solar powered cigarette chargers

toby_tobias

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
80
Reaction score
0
Location
North east
Your Mercedes
W212 sport e250. (miss the e320 w211)
Anyone know if a dashboard solarpowered car charger would work on a w211 2003 plate.

The type you plug into the cigarette lighter.

I am guessing it won't due to some form of reverse charging diode to protect the electrics?

would like to keep the battery topped up when not using it.

thanks
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
hell young man,,,yes they do work but not from the internal light sockets as the are key 1 dependent,,you could fit a special socket for one
 

jibcl500

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Messages
6,420
Reaction score
8
Age
56
Location
Cambridgeshire
Your Mercedes
CL500,ML55,SLK280
I bought one from maplin for about £20 and it didnt do anything.

jib
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
I bought one from maplin for about £20 and it didnt do anything.

jib
I can get almost 1 amp out of a small one I have here,,all we need is some sun
 

47p2

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2006
Messages
3,583
Reaction score
5
Location
Scotland
Your Mercedes
W638, W140, W220, W639 All gone but not forgotten
I've heard of a few people who bought these chargers and were disappointed with them.

If you have access to electricity I would suggest you look at the CTEK chargers, I have a couple of them and they are great at keeping the batteries topped up.
They are also waterproof
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
I've heard of a few people who bought these chargers and were disappointed with them.

If you have access to electricity I would suggest you look at the CTEK chargers, I have a couple of them and they are great at keeping the batteries topped up.
They are also waterproof

If you have access to electricity then they are the best :D
 

wireman

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2005
Messages
2,632
Reaction score
3
Location
lancashire
Your Mercedes
nice 201 2.5D 1993 & very nice 129 SL500 1994
I have one (50p car boot item), its about 12 x 4 inches, in very bright sun it charges at 1/10A, this will take about ten weeks to charge a flat car battery, but will hold up the battery almost permanently with the alarm set whilst the car is parked up for storage.
Other than that its about as much use as a chocolate fireguard in automotive aplications, but it does run my lovely old battery eating Roberts trany radio perfectly.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
The main applications are for boats where they get a much clearer view over the sky.

Good solar panels do work,,I made up 10 units with special tape recorders for blind school children in Africa using solar panels donated from GEC these things could give 3.5 amps
 

380560

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
144
Reaction score
0
Location
Isle of Skye Highlands
Your Mercedes
S Class, W140 4.2 Limo, Nissan 300ZX twin turbo, Porsche 911.
These chargers are designed to keep a battery trickle charged if a vehicle/ caravan/ boat is stored away for , say, winter, they are not designed to charge a "flat" battery! In proper use, they are perfect.
 

The Hooded Claw

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2006
Messages
627
Reaction score
2
Age
67
I must be gettin old .................when I read the title I THOUGHT it said Solar powered cig LIGHTERS!!!!!!

had a pic in mind of standing outside with a fag in me mouth pointing it at the sun!!!!!


Still would be a good way to give up the evil weed I suppose!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

wireman

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2005
Messages
2,632
Reaction score
3
Location
lancashire
Your Mercedes
nice 201 2.5D 1993 & very nice 129 SL500 1994
Solar powered cig lighter = magnifying glass, credit card sized freznel lens fits in wallet.
 

OlafMaxwell

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Messages
1,044
Reaction score
0
Location
Cork Ireland
Your Mercedes
W210 E320 CDI Estate
They work well, but only to provide a trickle to prevent a good battery discharging. A good idea if you are leaving the car for a few weeks. However you need to wire them in, the ignition controls the cigarette lighter socket so its disconnected when the ignition is off.

An easy option is if you have a second cigarette lighter socket, in the boot, is to reroute the wiring so that its permanently live and connect the trickle charger to this one. This allows you to mount the solar panel [permanently?] on the rear parcel shelf where it is out of the way.
 

lutters

Active Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2009
Messages
33
Reaction score
0
Location
East Kent
Your Mercedes
2004 W211 320cdi
cigar lighter power supply

Gentlemen, with regard to having to have the ignition at key 1 for the cigar lighter to work, didn't i read somewhere that the fuse which covers this has 2 positions. The default is as above but the second position makes the cigar lighter permanently live!

John
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Gentlemen, with regard to having to have the ignition at key 1 for the cigar lighter to work, didn't i read somewhere that the fuse which covers this has 2 positions. The default is as above but the second position makes the cigar lighter permanently live!

John

I have not seen this so far on the diagrams, cigar lighter fuses get moved around, but I have never seen a choice position
 

Avantgarde Automotive, Mercedes-Benz and SLR McLaren specialists. Service, repairs, diagnosis and motorsport preparation.
Unit 14 Hither Green Trading Estate, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 6XU Tel: 01275 217270 Email:steve@avantgarde-automotive.co.uk
www.avantgarde-automotive.co.uk
Top Bottom