Connect SOLAR CHARGER directly to battery ?

I have a 240 in which I'd like to use a photovoltaic module to keep the battery charged up in winter.

The module is supposed to plug into the car's cigarette lighter but apparently, Volvo lighters are live only when the ignition is turned on.

I'm wondering if I can run two wires directly from the battery to the PV module , perhaps with an in-line switch and/or a fuse ?

Or is there an easier way ?

(Obviously I'm not very electrically- savvy, so your assistance is greatly appreciated).

=== * ==Rob Tom Kanata, Ontario, Canada (take the spamguard-dogs out of my edress in your reply)

Reply to
Rob Tom
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That should be fine but check first that ignition is needed for the cigar lighter. It is not usual for ignition to be on before cigar lighter works in Europe/UK.

Cheers, Peter.

Reply to
Peter Milnes
[Peter Milnes] (Wed, 26 Nov 2003 01:51:59 +0000 (UTC)):

Did you even read the post?

Reply to
Svein Tore Sølvik

Why are you asking, don't you understand English? I know that the question was about connecting a solar panel to the battery and have had an acknowledgement from the original poster (in Canada). So why are you reading answers and jumping to the wrong conclusion? I am not being rude just trying to see where you are coming from.

Cheers, Peter.

: Did you even read the post? : -- : Svein Tore Sølvik : 1996 Volvo 850 2,5 20v

Reply to
Peter Milnes
[Peter Milnes] (Wed, 26 Nov 2003 23:40:29 +0000 (UTC)):

Well, darn, it seems like I didn't read your post good enough. Sorry ;)

Thought you answered that the ignition needed to be on, when you actually said quite the contrary :D (or at least to check)

Time for reading-glasses I guess :/

Reply to
Svein Tore Sølvik

Well Svein and Peter, I think that both of you may need glasses. [Insert WINKING SMILEY]

Of course, the first thing that I did was to check to see whether the cigar lighter worked with the ignition OFF. Life would have been a lot simpler if it did, but it doesn't.

Volvos are peculiar (unique ?), in that their ignitions need to be "on" in order to energise the lighter, or at least that has been the case with the two that I've owned.)

=== * ==Rob Tom Kanata, Ontario, Canada (take the spamguard-dogs out of my edress in your reply)

23:40:29 +0000 (UTC)):

understand English? I know that the question was

battery and have had an acknowledgement

So why are you reading answers and jumping

rude just trying to see where you are

your post good enough. Sorry ;)

needed to be on, when you actually

to check)

@4ax.com...

01:51:59 +0000 (UTC)):

that ignition is needed for the cigar

ignition to be on before cigar lighter works in

Reply to
Rob Tom

As Peter pointed out, it is always worth checking... My 440 had power to the lighter and radio all the time... however in my 740, the ignition needed to be on. If it's a problem, I can't imagine it'd be too difficult to get the lighter socket to bypass the ignition - would help if you want to regularly charge the battery from the solar panel.

Mark

Reply to
Mark Seeley

the liighter will get it's power from one of the fuses. look in the fusebox and there is probably a label to tell you which one. if not it should be listed on the schematiic in the haines manual or bently or whatever one you have access to. if you don't have a manual or don't know just take them out one by one till the lighter doesen't work any more.

it might help if you have a light that you can plug into the lighter so you don't have to keep burning your finger when you check:)

so turn the key on when you are checking. temporrily unplug the ding ding ding'er if it drives you nuts. be careful not to short anything out .

with the fuse out there will be power on one side of that fuse you have out. the other side wll be dead because the fuse is out.

to check for power use a 12 Volt light bulb or a multimeter. you are checking between anything that is connected to the body of the car ( ground) and the point you are testing.

so on the side of the fuse socket where there is power, that side is unprotected by the fuse.

The other side , the side with no power is the terminal where your lighter is connected. there will be more than one wire connected here because that fuse also probably also protects the wiire to other things.

eliminate the one that connects to the lighter by unplugging one a a time. now you have the wire to the lighter.

Now turn the key off

with the key off check on the unprotected side of the fusebox for a wire that is hot. I would pick the one that has the thickest wires there just so you are sure the wire that is supplying the lighter's power is large enough in diameter to handle the lighter's current.

now all you need to do is hook a fuse across these two points.

you can buy a inline fuse and socket from radio shack or somewhere like that. I would try to use a 10 amp fuse, I just guessed at the size. you might need a 15 if the lighter blows the fuse, look into that later if it is a problem.

tie the wires up neatly and make sure that nothing is routed where it can ground out be especially carefull of this on the unprotected side of the fusebox.

you don't need to take the dash apart looking for the lighter.

That's my 2 cents (canadian) worth, good luck !

Phil

Reply to
mrhuntnpeck

The back of the plastic surround for the ashtray usually has the fuse numbers and what is on the circuit marked.

Stuart

Reply to
Stuart Gray

Thanks guys (with extra thanks to Mr. H&P for assistance above and beyond the call of UseNet duty).

I wrote to the PV module manufacturer (ICP Global) this morning and surprisingly, one of their techs wrote back within the hour (!) with a detailed response offering two options (I chose the easiest one), so this evening, I went to Canadian Tire and bought a clamp-on "power adapter" (cheap, $5.95) which includes a female socket (into which the PV module will plug), wired with an in-line fuse and clamps for each battery terminal.

Bring on the cold weather!

one of the fuses.

probably a label to tell you which

schematiic in the haines manual

access to. if you don't have a

one by one till the lighter

you can plug into the lighter

finger when you check:)

checking. temporrily unplug the ding

careful not to short anything

one side of that fuse you

because the fuse is out.

bulb or a multimeter.

is connected to the body of the

testing.

there is power, that side is

is the terminal where your

than one wire connected here

protects the wiire to other

lighter by unplugging one a a

lighter.

unprotected side of the fusebox for a

thickest wires there just so you are

lighter's power is large enough in

current.

across these two points.

from radio shack or somewhere

fuse, I just guessed at the

blows the fuse, look into

that nothing is routed where it

this on the unprotected side

looking for the lighter.

luck !

Tom

module

a

edress

=== * ==Rob Tom Kanata, Ontario, Canada (take the spamguard-dogs out of my edress in your reply)

Reply to
Rob Tom

Finally!

I never heard so many people argue over so many things you didn't ask for. Good thing god invented newsgroups. Can't imagine what would happen if all these people went into politics!

And no, there is nothing wrong with my ignition, neither on or of. I had a question though about rims, but am affraid I'd get about 20 replies on braking system and wheelbolts.

"Rob Tom" schreef in bericht news:1103 snipped-for-privacy@news.vif.com...

Reply to
El Mecky

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