birdvan Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Hi all I have just bought a 4w solar battery charger for my ford Duetto. It either connects via clips direct to battery or more conveniently into Cigar or 12v socket. So can you help, is it safe to connect via Cigar lighter and or 12 volt socket. Birdvan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Yep!. But make sure your 12 volts cigar lighter socket is actually live when ignition is switched off or it will not do any good. Don't expect miracles from 4 watt charger but it will help compensate for the standby currents used by onboard electronics. All very weather dependant and how much direct sun it receives during the day. Jon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Hi birdvan and welcome, With your ignition switched off, check to see if your cigar lighter has a 12 volt supply by plugging something in. If it is live, you just plug your solar panel into it and it will put charge into your vehicle battery. At 4 watts, it will not be much, about 1/3 of an amp maximum. As long as you do not have an alarm and radio draining the battery, it will keeep the voltage up. If the cigar lighter is dead with the ignition off, you can usually run the wiring through the rubber seal on the door and under the bonnet. Both are not a tight fit, so you should be ok. The panels usually come with enough cable to reach the battery. I have an 8 watt Maplins panel which I use now and again, I run mine through the door and bonnet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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