GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi all

2006 Vibe. Just got a solar trickle charger - will it work with lighter socket?

I guess I'm asking if the 06 vibe has the lighter socket on while no key in car.

thanks

Yep, it'll work, as long as the input doesn't exceed 15 Amps.

Edit: Sorry, I made a mistake here. The following posts are correct.

pointbob wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2024 4:55 pmI guess I'm asking if the 06 vibe has the lighter socket on while no key in car.

Unfortunately, no, it won't. Because the 12v "lighter" socket isn't connected to the system unless the key is on, trying to charge the battery with a solar trickle charger via that socket won't work.

I never found an easy way to have the cig lighter outlet ( the one under the HVAC controls) be on all the time, however. Its switched directly by the ignition switch.

The 03/04's had a 12V outlet inside the console between the seats, and the 05-08's have the wires for it but no outlet. If you add that outlet, then you could do this mod viewtopic.php?t=5078 to have it be on all the time.

But it might be easier to just tie the triclke charger into something under the hood

Why do you want to hook one up?

Since the cig lighter circuit is only closed with the key in, what about the OBD2 port? I think it's always left powered (might want to double check / experiment, maybe it disconnects after 30 minutes?). And if so, then you could rig something up using an OBD2 wire harness. It looks like there are commercial solar products that plug into OBD2, so I'd assume it's safe to do so without jeopardizing the computer systems.

The 2006 Vibe likely does not power the lighter socket with the key off, so you'd need to connect the solar trickle charger directly to the battery.