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)

 

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.

: 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)
:
:

 

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

Did you even read the post?

 

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.

: [Peter Milnes] (Wed, 26 Nov 2003 01:51:59 +0000 (UTC)):
:
: >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.
: >
: Did you even read the post?
: --
: Svein Tore Sølvik
: 1996 Volvo 850 2,5 20v

 

[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 (or at least to check)

Time for reading-glasses I guess :/

 

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)

understand English? I know that the
question was

your post good enough. Sorry

needed to be on, when you actually

ignition to be on before cigar lighter
works in

 

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

 

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

 

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

Stuart

 

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!

probably a label to tell you which

schematiic in the haines manual

checking. temporrily unplug the ding

is connected to the body of the

unprotected side of the fusebox for a

thickest wires there just so you are

lighter's power is large enough in

that nothing is routed where it

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

 

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.