Solar powered battery tender?

[DontHitMeSafetyYellow]

Hey gang,

So the issue I'm having is that my drive to work is pretty short (like 2 miles) and as a result, I'm not putting many miles on my 2024. Great! Except that the battery is never really getting a chance to charge up, so I'm constantly getting the notification on my phone that it is turning off telemetry to reduce battery consumption.

With my living situation (condo) there's no way for me to really hook up and plug in a standard battery tender. Was thinking about something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=solar+battery+tender+12v+automotive&crid=JKBEXWR2BBXK

That way I could at least have it charge while I'm parked out in the lot at work all day.

Anybody have something like this? Planning to charge through the lighter jack. Will that work? Thoughts?

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[D/\rK•650]

I've had a couple of these, they work just low wattage/amp output but they should keep some juice flowing. As far as how good it will work not sure but worth a shot id say. I dont think you should or can charge through the lighter port. I think it says to not do that in the manual.

 

[BrownsReds]

Take her on a 40 minute cruise a few times a week. That should do it.

 

[DontHitMeSafetyYellow]

Take her on a 40 minute cruise a few times a week. That should do it.

Tried that but it just doesn't build it up enough to last more than a few days before it's complaining again.

 

[DontHitMeSafetyYellow]

I've had a couple of these, they work just low wattage/amp output but they should keep some juice flowing. As far as how good it will work not sure but worth a shot id say. I dont think you should or can charge through the lighter port. I think it says to not do that in the manual.

Awe crap... HMMmm. Ok, nevermind...

 

[D/\rK•650]

Up to you but if you have no other option definitely try it, I would anyway. All the best .

 

[OldCoastie]

First, solar for trickle charging is a being your choice, before you buy consider this:

Solar chargers only work when they receive sunlight.

• Cloudy days reduce output
• Short winter days reduce charging time
• Parking in shade or a garage may produce almost no charging
• During time not charging, battery in the cold discharges.
  
  Cold weather affects both the solar panel and the battery, but in different ways.
  
  Solar panel:
• Panels actually work slightly more efficiently in cold temperatures
• Car battery
  • Batteries lose capacity in cold weather.
  • At 32°F (0°C) a battery may lose about 20% capacity.
  • At 0°F (-18°C) it can lose 40–50% capacity

Even a 10-watt panel can drop to 1–2 watts on a cloudy day.

Just some food for thought.

 

[tastetickles]

I used the Battery Tender solar power 5w that charges via the OBD port on both my Jeep and Focus RS. It’s been fine and kept the battery topped up well as I parked under the sun at my workplace.

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