Solar Trickle Charger GS 300

[mooks]

Hello, i am looking for a solar trickle charger to keep the Battery topped up.

Does anyone recommend any? The reviews are always quite mixed.

Not used one before,so i assume they plug in the cigarette lighter and sit on the dash?

[royoftherovers]

Cig lighter is not normally live when ignition is off so use Battery or charging points under bonnet (if any) or OBD 2 port.

You are better  off with a CTEX MX5.

[IanA2]

22 minutes ago, mooks said:

Hello, i am looking for a solar trickle charger to keep the Battery topped up.

Does anyone recommend any? The reviews are always quite mixed.

Not used one before,so i assume they plug in the cigarette lighter and sit on the dash?

We've been using an AA Solar charger connected via the OBD port for about two years. Works well, costs around £25.

[black-on-black]

5 hours ago, IanA2 said:

We've been using an AA Solar charger connected via the OBD port for about two years. Works well, costs around £25.

Do have photo of how it's connected to the OBD. I'd be interested purchasing one for myself.

[IanA2]

36 minutes ago, black-on-black said:

Do have photo of how it's connected to the OBD. I'd be interested purchasing one for myself.

Not with you, you just plug it in to the OBD.

[Sherra]

I have one and it comes with an OBD connector and Battery terminal clamps, and as Ian says it just plugs in which is handy when left at say an airport car park etc.

[IanA2]

10 minutes ago, Sherra said:

I have one and it comes with an OBD connector and battery terminal clamps, and as Ian says it just plugs in which is handy when left at say an airport car park etc.

We have it plugged in to the OBD connector permanantly and just break the connection when using the car, and reconnect it using the (very useful) in-line connector on return.

[skyway]

Does the OBD2 port on the stay active after you turn the key off?

[royoftherovers]

32 minutes ago, skyway said:

Does the OBD2 port on the stay active after you turn the key off?

It does on my Series 3 GS 450h, Allan.

[skyway]

Thanks John.... I rigged up charger from an old Reader and a diagram I found online

[ColinBarber]

12 hours ago, skyway said:

Does the OBD2 port on the stay active after you turn the key off?

Yes, I think the OBD2 spec states it should have a permanent 12v on pin 16, hence why many of these chargers come with an OBD2 connector

[IanA2]

 

12 hours ago, skyway said:

Does the OBD2 port on the stay active after you turn the key off?

Not quite sure If this question is, does the solar charger function with the key off/out? If it is, then the answer is yes. Otherwise can't help.

[mooks]

This one has had very mixed reviews:

AA Solar Charger

Can anyone recommend one they are using?

 

[IanA2]

Five 5* reviews

Two 3* reviews, one of which clearly related to another product, the other which states it caused a fuse to blow using it via the OBD port. We've been using ir since December '18 and this has never happened.

Two 1* reviews. Again does not relate to our experience.

Not sure I can relate to any but the 5* reviews. Good kit.