Solar Charger

[Shasta]

I picked up a Sunforce solar battery maintenance charger and noticed something very strange. I'm using it to just trickle charge my battery and when I plugged it into my cigarette lighter my stereo went on and I also hear like a circulation fan running somewhere under the glove box. Why is that?

I pull it out and everything stops, do you think it may have something to do with additional stereo equipment that has been installed? Otherwise the stereo and fan do you not work normally with the key out.

I thought this to be very strange.

[Brian MP5T]

Do you have any relays attached to the Ignition System...

If So, It is powering (Turing Them On)

[Shasta]

To be honest Brian, the additional stereo equipment and alarm system were done at a local installer so I'm not completely sure but sounds right what you are saying but I'll tell you this, after this solar panel was plugged in for 5 hours, my car was completely dead. I've been having battery problems in this cold weather so I'm not sure if that is just a coincidence or not.

The battery is a factory original so it lasted well, I picked up a new Kirkland at Costco today, just trickle charging it first before installing. I am going to hardwire some leads to the battery to connect the panel when I'm parked.

[Black Dragon]

The cigarette lighter in almost every import is powered off of Accessory power. Therefore by plugging in a solar panel you are supplying enough power to turn on the accessories in the car like your radio. Solar panels are really only good for American vehicles that have the cigarette lighter on constant power or like you said if you hardwire a connector and only use it when you are parked.

[Shasta]

So your saying its like turning my key to accessory, I never thought of it that way, that makes perfect sense. What I have decided to do is, I'm going to install a direct connected accessory plug in the back of the car so I can have power for a little cooler when I'm driving and use the socket for charging when I'm parked.

[typhoonk]

do you have a wagon? P5?

the rear 'trunk' light has a fused +12 constant wire. I used that when I attached a solar cell in my trunk. Then I just put the panel on the trunk cover and it did a 2amp trickle charge to my car. Worked great :p

[Shasta]

do you have a wagon? P5?

the rear 'trunk' light has a fused +12 constant wire. I used that when I attached a solar cell in my trunk. Then I just put the panel on the trunk cover and it did a 2amp trickle charge to my car. Worked great :p

Excellent thanks for the information. Yup Wagoon owner!