Every Car Should Have This - Making an OBD-II Solar Trickle Charger

[@KerryWongBlog]

Please turn off "Stable Volume" in the video playback setting (the first menu item after clicking the gear icon) as for some reason, this new KZbin playback feature made the video much noisier than usual.

[@blakefl8623]

Thanks again for this video. I’ve been using this solar panel for our spare car for a few years now.

[@Omri.Collects]

I’ve just found your channel. I’m really enjoying the content 👍🏼 I’ve subscribed and will be watching some of your older content first and then move to more current content.

[@bahmankasmai3348]

This is superb, just what i was looking for. Thanks.

[@paulthompson7280]

I've been thinking about doing this for a while now but i was going to run a cable to fuse bord but using OBD PORT is a good idea as you only want to use it occasionally, Brilliant way to do it as its inside the car so no body can mess with it . Good thought 👏 👍 👌

[@robertlee5214]

I would recommend getting a $10 solar charger controller from ebay to prevent overcharge and control the input voltage from the solar panel. people with RV have been doing this for years.

[@leroyjr.4464]

Thanks for the Video Kerry. I really enjoy your content. I wish there was more of it released. I often watch on my TV and cannot comment from there. Signed in on my phone to make sure I could say “Thank You”. From one of your Canadian Fans.

[@KerryWongBlog]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@kuro68000]

Would be interesting to see what the load on the battery is when the car is off.

[@Brian_Of_Melbourne]

It might have been better to put a low current schottky diode in the male plug in place of the fuse. This would make the tip of the plug no longer a short-to-chassis hazard. In the unlikely event that the solar panel is able to drive too much current into the battery the diode will go open circuit (like a fuse would). I would guess that a diode might actually be cheaper than a fuse. Having made this change, the LED should be driven from the solar panel side of the diode so it indicates when a charging voltage is present. A further improvement would be a zener in series with the LED so it requires a bit more voltage before lighting up.

[@fungames24]

Schottky diode leaks from temperature rise. There is enough room in the plug for both a fuse and a 1A diode. A 3A diode is too big for a 500mA panel. The LED should remain on the car side. It lights up when the panel is not plugged in, proving the panel is working. It also lights up at night, proving the connection to the battery is good. A better improvement is to remove the LED, thereby increasing the panel feed power by 15-20mA. Increasing the feed power means you can use a smaller and cheaper panel.

[@NextLevelAutoDiagnostics]

Great video....just bought a solar trickle charger and my cigarette lighter is switched. Never thought about using the ODB port.

[@watd9524]

my car is prius v. is it ok if I plug the obd in . I am afraid it might cause any problems in hybrid system. if you know, plz let me know .

[@essendoubleO.P]

Can you leave this charger connected whilst the car is operational? I have a lexus sc430 which is draining my battery badly. Wondering if I can just leave this working indefinitely while the car is in use

[@KerryWongBlog]

Yes! I have it plugged in for the past two and half years, the battery is still going strong even though I rarely use my car.

[@essendoubleO.P]

So I don't need to unplug the obd connector each time I start the car?

[@KerryWongBlog]

@@essendoubleO.P That's correct. You can leave it plugged in.

[@RiffRaffMama.]

OBD... it stands for On-Board Diagnostics... O.B.D. Not ODB.

[@joinedupjon]

25cm by 25cm is 1/4th of a meter by 1/4th of a meter or 1/16th (0.0625) of a square meter, not around 0.6 of a square meter I think you did the right calculation but misspoke that bit of commentary too.

[@KerryWongBlog]

Thanks for pointing that out!

[@truck93]

It may be easier to go directly to a fused 12v power source, like the radio memory or the headlight circuit. There are fuse taps lugs you can buy for cheap. Or just wire the cigarette lighter/power port to a 12v source like the above circuits.

[@gregb1714]

Plugging into an easily accessible OBD port seems like a more simple approach. My fuse box is buried. With most American cars, you can just plug into the lighter socket. Most foreign cars only connect the lighter when on ACC or running.

[@jafinch78]

Thanks for sharing... I've never heard about this or seen before, neat. Wondering about swapping out the diode also to a more efficient lower loss one from the panel to get even more efficiency. I wonder if like Toyota found with the effort they did to look into integrated solar panels on the roof or wherever, there was RFI/EMI in the VLF/AM range from the panel or something related. I think the issue if I recall correct was AM radio interference. So, the internal fan or something maybe to vent air outside (guessing) was only connect to the solar panel. I'm surprised there wasn't an isolation method used to prevent such issue. Might be a pain to get a modular solar panel that is maintanable to contour to the body panels also. Seems like that would be a significant hurdle compared to the isolation system... then again... I'm newbie post a bunch of non-consensual traumas to more than my head, re-learning and continually learning electronics and RF engineering with a little Clinton Administration hiatus. Good to see people aren't forgetting about Mena and the other more recently exposed connections.

[@jafinch78]

I'm going to have to remember this for the truck, since I added the car alarm... I think that's all that drains the battery when sitting for prolonged times. Thinking same for car if I don't use for an extended period.

[@theconservativechristian]

Great video!

[@pault6533]

What is a cigarette lighter doing in a “modern” car? 😝 these are unreliable inline connections because the + spring wants to push the connectors apart. You might have better assurance they don’t separate during those 2 weeks in the hot car by using your own 2P connector and an inline fuse where you put your diode. And don’t worry about over voltage, it doesn’t supply enough POWER to fry electronics. 14+ V is routinely encountered when the alternator is charging.

[@coloradowilderness3139]

Very Sporadic ! Nice. Thanks a looooooooooooooot

[@SlobberySlob]

Subscribed. Liked. Great video. The other route is to wire it via the cabin fuse box with a fuse piggyback.

[@melovescotch]

Anything to prevent the 12v batter from overcharging?

[@kuro68000]

At such a low charge rate it won't overcharge. The chemistry of the battery prevents it. Anyway the charge current is probably below the minimum load the car puts on it.

[@melovescotch]

@@kuro68000 Panel looks big enough that it could slowly cause gassing off of 12v battery when it's full. Eventually it could loose too much water and die. I.E. there is a reason why 12v lead acid chargers go from CC, CV, then to a float voltage that is lower than the higher CV mode.

[@gregb1714]

@@melovescotch That panel does not have enough power to get the battery up to the float voltage.

[@hagarhassan5552]

i have control of spellman model xrb i need help to fixed him thanks

[@hagarhassan5552]

Advice please

[@netsider]

Can you seriously buy something LIKE this anywhere (a solar charger that uses the OBD connector), already assembled, etc.? If so, please give me a link. I got here because I was trying to buy something like this. They really need to make this mainstream. I don't drive a lot and always come out to find my car battery dead. It blows my mind thinking they don't have this in every car (would probably only cost manufacturer $50 or less per car).

[@KerryWongBlog]

If you google "obd trickle charger" you can find quite a few sellers on eBay.

[@hadireg]

👍👍

[@questioning3388]

My experience is a properly working car should start after being parked for more than a month. If you are leaving it for half a year or more install a battery disconnect. It is a cheaper and easier implemented solution. You have a multimeter so just find and fix the problem with your car.

[@gregb1714]

Batteries don't like to sit. Running a small charging current through them will greatly extend their life! Also, the car draws power from the battery when sitting idle.

[@AYVYN]

If the OBD-II port is just pins, you can connect the wires directly instead of buying a special adapter.

[@zurialjazz]

Vets get discount with this brand.

[@NEWNATURE777]

Hi, isn't that the reason that we have battery tender? 🤔

[@spyrosbellos2522]

now do this to my carburated hilux

[@johnsenchak1428]

JUST GET TO THE DAMN POINT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Brian_Of_Melbourne]

Amen to that.

[@DEAD4LIVE]

Nice idea