Review of AA Solar Power Car Battery Charger Maintainer

We were heading away for a few weeks and we had had a problem with our battery in the past, so we tested out this solar battery charger maintainer to see if it could keep our car battery in the best condition and topped up whilst it wasn’t being used.

Description

Are you going away or do you have persistent car battery problems? If either of these are true, a solar powered car battery charger could be perfect for your vehicle. They are the perfect trickle charge devices and will keep your car battery topped up, so you never have to worry about it losing it’s charge ever.

How Do Car Solar Battery Chargers Work

It’s very simple, you connect the solar panel to your (E)OBD connector within your vehicle, let your solar panel sit on the dashboard or underneath a large glass window to collect sunlight. If the blue LED is flashing, it is working and charging your battery from the inside of your car. Just like I said, it’s really simple!

car solar battery charger

 

You can even charge your battery by using the crocodile connectors that are provided and connecting them directly to your car battery under the bonnet. This isn’t as neat a connection and you’ll have to lift your engines bonnet and leave it up to charge, but at least you have this option.

What Is an EOBD Connector

This is a connector, found somewhere around the cars steering wheel, out of sight, that you can plug in to, to charge your cars vehicle and do other electronic tasks with.

With regards to the solar car battery charger, you can charge the battery from inside your car. Just plug it in to the OBD connector and let it sit there.

How To Find Your EOBD Connector

Using the link below, you can search your cars manufacturer and model and be able to plug in to your connector.

http://www.outilsobdfacile.com/location-plug-connector-obd

Solar Car Battery Charger

The blue flashing LED light will flash as soon as it is the view of a bright light or sunlight, this doesn’t specifically mean it is charging. It just means that it is ready to charge when plugged in in its current position in the sun.

Just like above, this solar battery charger is simple to use, we took our car down to our parents and left it there for just over 2 weeks whilst we went on holiday. We left the solar panel on the dashboard facing south and went on our way.

We returned two weeks later, made sure to unplug it all before we started the car and it worked perfectly. The car started first time and our battery seemed to be fully charged. This was in late summer though and there had been decent weather in the time we were away.

This may not be so good in winter and you’d need optimal sunlight for it to work perfectly and as expected. In this case, we can also recommend the NOCO GB70 we have also reviewed. With a jump starter you can be sure that if the worst was to happen, you can get your car started and back on the road. Alternatively, for when you can actually charge your car battery from the mains (even overnight while traveling) you can use a small wall charger such as the CTEK MSX 5.0 we have reviewed too.

Important Notice

Make sure to remove and disconnect from the connector or battery before starting your car.

Pros & Cons

PROS:
  • Trickle charges a 12V battery while parked
  • Very simple product, easy to use, just plug it in and let it charge whilst you are away
  • Great price
  • Charges in sunlight, even in the UK, from both natural and indoor lights
CONS:
  • Make sure you don’t leave it plugged in whilst you start your car, you will blow some fuses
  • You have to access your (E)OBD socket, easy in some cars, harder in others

Conclusion & where to buy

An awesome car car product, if you are away for a while, it is perfect to keep your cars battery charged, maintained and topped up for the duration of your stay. The only downside is you have to find the OBD connector, but we added a link to help you find yours. It even works under cloud cover, the LED still flashed when it was raining, so that was good.

AA 12 V Car Solar Battery Trickle Charger 4.8 W AA1432 - for Vehicles and Caravans - Battery Connectors Included

£40.47
7 new from £39.58
Free shipping
Amazon.co.uk
as of September 28, 2024 5:00 pm

Dimensions:

47 x 2.2 x 30 cm

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Martin Shaw
Martin Shaw

Martin is an automotive enthusiast with a deep passion for all things cars. He has spent the last decade immersing himself in the industry, reading up on the latest models, attending car shows, and tinkering with his own vehicles. Loves: family, all things cars (apart from selling them), pizza.

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