Solar Powered Battery Charger

[toondoug]

Hi all, had my t180 since new and touch wood it's never been a problem, done lots of long distance to Spain etc and it's a joy to drive. Not doing a lot of mileage at the moment as I've got the use of a company car during the week, had a couple of flat Battery issues and had the Battery tested,Mr T said its fine and just needs a good charge. I was wondering if one of the solar powered trickle chargers that sits on the dash and plugs into the cigarette lighter would be worth a try, has anyone got one or can recommend a good product. Living in a flat I can't access a normal charger. The ones I've looked at say the socket has to be permanently live to the Battery. Any views ? Thanks in advance.

[Treborv8]

I used one on my Saab put it under the sun roof & closed the internal sunroof cover, used to leave it for weeks on end while I was working overseas & never had a problem with flat batteries. Used to connect it direct to the Battery. Will try to look it out & find the make.

[philip42h]

You are right ... it won't work if simply connected to the accessory socket.

On the RAV the accessory socket is live only when the ignition is 'on'. [Or at least that is the case on my 4.4 and was on my SR180 - it's probably worth double checking that this is also the case on your T180.] In this situation, there is no path for power generated by the solar charger to get to the Battery and thus it won't work if connected via the accessory socket.

Leaving the ignition 'on' probably isn't a good idea ...;)

So you would have to find a way of connecting the charger directly to the Battery (as Bob implies) ...

[Mike169]

I've had quite a lot of experience with these, as previously mentioned to start with to have to determine if your cigarette lighter works with the ignition key removed or does it need to be on aux or ign....if it is either of the last 2 them you will have to connect the wires directly to the Battery with crocodile clips or similar, even ring terminals with a small 2 pin plug of some sort so you can disconnect it. If your cigarette lighter works with the key removed you can plug the device directly into it as long as the plug fitting stays in, don't forget these plugs are spring loaded and want to push themselves out. Go for the most expensive panel you feel you can afford as it's quite simple, the bigger the panel the more amps it will generate so the more charge your Battery will get. If you have tinted windows on your car the solar panel will be slightly less effective so you may be better off putting it behind your windscreen as they are usually the least tinted, obviously if you have a thick black area at the edges of the glass like many bonded windscreens do then you will want to have the panel behind the clearer bit in the middle. Of course if you buy one that claims it charges up to say 10 amps don't forget that's when it's a hot clear sunny day without clouds, it will work when the weather is cloudy and not so bright/hot but at a much reduced rate.

Regards Mike169

[gjnorthall]

The lighter socket is ignition fed so wouldn't work as a charger socket. If the charger is to be used on a regular basis and you don't want long leads, external wires, crocodile clips etc - it's easy to connect the lighter socket to a permanent live feed.

[toondoug]

Thanks for the replies, I'm not very technically minded but due a service soon so might get mr t to alter the socket, I've found one on Amazon that's got great reviews that would be ideal.

[gjnorthall]

I really wouldn't get Mr T to do anything like this - it's not really up their street and at an astronomical hourly rate - it would be cheaper if you got an auto electrician to do the work. Just tell them that you want the lighter socket changing from ignition fed to permanent live.

[Treborv8]

Found it out to-nite its a T-40 daylight panel (12 Volt version) from IDG Europe.com, not sure on the price got it as a freebee. If I were doing this myself I would wire it in direct & standalone with its own inline fuse & dedicated 12v Aux socket.

[toondoug]

Just a thought, there are three sockets , I wonder if the one in the boot is a live feed?

[Mike169]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B00AC1LLQY/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Found the above item for you which has a different and possibly free way of attaching it to your car as it does not need a cigarette lighter or a connection to the Battery but via your EOBD socket, thats the diagnostic one and Mr T can tell you where it is and for info you'll probably find it next to your interior bonnet release cable, it's the oblong one about 2" x 1" with about a dozen little terminals in it.

Regards Mike169

[gjnorthall]

Very novel idea but this socket is fairly delicate - meant to be used every blue moon to read codes. Terminal 16 on the socket is Battery live but I'd be inclined not to mess about with it. Many Ravs have a power socket inside the storage compartment between the front seats - suspect that this is ignition fed - anyone care to check?

[philip42h]

All three accessory sockets on my SR180 - the two up front and the one in the boot - were ignition fed. Very annoying in some ways but I suppose it saves one from flattening the Battery by leaving something on.

[firemac]

Many of the Battery conditioners (Optimate, CEK, etc.) come with a loom that you can connect permanently to the Battery terminals and which has a socket connector which allows quick & easy connection to the charger. I've used these successfully on all my motorcycles.

If the solar one you're looking at has this, why not simply route the loom from the Battery through the firewall so that you can connect it up to the charger somewhere beneath or around the dash?

I'm no auto spark but I don't rate the standard cigar lighter as being very robust having had more than one part company from the dash when extracting some peripheral or other from them. The one on our last 4,2 was so flimsy & came adrift so often that I plugged a USB converter into it so that the normal male connectors could no longer be used. I've done the same on our current 4.3.

[ffej]

hi I have a solar charging panel .I found a socket on eBay item no 321249021572 £1.91 & 68p p&p easy to fit two wires red and black that go on the Battery I fitted it to the plastic cover over the Battery (yes outside) it as a cover on that you pop on when not in use. it as a inline fuse ...you put the wire through the door or window .my panel fits on top of the dash ...........

[ffej]

Many of the battery conditioners (Optimate, CEK, etc.) come with a loom that you can connect permanently to the battery terminals and which has a socket connector which allows quick & easy connection to the charger. I've used these successfully on all my motorcycles.

If the solar one you're looking at has this, why not simply route the loom from the battery through the firewall so that you can connect it up to the charger somewhere beneath or around the dash?

I'm no auto spark but I don't rate the standard cigar lighter as being very robust having had more than one part company from the dash when extracting some peripheral or other from them. The one on our last 4,2 was so flimsy & came adrift so often that I plugged a USB converter into it so that the normal male connectors could no longer be used. I've done the same on our current 4.3.

my panel as the plug on that shows its charging also stops a discharge at night so I don't recommend cutting it off

[toondoug]

Thanks for all the helpful comments and advice ,this forum never let's anyone down.