Recently bought Solar Car Battery Mantainer 18V 5W Solar Trickle Battery Charger. You can connect this either using 12V socket or directly to the battery. In order for me to get this to work with the socket, socket needs to be life when ignition is off.  So my question is how to make 12V socket life at all time?

I've heard you can change the position of the fuse unfortunately the layout in s-max is different then other vehicles manufacturers.

 

10 minutes ago, Scott79 said:

Recently bought Solar Car Battery Mantainer 18V 5W Solar Trickle Battery Charger. You can connect this either using 12V socket or directly to the battery. In order for me to get this to work with the socket, socket needs to be life when ignition is off.  So my question is how to make 12V socket life at all time?

I've heard you can change the position of the fuse unfortunately the layout in s-max is different then other vehicles manufacturers.

Odd that, most on here inquire how to make their permanently live 12v socket only active with the ignition on so as when they plug stuff in, it doesn't drain the battery when they leave the car without unplugging! In a previous car, I installed a secondary 12v socket, permanently live for that very reason of using a solar trickle charge. I used a good quality Sealey charger, and it was rubbish.  5w sounds as if it would be OK, but the charge is so low, your battery will barely notice it.

If you can at all get a proper charge to leave on, I would take that option, otherwise, be prepared to be disappointed...

I know hence the question, should be enough power generated to maintain the camera power consumption 

I'd not waste time even thinking about it. The single light in the glovebox would use more power than it could provide

The 5W rating is in maximum sunlight, and if you are truly in Lanarkshire then you will be lucky to get 3W at mid day. That's one of the reasons that the further North you go in the UK the fewer the houses that have solar panels.

Hi I have a similar problem, i have a dashcam that i want plugged in and supplied, I have a s-max 2.2L  2012 it is supplied from a fuse in the passenger foot well (i think its about fuse 3 or 4) then it goes in to the circuit board to a relay but If I link the relay out the relay also feeds other things (probably the interior lights etc), so i think it will be easier to hard wire the cigarette lighter to a positive supply with a 10A inline fuse close to where I take the feed from

35 minutes ago, Chilledoutpaul said:

Hi I have a similar problem...

If you ever have need to use the socket for an air compressor to top your tires up, I would suggest a 15a fuse...