Solar battery charger question - cigarette lighter?

Hi there, we have a Freelander 1 HSE 06 plate which is kept in a long term airport car park outside, at a holiday home. It is often not driven for a month at a time, meaning the battery doesn't always want to start.

I have been looking at solar chargers which I can leave on the dash connected to the cigarette lighter, but I read some modern cars isolate the cigarette charger when the keys aren't in the ignition, meaning these devices need to be connected direct to the battery with crocodile clips. Does anyone know if the cigarette lighter approach would work on my car?

Having to use the crocodile clips on the battery isn't really an option as I don't want wires trailer out from the bonnet and in through the window.

Any advice recommend.

Thank you.

you need to fit an additional fag lighter socket which is wired direct to the battery. with the wires fed thru the bilkhead.

Make sure you include a suitable fuse. In case of an accidental short to earth.

run the wires thru the bulkhead

Thanks for the advice. Far too complicated for me though... I do diesel and air in the tyres only... Mods aren't in my skills bank, so looks like I will have to leave this idea!

maybe you could get an auto electrician to bypass the ignition switch ?

see attached pic for cigar-lighter circuit diagram

Now that is definitely a thought... Thank you. Really helpful!

If the solar panel has a built in regulator, (ie, it is designed to connect direct to a 12v system, I would simply wire it direct to the battery.

In my experience too, the panels I have fitted have been 100% waterproof, so can be left on the bonnet etc....

hd3 said:

maybe you could get an auto electrician to bypass the ignition switch ?

see attached pic for cigar-lighter circuit diagram

Click to expand...

That's simple enuff just snip blue wire at ignition, and solder it to a permanent live feed.

At the top of the interior fuse box is a socket with 3 spade connectors, a permanent live, ignition on live, and an earth.