Solar Battery Charger

"Kevin Kennedy" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

Does the lighter work with the car switched off? If so, the solar charger will work BUT.... Solar battery chargers that I've seen don't work very well, they don't usually put out sufficient current. Maybe on a Miata that has very little current draw when shut off, but I doubt it.

No. The lighter socket is dead when the key is in the off position.

Grant Edwards wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

Same as my Jeep, that means that the solar charger will require a different wiring connection and it still probably won't be much good.

Sorry you had to answer this, the reason is simple, I was WAAAAAY to lazy to walk out to my Miata and check.. :-(

I've never understood the reasoning behind the decision to allow the headlights to be on when the ignition is off and yet shut down the cigarette lighter socket.

That's exactly opposite of what I (or anybody I've ever talked to) wants. I have _never_ needed to have my headlights on with the key off, yet I often wish I could power a cell phone or map light or whatever with the key off.

Grant Edwards wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

I see your point but I think having the headlights on with the key off is some kind of safety thing that might be required by law? I know in England you had to have the parking lights on when parked on the street, maybe still do?

I don't think so. I've run across a few models that shut the headlights off when the key was in the off position (VW I think?).

I don't remember ever seing cars parked on the street sitting with their parking lights on in England, but I can see allowing parking lights to be on without the key.

My OTM is a VW, and the headlights do infact turn off when the key is off. The headlights also go off when the parking/hand brake is engaged.

I'm not sure about parking lights, I'll have to check when I get home form work.

The cigarette lighter off with ignition off is a safety thing. Some years ago, I had to rewire the under dash area on a 55 Chevy. The lighter had stuck in the on position, and was not drawing enough current to blow the fuse. The plastic insulation just fell off the wires when moved, and various wires were stuck together by melted insulation.

It sounds like you are talking about the DRL's going off with the key, not the regular head lights.

------------- Alex

The DRL's do go off with the key. But the headlights go off when the parking brake is engaged [but the parking lights remain on]. When the door is opened, the reminder 'bings' until I remember to turn off the headlight switch, which turns off the parking lights of course.