Modding for a solar panel

[jdham137]

What's the best way to install a solar panel to trickle charge the battery? I have a couple of the 5w VW panels and would like to keep my batt topped up. I have both a OBDII outlet panel and a cigarette lighter outlet panel. My lighter though, is disconnected from the battery with the ignition off. Is there a way to rewire the lighter to always connected to the battery? Or is it better just to run wires straight to the battery? Can I use my OBDII panel in my Nissan even though the panel is made for a VW? I don't want to fry anything.

John David

[Lug_Nut]

I believe the OBD II is also only powered with the ignition turned on. My generic scanner is powered by the OBD socket. The display doesn't come on until the ignition switch is turned on. It goes out as soon as the key is turned to off.
The VW lighter is fused to the battery so it remains "hot". The easiest way to duplicate this is to locate the lighter fuse for your Nissan and move the fuse's present power suppy from the "switched" side of the ignition switch to the "hot" side of the switch.
If you use the lighter socket for nothing else, not even cell phone charging, then wire it to a 1 amp fuse and the fuse to the battery. The 1 amp fuse will limit the current so a smaller gauge wire can safely be used, yet is sufficient for the maximum peak milliamp output of the solar panel. Use the full gauge wire and a 15 amp fuse if you still want full amperage capacity at the lighter socket.

[SVOboy]

How'd you get your hands on those panels, good sir?

[jdham137]

Lug, thanks for the info. SVO, I went to a dealer and asked for one.

John

[caprice]

Originally Posted by Lug_Nut

I believe the OBD II is also only powered with the ignition turned on. My generic scanner is powered by the OBD socket. The display doesn't come on until the ignition switch is turned on. It goes out as soon as the key is turned to off.

In my experience, SG will auto shut off in several seconds of inactivity with ignition off. It will auto shut off for me with engine off coasting innuatral and igition on, even though the car is still moving... Perhaps on some cars, like lug_nut's it turns off.

There are many places you can find full time 12v to tap in that solar charge. I asume you're looking for one that would easily remove to look like the car was unmodified.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by caprice

It will auto shut off for me with engine off coasting innuatral and igition on, even though the car is still moving...

Set your fuel type to "hybrid" and the SG will stay on as long as it detects the car is moving, through the VSS signal.

I think there is a live 12v pin (and ground) in the OBD2 port, regardless of key position.

[GasSavers_Ryland]

wire it right to the battery, it will be more efficent, and simplyfy everything, why would you bother doing it any other way?

[Lug_Nut]

Originally Posted by Ryland

wire it right to the battery, it will be more efficent, and simplyfy everything, why would you bother doing it any other way?

Connecting to a unique socket (OBD II) means it is that much less likely that an electrical consumer might be inadvertently left connected and draining power as with a lighter socket.
Hot lighter sockets have disadvantages in that every consumer has to be unplugged or the battery will be drawn down.

Either way, don't "wire it right to the battery". Use a fuse on the + side of amperage suited to the load. Each VW panel puts out a max of 170 mA. That's about 1/6 of an amp. The direct wire (even a 15 amp lighter fuse is almost 'direct' when this mA amount is considered) method will almost assure that the individual solar cells themselves will be the 'fusible link' should something go badly wrong. The reverse flow of electrons from the alternator into the panel is prevented by a diode, but these have failed before.