Battery kill switch

[jeegnesh]

Greetings - Yes I still have my X5 but it does very little mileage but I just can't sell it because it still mega useful, not to mention the fact I don't want to spend ££££ replacing it for another car that has little use.

I've had a battery drain issue for ages, bought one of those phone charger lookalikes jump start brick which helps most of the time, but I'm kinda getting fed up with it, I would look to resolve the issue, but yet again I'm sure its a needle in a haystack with all the electronics in this beast.

So I want to opt for a simple idea of install a battery cutoff switch and after looking around the ones that live direct on the battery are useless due to the placement of the X5 battery so I have found this:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cocar-Disconne ... itch&psc=1

Including someone hand drawn installation guide, but basically you connect the current positive to this unit and run a new cable to the battery terminal, then wire up the switch into the dash.

I've found the same item with remote version, also sold in the US amazon site with a lot more reviews (107) and it seems to tick the boxes, but I am still concerned about whether it can handle the load etc etc.



Any chance anyone has any experience of this or just an opinion?

I read some posts on page one, so I am currently charging up my dead battery and have disconnected the DVD GPS, my CD was already removed for the whole intravee setup plus I pulled fuse 72.

Also thinking to replace the hedgehog.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[jaynana]

Look who’s still around

Should work I guess but the reviews aren't all that convincing.

How about keeping the car on a trickle charger instead - isn't that the more elegant solution. U can have a CTEK plug in the front grill or some place easily accessible?

I used to connect via the trailer socket .. in the winter as I used to do short runs but use the webo often.


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[jeegnesh]

Yeah still going strong.

I have a ctek and plug installed but don't want to keep a power cord outside all the time.

[X5Sport]

The kill switch would need to support at least 220A to give a margin of safety with the starter.

What about a good quality caravan solar cell charger?  I do mean a decent one though.

Glad to see you are still around, though this might bring Sanj out of retirement too 

[Horizon]

As per the caravan solar panel, my friend had one on his caravan to run his tracker, as the insurance company wouldn't insure his van without it.
Before he fitted it he had to swap out the battery for a charged one every few weeks as it was in a storage yard with no available power source.

[jeegnesh]

Very quick search saw AA solar charger which plugs into ODB socket, pretty tidy solution but not sure the panel is big enough to do very much. Is this the type you mean?

Think caravan ones come with watt rating, any pointers on what would be good?

How useful would these be in our poor light winters.

[Alan Gunn]

Seen 2 disasters of late people plugging charging devices into the OBD.
Be careful.

[jeegnesh]

How so?

[Alan Gunn]

I think it blew some fuses.

[sleepyfolk]

If you charge through the OBD and forget to unplug the solar panel it will blow fuses and possibly put you into limp mode / EML lights on etc. The OBD chargers do warn you about it, personally I think anything less than a 20 watt panel will be as much use as a

[jeegnesh]

[quote="jaynana"]
Look who’s still around

Should work I guess but the reviews aren't all that convincing.

How about keeping the car on a trickle charger instead - isn't that the more elegant solution. U can have a CTEK plug in the front grill or some place easily accessible?

I used to connect via the trailer socket .. in the winter as I used to do short runs but use the webo often.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
[/quote]

The kill switch is appealing to me again. So spec claims:

Max Current: 1000A
Rated Current: 100A
Rated Voltage: DC 12V
Working Voltage: DC 5-15V
Lifetime of Use: 100,000 Times

Is that enough? (Sorry those numbers mean nothing to me)

[jaynana]

it says rated amperage 100A. the knowledgeable man has said 220A in the thread, to be on teh safe side with the starter, so I'd say no unfortunately :'(

solar panel is a good idea, its only a trickle charge u need just like the CTEK (I'd rather go through the cigarette lighter and leave the OBD port alone - tried and tested and only one fuse worst case to worry about no expensive electronics)

re. using a CTEK with a plug  btw, u don't need to run mains outside, u can have the CTEK in the house, extend the wire after the unit to the car - that's low voltage, low current.

That's what I had done during the X5 days and I also added a low amperage fuse - in case the wire got snapped or get short-circuited etc..

[jaynana]

[quote="X5Sport"]
The kill switch would need to support at least 220A to give a margin of safety with the starter.

What about a good quality caravan solar cell charger?  I do mean a decent one though.

Glad to see you are still around, though this might bring Sanj out of retirement too 
[/quote]

hmm.. so Sanj is in retirement, happened to exchange a couple of words recently

[jeegnesh]

[quote="jaynana"]
[quote="X5Sport"]
The kill switch would need to support at least 220A to give a margin of safety with the starter.

What about a good quality caravan solar cell charger?  I do mean a decent one though.

Glad to see you are still around, though this might bring Sanj out of retirement too 
[/quote]

hmm.. so Sanj is in retirement, happened to exchange a couple of words recently
[/quote]

I still see him, but the x passion is missing, actually more like time is hard to find nowadays.

[jeegnesh]

[quote="jaynana"]
it says rated amperage 100A. the knowledgeable man has said 220A in the thread, to be on teh safe side with the starter, so I'd say no unfortunately :'(

solar panel is a good idea, its only a trickle charge u need just like the CTEK (I'd rather go through the cigarette lighter and leave the OBD port alone - tried and tested and only one fuse worst case to worry about no expensive electronics)

re. using a CTEK with a plug  btw, u don't need to run mains outside, u can have the CTEK in the house, extend the wire after the unit to the car - that's low voltage, low current.

That's what I had done during the X5 days and I also added a low amperage fuse - in case the wire got snapped or get short-circuited etc..
[/quote]

Oh shit, now your talking this is a serious arse solution consideration.

So let me get this straight your saying cut the plug on the ctek side and extend that wire?  Only downside I see is that I would no longer be able to use the ctek on another car without taking out the wiring, unless I get another plug and the new connection I make should be an easy disconnect. BTW - any cable type recommendation?

FYI - after more Reading I don't think I have hedgehog drain as my blower does not go up and down and I don't think I've heard it go on when off but will check that again. I am going to pull fuse 72,73 and 75 anyway my head unit is messed up and works sometimes, faded screen or flickering so not a big loss.

Using a multimeter and after a fresh charge reading was 12.4 (FYI - taking reading from the boot terminals, hope that's the same as at battery). Will see how it drops with these fuses pulled. Just thinking if I can slow the drain then solar panel may stand a chance, currently I doubt it would do crap.