I'm looking for a Solar Battery Charger to charge my cars battery via the cigarette lighter during long periods of the car not being used.

Does anyone have any recommendations on which one to buy at a reasonable price? I've looked at Maplins and Ebay but theres many to choose from.

Any advise and product recommendations?

Thanks.



Items For Sale:
Fiat Bravo/a Passenger Airbag Covers to suit MK1 & MK2, Foglight Fiat Bravo/a Headlamp Washer Jets, Bravo & Marea Workshop Manuals, Fiat Bravo Haynes Manual &, Fiat Bravo Owners Manual on CD etc...

Contact Me for more details.

Oz will tell you

I got the Maplins one, it comes with croc clips for the battery as well as cigarette lighter socket.
You'll need the battery clips afaik due to cigarette lighter socket being ignition live.

Yep, get the one from Maplins chap. Works a treat.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=223251&doy=6m8
Bargain price too.



"Doctor said to give up Keee-Babs. I said 'No, no-no'"
My Members Page

Ah great, cheers Oz. Bargain price too. Off to get one.



Items For Sale:
Fiat Bravo/a Passenger Airbag Covers to suit MK1 & MK2, Foglight Fiat Bravo/a Headlamp Washer Jets, Bravo & Marea Workshop Manuals, Fiat Bravo Haynes Manual &, Fiat Bravo Owners Manual on CD etc...

Contact Me for more details.

Hey Oz, just got one of those chargers. However where is the LED that supposedly flashes when its charging i cannot find it.





Items For Sale:
Fiat Bravo/a Passenger Airbag Covers to suit MK1 & MK2, Foglight Fiat Bravo/a Headlamp Washer Jets, Bravo & Marea Workshop Manuals, Fiat Bravo Haynes Manual &, Fiat Bravo Owners Manual on CD etc...

Contact Me for more details.

My instructions refer to a red LED but all I can find is the blue one set into the front next to the leads, although it flashes when not plugged into anything.

Ah cheers never looked near the leads.



Items For Sale:
Fiat Bravo/a Passenger Airbag Covers to suit MK1 & MK2, Foglight Fiat Bravo/a Headlamp Washer Jets, Bravo & Marea Workshop Manuals, Fiat Bravo Haynes Manual &, Fiat Bravo Owners Manual on CD etc...

Contact Me for more details.

Hehe, look what i've started with all these solar car chargers

The Maplin ones are fine, although if you can stretch an extra fiver, its worth getting the more powerful one they do now, as it can completely recharge a flat battery, whereas the smaller one would take weeks, and probably still struggle to revive a dead battery. I have the smaller rated one, and its still a great battery maintainer, or for a wee top up when i've been using a lot of gadgets and not driving so much.

The led flashes BLUE to indicate its getting enough light to generate a charge btw. The manuals always seem to refer to red leds. probably got lost in the translation from mandarin to chinese(simp), to french, then english, lol.

Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4
& now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

You're such a trend setter Buzz.
The link I've posted there is for the higher powered one chap so all should be good. Charged the Cinq's battery from dead in about 4 days (probably took that long because I kept trying it every day).



"Doctor said to give up Keee-Babs. I said 'No, no-no'"
My Members Page

And ruggedly handsome too. Man its god to be me

Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4
& now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

Okay, im puzzled i've looked all over the dam thing and can't see any type of LED on it. On the plastic frame, on the plugs and on the cigerette lighter.

Can someone in depth tell me where the led is supposed to be. If it aint working i can take it back.

The instructions dont tell you where it is either.

Mucho help please.



Items For Sale:
Fiat Bravo/a Passenger Airbag Covers to suit MK1 & MK2, Foglight Fiat Bravo/a Headlamp Washer Jets, Bravo & Marea Workshop Manuals, Fiat Bravo Haynes Manual &, Fiat Bravo Owners Manual on CD etc...

Contact Me for more details.

Mine doesn't have one either chap. I wouldn't worry about it.



"Doctor said to give up Keee-Babs. I said 'No, no-no'"
My Members Page

Ah right. Well i'll get a multimeter on it to test the output and make sure its working.



Items For Sale:
Fiat Bravo/a Passenger Airbag Covers to suit MK1 & MK2, Foglight Fiat Bravo/a Headlamp Washer Jets, Bravo & Marea Workshop Manuals, Fiat Bravo Haynes Manual &, Fiat Bravo Owners Manual on CD etc...

Contact Me for more details.

Cheers Jay. Just to clarify the one in the bottom pic is the one i have. Top one is a smaller one and different to the one i have. Also i've done a close up of what you have circled in the 2nd pic.



Its just a sticker. I've looked around the plastic and as Oz stated there is no LED regardless what the instructions say.



Items For Sale:
Fiat Bravo/a Passenger Airbag Covers to suit MK1 & MK2, Foglight Fiat Bravo/a Headlamp Washer Jets, Bravo & Marea Workshop Manuals, Fiat Bravo Haynes Manual &, Fiat Bravo Owners Manual on CD etc...

Contact Me for more details.

darn, the first is the one i have, i'll shut up now

test it with a meter. Maybe the version you have doesn't come with an led?

Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4
& now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

Just a couple of questions before I click buy,

1. How does it charge the battery, through the cigarette lighter or can you put it directly to the battery?

2. If it has to be through the cigarette lighter how small is connector, can the tray be shut?

3. How long are the wires?

Sorry for all the questions, electrics is certainly not my point.

Thanks in advance

Chris

1. How does it charge the battery, through the cigarette lighter or can you put it directly to the battery?
The maplin ones come with a cigarette lighter connector, and a pair of crocodile clips. I cant remember if the bravo works through the ciggy lighter when the key is out? I know i have to use the croc clips onto the battery for the fiat punto, but on the skoda i can use the ciggy lighter

2. If it has to be through the cigarette lighter how small is connector, can the tray be shut?
Its not small. Its the same size as every other ciggy connector mind you. So no, the ashtray wont shut

3. How long are the wires?
Long enough for me to put the solar panel on the parcel shelf of a skoda octavia, and connect to the battery with croc clips, so definitely long enough to use in a bravo