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solar charger or a 12v Jump starter?

Geo-TH,In

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member
Thinking of a Christmas gift for a person who has a 5 minute drive to work. There isn't anything wrong with battery. 5 minutes isn't enough time for battery to charge. Always having to jump start car in winter. So will a solar 18v 18w charger solve the issue in the winter when there isn't much sunlight? Or is there a bigger solar charger for a car? And will the car cigarette lighter disconnect from battery when the car isn't running? 2012 chevy sonic.

Or will getting a 12v Jump starter box be better?
If so, what would you recommend and where can I buy one?

A battery charger isn't an option.
solar maintainer
 
I am trying two of these solar chargers that stick on inside of windshield on two vehicles that set outside and I don't want to run cords across yard. I know I will have to clean snow off windows after snow but theses charge on cloudy days.
cvphoto2748.jpg
 
It is a lot easier to keep the battery up with a solar charger in place, than to get out, open the hood, attach the cables, start it, takeoff the cables, close the hood and store the jump starter.
 
That cord looks long enough that you could park it in the rear window. My 2003 Expedition had live cigarette sockets. Newer stuff has power ports and some of those shut off with the key or after a couple of minute pause. Take your smart phone and charger and stick it in the 12volt hole. If you come back in a couple of hours and the phone is fully charged you have a live port. Not all of them are anymore. That will allow you to use a solar pannel. Good idea.
 
Solar panel I posted is the biggest I could find. 18w = about 1.5 amps for about 4 hours before the car hood shades solar charger. I don't think that's really enough to fully charge a battery?
 
Mine are in windshield and facing south in winter. They set under yard light but I don't know if yard light would charge it at night.
 

The problem with that charger it clearly states in the paper work that comes with it to disconnect it anytime the engine is running...
I put them in my trucks I tend to forget to unplug them even if I do I find it a hassle to do...

I have one mounted to the top of my gas golf cart with a toggle switch to disconnect it well I tend to forget it so far it has not damaged the charger are the cart...

A relay could be used to disconnect the charger a extension cable for a Battery tender can be had check the polarity!!! before you plug and play...

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tend...&keywords=battery+charger+extension+cable

That being said it gonna take a healthy solar charger to do her any good... the ones I an using are 2.5 watts "UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS"

CURRENT .167 Ma @ 15vs
 
On our Chevy truck the lighter sockets are hot all the time, in our Subaru they go off with the ignition. You have to check each vehicle, on some they may not all be the same. I have a solar panel about 8 x 28 inches, I think it's about 10 watt. I bought it for a sailboat, it worked fine for that, then I used it for a fish house, to charge the battery for the lights and TV. It wouldn't quite keep up when I fished a lot, but in December there isn't much sunlight. Something like that laying on the dash would help quite a bit I would think.
Snow does reduce their efficiency, but I just noticed our solar path lights are on and there is an inch of hard snow on top of them. Our friend that has a large solar array is pretty careful about keeping the snow off, so he can sell excess power back to the grid.
 
5 minutes should be enough to recharge the surface charge the starter used. If not, a new battery is a nice gift and more sensible.
 
I'll test the battery. I still think it's more to do with winter and a short trip to work. It's harder to charge a cold battery. This has happened to 3 different cars.

Perhaps a sealed battery in the trunk may be a better and cheaper option to a jump starter.
 
The two under the ash tray cigarette lighter outlets were both hot in my Expedition. Even had seperate fuses. I modified one to go on and off with the key. Reason being is the dash cam. It will sense the ignition power shut off and then it will shut off and not switch over to the internal backup battery. If your car battery is in good shape that solar pannel should do a pretty decent job keeping the charge up.
 
Find out what's in there now and its age. Physically the same sized battery with a larger cold cranking amps accept charges faster too. Just costs more.
 
George, given the short sunlight hours in the winter and that the sun is so low in the sky I don't envision any 18 watts of charging energy helping all that much. As you're well aware a jump box, however, can do the trick.

John T
 
George... I HIGHLY Recommend them I guess I have about Six of these on everything I Drive Occasionally OR Otherwise,... I Firmly Believe it Will Keep that battery Charged Up.. Remember it WONT Charge a Battery that is LOW, But... It will KEEP it Charged if it is up to Specs, I have a Van I drive about Once a Week,...Always Starts like it was Driven the Day Before, My Best Investment along the Battery Maintainer Lines.. Larry in N. Ga
 
I have had a 6 amp one on top of tool box to charge battery for winch and deck lights of trailer for four years and has kept battery fully charged.
cvphoto2779.jpg
 
I don't know why the solar wouldn't keep it charged. The solar panel charger i got puts out the same amps as a plug in battery maintainer.
 
The old asking for a friend story eh?
Get "them" a second opinion.
Google auto mechanic in your area and read the reviews.
Find one with high ratings and afford this friend a second opinion as to battery, connections, fitness, and electrical systems of the vehicle.
5 mile trips are more than enough to keep the car charged and reliable in even the coldest climates.
 
JohnT,
Agree, 18 watts isn't enough.
Friend needs to get battery checked out at Autozone and replace it if needed. Autozone used to install battery free.
This happens every winter. Even happened to a loaner car.
I'm wondering if jumper box couldn't slow charge battery through cigarette lighter. Not to be used to jump start.
 
Some other things to think about as far as the battery being recharged during the 5 minute drive. Does it get started and just drive 5 miles or does it get a 15 minute warm up as well? What accessories are being used? Lights, heater, wipers, window defroster, etc.? Those reduce the recharge power available to the battery. If the battery is losing power it is evident to me a 5 minute drive won't keep it charged, hence this discussion. It should have a longer run time not just for the battery but for the car in general. The engine and gearboxes need to get up to temperature to clear condensation and other cold related effects like enriched fuel delivery.

I would say the jump start pack may be the better option. The solar chargers are intended to maintain batteries in units not used regularly, replacing the loss to parasitic draws and the natural discharge that occurs in batteries, as I understand them. Just curious, you say a battery charger is not an option, may I ask why? JMHO
 
How about a remote starter then they can start it and let it warm up about 15 min. before they leave for work.
If you do go with a jump box get one with the air compressor feature. If they get a low tire they can air it up.
 
(quoted from post at 22:42:35 11/15/18) Thinking of a Christmas gift for a person who has a 5 minute drive to work. There isn't anything wrong with battery. 5 minutes isn't enough time for battery to charge. Always having to jump start car in winter. So will a solar 18v 18w charger solve the issue in the winter when there isn't much sunlight? Or is there a bigger solar charger for a car? And will the car cigarette lighter disconnect from battery when the car isn't running? 2012 chevy sonic.

Or will getting a 12v Jump starter box be better?
If so, what would you recommend and where can I buy one?

A battery charger isn't an option.
solar maintainer
Click to expand...
The solar charger sounds like a nice idea. Just have to check which outlets are always hot. Usually at least one is hot without the key. Maybe let the car warm up for 10 or 15 minutes before heading to work?
 

I tried one of those solar battery maintainers on a deep cycle battery on sheep fence. Even in the hot summer sun with it's long days it wouldn't keep it charged. I think if I had one in the 100 watt area with a controller it might have worked better but the $25.00 type didn't work out.
 
(quoted from post at 22:00:57 11/15/18) I don't know why the solar wouldn't keep it charged. The solar panel charger i got puts out the same amps as a plug in battery maintainer.
Click to expand...

Only in full sun, and only when the sun is shining, though...

A battery maintainer works 24/7.

A better gift would be a remote start for the car so they can start it 10 minutes before they leave for work in the morning. The extra run time will charge the battery, and they'll get into a nice warm car to go to work.
 
Something wrong with either the battery, charging system or somewhere electrical.

A fully charged battery starting an engine should not draw so much juice that it cannot recover with the engine running for five minutes. You are dealing with an alternator that should put out nearly 140 amps. And it should not take 140 amps to operate everyhing on the car running on HI.

Daughter has been driving her Jeep less than 5 minutes to school and back for two years and I have never had to jump it.
 
The average battery recharge from a start is 30 minutes to an hour and that depends on if your idling or driving where
engine turn higher RPM.
 
That also depends on what the temperature is on how fast it charges. Cold batteries take longer to recover.
 
How many accessories are using power while the battery is recharging? How fast is the alternator turning? They put out less than their rated amperage at lower rpms. Accessories may be using most of the alternator output at some engine speeds, which would length time needed to charge a battery. As always many variables can enter into things.
 
Not sure. I'll test it Thanksgiving.

I'm not too impressed with solar charger and jump starters need charged every 30 days.

I think a sealed battery, battery charger and jumper cables in trunk may be better option.
 
I vote for the Napa Lithium Jump starter. I have had one for several years and it will start a car or truck that is bone dead in winter.

I left my head lights on the other day while @ work and had Nothing from the dome light or key switch. Started on the first try. It has a built in safety and internal circuit breaker. (unlike some lithium packs)

I charge it once a year when I remember and usually after I use it for a jump. Lives in the truck toolbox most times. Has a flash light, 12v socket and a USB port to charge my phone built in. Cost less than $70 on sale at Napa. Made by Schumacher I believe.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NBC85901

Carl
 
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