?

It must be one that feeds the charge thro' the cig'-lighter: it is not safe around here to have the cables lead from the window and run along the outside of the vehicle before disappearing beneath the bonnet (to be crocodile-clipped to the battery-terminals): someone'd rip them off.

And must it be unplugged at night to stop the day's takings simply turning-round and dissipating back through the cig'-lig' socket? Or would one be available that has one-way 'valve', please?

Thank you,

AF.

[Willie Williford]

First you will have to rewire the cig. lighter as it is only hot with the IGN on. You could install another accessory socket and wire it straight to the battery.

All you seek is available. I would go with at least a 2 amp charger for the 12V battery.

HTH
Willie

[AllFumbs]

Righto, Willie.

Will do.

(Yes, that helps, greatly. Thank you.)


AF.

[Cobb]

2 amps? I think he just wants to keep his battery useable, not boil the fluid from the cells. a 2 amp 12 volt solar panels would be about the size of his windshield. I have a little 1 watt panels I sit in my suzuki sidekick to keep his battery topped off and it does fine. Its about the size of a sheet of paper and I sit it on the dash.


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[Willie Williford]

Ok so I pushed the wrong button.

Willie

[Cobb]

You ment 2 watts?


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[JamesK-insight]

Is this sort any good? Does the odb2 port connect to the 12v battery even with the ignition off?
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewi...id=61663790448


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[ackattacker]

Originally Posted by JamesK-insight

Is this sort any good? Does the odb2 port connect to the 12v battery even with the ignition off?
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewi...id=61663790448


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I think that will work.

I can tell you that my bluetooth OBD scan tool powers up when plugged in even with the car off... implying that the OBD port has a hot connection to the battery.

[AllFumbs]

Thank you, All,

Yes, it wasn't bright of me to overlook the fact that the cig'-lig' socket's only 'hot' when the key's in. I'd have a brick through me window and an invisible car within minutes.

So that suggestion of, and eB*y link to, a solar-charger with an OBDII-plug looks just the ticket. Thank you – as well as for the observation that the corresponding port is live even when the key isn't in. I do hope that'll do the trick. I'll approach a VeeDubbelyew dealer and pick one up, or indeed use the on-line auction.

It was even fun grubbing-around with a torch (or 'flashlight', if you will) trying to locate the OBDII-port in this right-hand-drive car. Ah, there it is: to the right of the passenger's right foot. Do excuse me, madam: perhaps you shouldn't have worn such a short skirt, bless you.



AF.

[olrowdy01]

Originally Posted by AllFumbs

Thank you, All,

Yes, it wasn't bright of me to overlook the fact that the cig'-lig' socket's only 'hot' when the key's in. .............AF.

Honda had an optional cigarette lighter that replaced the accessory gizmo. Assuming that they connected it up to an always on circuit it might be easy to make the connection considering that you'd have to be a snake to find it. I felt around in my 2005 G1 and the wire(s) disapeared pretty quickly into the harness though.

I'm using two of the smaller radio shack solar chargers in parallel to charge my CRX 12v battery and they work fine. I have one laying on the back cargo area and another on a flat area over one of the rear wheels by the side window. That way there is more of a chance that one of them is in the sun most of the time. I found that one of the smaller panels wasn't enough to keep the battery charged as they aged.
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[edit]
I bit the bullet and pulled the center plastic off that hides the radio connecter etc. I wired the accessory socket to the all time 12v wire on the radio connector. You have to pull the radio to get at the connector on the back of it. Also pull the radio fuse so you don't blow it while making the mod. The 10A fuse is under the left side of the dash. The 12v wire to the radio is quite thin and I sure wouldn't try to put 9.5A through it though.

I bought this 5W "garden solar panel" through eBay 5W Solar Cell Panel 5 Watt 12 Volt Garden Fountain Pond Battery Charger Diode | eBay

It's a nicely made panel and is worth the price. I noticed that the working current (Iop) is 0.29A at Vop 17.3V which is really too much current to continually charge a 12v lead-acid battery.

I installed a voltage regulator set for 13.8V inside the cigarette light plug to limit the voltage (and hence the current) to a safe value. You will get a loose Schottky diode with the panel. Wire it right at the output connection of the plug so the battery doesn't discharge back into the regulator or the panel. You don't need the diode at the panel since it is in the cigarette plug.

My car has dark tinting on the back and side widows and the charge current is about 35 ma maximum. Since the windows on the Insight have tinting in the glass I'm not sure what it the charge will be without the dark tinting. Moving the panel directly into the sun increases the charge to ~250ma if the 12V battery is low.

This setup works very good. I just have panel laying in the cargo area where the sun can shine on it part of the day.