Where are you tying in the positive wire from diy port (at the positive battery post?)?
Thank you! I took off the console footwell panel and fond a bracket bolted to the floorboard with two 13mm bolts that VOM read a good ground. It worked out perfect for grounding the new outlet. Using fuse 24 for fuse tap for positive connection.
Using fuse 24 in the BCM fuse panel for the positive connection with fuse tap.
Sending solar panels current through fuse 24?
Dealer tech said "to get a solar battery maintainer, connect to aux 12v socket in dash, put panel on dash and let it charge battery to solve my failure to drive it daily and not drive it very far when I do drive it". The aux socket is not constant powered so would have to leave key turned to accessory all the time. I am guessing it is fused but do not know which one. So I am planning to send solar panel current thru solar controller to the battery using fuse 24. Would that work?
I do not know what will work. Sounds like dealer tech is not well informed either. I want to do something also primarily to keep 12v charged well to extend it's life. Since the computer controls the dcdc converter to a voltage (I have seen 12.8 to 15.3 v with truck in ready) necessary to operate everything. Do we need to have a relay that cuts current from the solar panel or even maintainer to the bus while the DCDC converter is powering the bus???? I need to pay dealer tech for talk time or possibly just have dealer install something.
What I understand is the solar controller does what you are referencing in that it controls output from panel to battery depending on need to charge or not. I plan to unplug the panel from the controller whenever I drive vehicle and charge/maintain only when parked. I do not believe the high voltage battery charges the 12v battery at all when the vehicle is nor "running" or we would not be having this power drain when parked for days.
No way.
I am fighting non stop battery drain issues and I too am trying to come up with a way to safely integrate a solar maintainer on my Maverick. Any ideas like this are super helpful - I don't know what to try next :/No way.
Fuse 24 is constant 12V for the controller part. A battery charger has to have some intelligence because overcharging your 12V battery is the best way to kill it quickly. The controller is deciding whether the solar panel should charge the battery or not. I would imagine this system has 3 major components:
- controller, wired to everything and getting 12V constant via fuse 24 piggyback. makes charging decisions. hopefully doesn't draw too much current or Deep Sleep could shut it down, even if the 12V battery is healthy.
- solar panel, probably on the dash but could be on roof or in bed, I suppose.
- charger, wired to controller and 12V battery positive terminal, and chassis ground. (don't connect it to the negative battery terminal!)
Correct fuse 24 is not switch controlled and is at battery voltage always. The acc outlet connects to fuse 24, the acc outlet connects to solar controller battery connections + and -, and solar controller connects to solar panel on dash or where ever to get sun. The solar controller acts as the "brain" to pass current to battery depending on voltage, available solar current, and or a selectable time schedule.No way.
Fuse 24 is constant 12V for the controller part. A battery charger has to have some intelligence because overcharging your 12V battery is the best way to kill it quickly. The controller is deciding whether the solar panel should charge the battery or not. I would imagine this system has 3 major components:
- controller, wired to everything and getting 12V constant via fuse 24 piggyback. makes charging decisions. hopefully doesn't draw too much current or Deep Sleep could shut it down, even if the 12V battery is healthy.
- solar panel, probably on the dash but could be on roof or in bed, I suppose.
- charger, wired to controller and 12V battery positive terminal, and chassis ground. (don't connect it to the negative battery terminal!)
I think the solar panel controller or maintainer needs to be reading battery at the positive post and not at another location on the 12v bus since current could be flowing even with truck off. The "additional" controller could be working with an open circuit reading not the actual battery voltage. It could however actually be an advantage. Would the open circuit reading be misinterpreted by the solar controller as reduced battery capacity due to sulfation?No way.
Fuse 24 is constant 12V for the controller part. A battery charger has to have some intelligence because overcharging your 12V battery is the best way to kill it quickly. The controller is deciding whether the solar panel should charge the battery or not. I would imagine this system has 3 major components:
- controller, wired to everything and getting 12V constant via fuse 24 piggyback. makes charging decisions. hopefully doesn't draw too much current or Deep Sleep could shut it down, even if the 12V battery is healthy.
- solar panel, probably on the dash but could be on roof or in bed, I suppose.
- charger, wired to controller and 12V battery positive terminal, and chassis ground. (don't connect it to the negative battery terminal!)
It is best to have the wire distance between controller and battery minimal but it still would require a fuse in line and with only a 20 watt solar panel just trying to add a little current back to offset some of the "brain drain" current while parked for days on the battery to reduce the deep sleep mode. The controller does have a battery - and + connection and is a closed circuit technically. Sorry , I am no help on sulfation analysis.
