Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

I'm having a debate with someone and need help finding the correct answer. I have a 2006 Escape Hybrid. :D

Their argument is that, because those solar car chargers (the ones you plug into your car's lighter adapter) actually provide some charge to the car, it would help keep the hybrid's batter slightly more charged when it's parked, and also while driving, allowing the battery to be used more then for waiting for it's charge to come from the engine alone. (The person admits this amount of charge from the solar panel would be very small).

I believe that the charge would only charge the battery under the hood, (used for starting) and it wouldn't affect the hybrid battery (the one used for driving the car itself). So it would be like charging a regular car's battery when it's too cold or dead to start, but it would not affect the efficiency of the hybrid battery.

It is understood that the small solar panel is too small to supply a large charge, but we're curious of the truth to the theory. :confused:

Who one of us is correct?

Re: Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

The 12V battery is the only thing that could be charged with an external source. The HV battery can only be charged by using the Jump Start switch, regen, or the generator (MG1). By the way, the 12V battery only trips a relay for the HV battery to power MG1 to start the engine. There is no 12V starter motor in the FEH. The generator is a HV starter motor for the engine.

GaryG

Re: Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

Thanks for the info! I was unaware of that! :D

So, it sounds like a solar trickle charger through the cigarette lighter wouldn't bring any real benefit then. It would just keep the 12V battery topped up.

Thanks!

Re: Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

What benefit are you looking for? If you want to increase mpg you could try raising the tire pressure or removing the roof rack.

Re: Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

None in particular really. We were just debating it is all.

I had already added more air to my tires, but now my valve fault warning keeps going off... :angry: annoying! From the sounds of it I can't turn off the warning without a special tool or taking into get reset... :cry:

I can't see how removing the roof rack would add any real difference tho.

Re: Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

On my 2007 the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) just triggers on very low pressure, not high pressure. If yours if going off it might be because you rotated the tires without retraining the sensors. Moving any tire to another position on the car requires you to retrain. The retraining tool is available on eBay or from the dealer and is pretty cheap https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...et-tool-20721/ The retraining process takes about 2 minutes to perform.

Re: Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

Whoa, thanks! I just went to the dealer and picked it up. You're right, it works like a charm! No more warning! Whoop Whoop!

Thanks again!

Re: Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

Haven't you ever heard of drag co-effeicent, its a pretty big deal.

Just when I had my ski rack attached to me roof rack, the mpg went down alot. Then when I went to attach my snowboards and went for a long trip on on the highway, it felt like I had attached a sail on top of my car. Awful highway mpg.

Re: Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

I know what drag is, thanks. But the surface area difference between the roof rack and a rack attached holding your skis / snowboard is pretty substantial.

Mathematically, adding anything that interferes with the wind flow or creates resistance would cause a decrease in mpg, but I'm not concerned with the amount of savings I might get by removing something as low profile as the roof rack. It's worth more to me left on, in case I ever actually want to use it it would do me better on the car.

I wasn't here looking for mpg savings, I have already read lots of thrads on that topic. I was trying to find a solution to the debate I was having.

Re: Solar Car Charger (cigarette lighter type)
 

Both right, both wrong...:PAll of the power to re-charge the 12V battery comes from the high voltage battery through the big inverter under the hood so the power the solar puts into the 12V is power the big battery doesn't have to supply. Although it won't charge the high voltage battery, it would help reduce the amount it is discharged, so a net benefit, I think?