Solar Panels and Jump Starters

stargazer

Forum Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Messages
8
Location
Canberra
Car Year
2019
Car Model
Forester i-S
Transmission
CVT
I'm new to both AWD and the Forester. Have a 2019i-S and on a recent trip out of the way managed to flatten the battery in two days. No lights on etc, but opening and closing the rear door several times a day seemed to be enough. (all electrical on these things). We might have left it open for a while (newbie error as the ECU is active) but neither me nor my wife remember doing so.

Anyway's part of my solution is going to be a Hardkorr 150W solar blanket 150w Heavy Duty Portable Solar Panels with Crocskin® Cell Armour | Hardkorr Australia and mounting an Anderson plug neatly in the grill. Keeping the cranking battery on trickle charge for several hours each day, with the advantage that the charger can also monitor the battery voltage. Also I can use the solar to charge another battery if I want (e.g. my 26Ahr Deep Cycle one I use for my telescope).

But, I also want a jump-starter just in case and have conflicting advice about Lithium jump-packs versus Capacitive charge devices. I have read some bad reviews about cheaper Lithium jump-starters. I'm currently looking at:
Does anyone have experience with these types of devices and how well the Capacitive charge devices work? Any recommendations?

PS: I did search the forums but couldn't find anything recent on this kind of stuff.
 
What battery is currently in your car? Is it the original?

It sounds to me more like some kind of charging problem. Are the battery terminals clean? Top of the battery?
 
Hi RB, Yes it is the original battery and the terminals are perfect. Once jump started it charged okay and has been fine around town since November (lots of short trips). Given the stop/start engine arrangement etc, I think if the battery was not charging it would have shown up since then. I have read on a few forums about Subaru original batteries in some models not being up to the task, but can't find much about the newer Foresters having the problem and nothing specific about Australian models. But, to me the battery looks very small for the task (and there's not a lot of room to put something bigger in there.)

The Subaru dealer service section, wasn't overly surprised when I asked them about it. They said leaving the door open can drain it because of the security stuff, ECU etc, but we were out walking most of the time so it would have been locked and closed. I was surprised and am having the battery checked soon, but...<shrug>
 
We have Bosch batteries in both of ours. My last one in my SG lasted over 8 years, and spent around 2 years in the Camry before that.

It's a 55D23L.

Can you turn the stop/start system completely off? John Cadogan is not a fan of them because of the strain they put on other components. OK for real stop/start driving, but not for e.g. traffic lights and normal traffic conditions, IIRC.
 
I'm still trying to determine what batteries are suitable for the model to work out whether I can get a stronger one. With the stop/start system you have to have particular batteries. AND, you sent me looking through the book and it turns out there's a switch to turn the S/S system off. So perhaps useful around town. Regardless, I'm going to make sure I have alternatives to keep the car battery charged and be able to jump-start it. A flat battery when you're out of mobile range and isolated is not fun.

We got this model because we went down to one car and are very different sizes. This is the only model that has automatic seat adjust which was a specified requirement by my better half :) Must admit that despite reading the book from cover to cover several times there are still options that I don't remember. It doesn't help that the book is not always clear about model differences in its descriptions. Its automatic everything, it even complains that I'm not watching the road when the sun is low in the sky and reflects off my sunnies thus preventing the camera from seeing my eyes. Too many bloody options and switches:cool:
 
When I had a 2019 Liberty while SWMBO's SH was having its permanent airbag change, I preferred my 2006 SG - and told the stealership that when I took it back.

I prefer to drive a car. I have more than enough computers to 'drive' ...
 
Understood and I have some sympathy for that approach. And I'm still hoping someone has experience with the jump-starter options because no matter what I do with the under the bonnet battery and S/S etc, I want a solution for when "all else fails" and the battery is down to 5Volts after two days, regardless of cause.
 
Ratbag said:
It sounds to me more like some kind of charging problem
Click to expand...
It's a well-known problem with the later model Foresters and rear hatch doors
Ratbag said:
Can you turn the stop/start system completely off?
Click to expand...
Yes, but you have to switch if off every time you start the car. There is an after-market device that will remember the last setting be it on or off; lots of discussion here:
('19+) - Permanently disable Auto Stop/Start ►...

This jump starter gets good reports from other Forester owners:

1611126273581.png
 
Thanks Kevin. Good to have some confirmation about the rear door. Thanks for the info about the Noco. Another one to look at on top of the ones I've already found. Also the GB70 perhaps as it will have more grunt.
 
A jumpstarter is a handy gadget to have anyway. I use it camping to power lights and to charge phones. Mine is a itech2000a . I've gone USB for pretty much all my camp lighting.
Change all your cabin lamps to LED even the cheap ebay ones do the job. I;ve noticed a big difference compared to halogen if I leave a cabin light on the car battery will be flat the next day but not with LED.
 
Hi Lefty, Kevin and Ratbag. In the end I opted for a belts and braces approach. I now have a Hard Korr CrocSkin 150W Solar Blanket with battery charger which can charge the battery on trickle (and let me recharge my 26AHr telescope battery), plus an OzCharge 1000A Battery-less Jump Starter - Rescue Mate (after watching a review by John Cadogan) and the Noco GB40!

It probably seems like a bit of overkill, but I can use the Noco for mobiles and emergencies. Should be able to recharge it from the solar panels and have it in reserve just in case. I can use the Solar to keep the car battery trickle charged and if all else fails - well I've been told that most likely I'll end up using the Ozcharge Capacitive Jump-Starter to help others because "that's what happens when you have one of those". The Ozcharge was well priced on Amazon (way below the RRP).

BTW Lefty, great idea about changing the cabin lighting to LED. I thought that they were already but I now think that's only the map lights. I'll look around for suitable LED lights for the other Cabin lights.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top