#1: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: flurry, Location: AustraliaPosted: Sun May 27, 2012 7:29 pm ---- Hi Everyone
I have purchased a Solar Trickle charger for my 206 which is similar in appearance to this one:-
Three weird things are happening when I plug it in to the cigarette lighter:-
- The battery light comes on on my dash
- The centre console wakes up and says Automatic Lighting Active
- I cant lock my doors using the keyfob any more
As soon as I unplug the solar panel from the cigarette socket the car goes back to sleep and I can lock the doors again as normal, its like the car becomes possessed when I plug in the charger
I just wanted to know if anyone have any experience with this particular way of charging your battery and if so are these weird events normal or am I in danger of buggering up the ecu or something else electronic by using it.
Cheers for your help
#2: Re: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: macca1411, Location: Westhoughton, LancashirePosted: Sun May 27, 2012 11:50 pm ---- It could be the way the cigarette lighter is wired through the BSI.
Is your cigarette lighter socket wired so it's permanently live, or does it still require the ignition to be turned on? If the latter, then you are confusing the computer as to where the power is coming from.
Edit. Fuse 22 in the passenger fuse box is for interior lights and Aux power sockets. Pre plex you could just swap the fuse to make the socket permanent live, on a plexed it needs rewiring. Last edited by macca1411 on Mon May 28, 2012 1:21 am; edited 1 time in total
#3: Re: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: Deckchair5, Location: Bath UKPosted: Mon May 28, 2012 12:53 am ---- It's no good through the cigar lighter, that's only for cars where the lighter is a permanent live
You need to use the other connectors and connect directly to the battery. Be especially careful the wires don't get trapped on anything sharp but you can run the lead into the car through the door and put the solar charger in the windscreen and then you can close the bonnet and the door
It'll keep a good battery charged up just how you left it but it won't handle a failing battery as power output is around 100ma max
You don't need full sun, just as long as it's light then it's charging from dawn until dusk
#4: Re: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: flurry, Location: AustraliaPosted: Mon May 28, 2012 3:16 am ---- Thanks for all your help guys, ill swap it over to the other type of connection direct to the battery
#5: Re: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: Lee, Location: EnglandPosted: Mon May 28, 2012 11:47 am ---- What's the point?
Buy a decent battery
#6: Re: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: Deckchair5, Location: Bath UKPosted: Mon May 28, 2012 3:07 pm ---- Ha! It's more for cars that are being left for a while. The continuous slow drain is quite a battery killer when you're off to the Bahamas for a few months. If you leave your car at the airport then it's nice to know the battery will be just the same state as you left it for when you return
#7: Re: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: Ash, Location: Running from Ant and Lee and Adam...........Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 3:36 pm ---- If you really wanna connect it up, go straight to the battery and run the wires through the grommit in the firewall. From there, it shouldn't be too hard to get it onto the dash. Might need longer wires though. And I recommend you put a fuse inline.
#8: Re: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: Lee, Location: EnglandPosted: Mon May 28, 2012 3:56 pm ----
Deckchair5 wrote:
Ha! It's more for cars that are being left for a while. The continuous slow drain is quite a battery killer when you're off to the Bahamas for a few months. If you leave your car at the airport then it's nice to know the battery will be just the same state as you left it for when you return
I'd be more worried about the price of parking than the battery to be honest!
#9: Re: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: Deckchair5, Location: Bath UKPosted: Tue May 29, 2012 1:52 am ---- Well somebody has to pay the wages of the guy in the car park tow truck endlessly giving tow starts, fast charging and destroying batteries and wiping out a few ECUs. If only more people used solar chargers. Perhaps they ought to give them out for free as you enter long stay car parks, then the guy could go home early
#10: Re: Cigarette Socket Solar Trickle Charging Issue Author: macca1411, Location: Westhoughton, LancashirePosted: Tue May 29, 2012 2:27 am ----
Deckchair5 wrote:
Ha! It's more for cars that are being left for a while. The continuous slow drain is quite a battery killer when you're off to the Bahamas for a few months. If you leave your car at the airport then it's nice to know the battery will be just the same state as you left it for when you return
No use if you park in a multi-story.
If leaving the car for so long, disconnect the battery. Who cares if the alarm won't work, no one takes any notice of them anyway.
If you're going for a few months, you can afford to leave the car at home and hire one for the same cost as parking and just leave it at the car hire office at the airport.
In the OPs case, he might as well take advantage of the free resource they seem to get all year round in Australia. My cousin was complaining the other day as she was "freezing" because the temp had dropped to 10 degrees in Adelaide. The soft DOCs (Decendents Of Criminals) should come to this country and spend a winter with us.
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