Solar charger and cigarette lighter?

TyrannosauRoss Lex · March 6, 2020

Hi,

I don't use my car that often so was considering buying a solar charger to keep the Battery topped up, but I gather these require the cigarette lighter to be "live" even with the ignition off? Do the cigarette lighters (or even one of them?) on the LS460 stay live when the car is locked?

Failing that.... Any idea how to keep the Battery topped up when I don't have access to a driveway (so trickle charger not really feasible) and don't want to actually drive the car? I don't use the car too often and when I do they're often pretty short trips.

Thanks!

Edited March 6, 2020 by TyrannosauRoss Lex

BigBoomer · March 11, 2020

You will need to fit an accessory lead directly to the Battery and run it through one of the grommets in the firewall and then fit a connector somewhere on the inside. Either that or else find a wire somewhere in the car that is permanently live and use that to connect the solar charger to. It will need to be a substantial cable as it needs to carry the current the solar charger produces depending on what charger you buy (100W = 8.5 Amps). If you pick a wire that's fatter than the cable that the charger comes with you'll be fine. Oh, and unplug it BEFORE starting the engine or fit a relay that disconnects it when you turn the ignition on. Otherwise you will probably end up buying another solar charger.

TyrannosauRoss Lex · March 12, 2020

Thanks for your help. I think it is probably more hassle than it's worth!

Cheers

Britprius · March 12, 2020

2 hours ago, TyrannosauRoss Lex said:

Thanks for your help. I think it is probably more hassle than it's worth!

Cheers

Do not be put off using a solar charger. The versions that are suitable for use in a car have only a very small output usually below one amp, and come with the correct size cable ready fitted. A 100 watt 8.5 amp panel would be as big as the roof of the car, and unless used with a charge controller would over charge the Battery.
The output of the solar chargers is usually given in watts, but dividing the watts by 12 will give a good approximation of the number of amps the panel is capable of in bright sunshine. The panels are also diode isolated meaning you can leave it connected to the car. It is not difficult to bypass the cigar lighter relay to make it permanently live if you cannot find another suitable permanent live feed "try foot well lights".

If you do go down this route buy a panel with a minimum of 10 watts output, but do not go over 30 watts, and try to arrange for it to point south out of shade. The higher the wattage the larger the panel gets.

John.