Solar trickle charger on the Land Rover LR4

These trucks have a notoriously weak charging system. Even with a brand new battery, it won’t start after sitting a few weeks. This was a subtle attempt to slightly improve that.

Related LR4 electrical & diagnostic videos:
• Hidden transmission sensor (almost stranded my LR4): https://youtu.be/-3pBJ48LMzY
• LR4 suspension fault diagnosis & fix: https://youtu.be/dO4zWdFG5EI
My understanding is that the alternator only charges intermittently by design in order to squeeze out an extra 0.001mpg. Add in all the electronics, and it’s always always been a little bit problematic, especially if you want to finish you phone call or anything after you’ve turned off the engine.
Additionally, I want to be able to charge a usb accessory while the ignition is off!

So, I removed the receptacle relay and jumped the terminals.

The panel is a 10w 12v Renogy trickle charger. The built in controller failed and it wasn’t putting out any voltage so I bypassed it and ran it through a Victron MPPT I got off ebay for $25.
With a smaller panel I wouldn’t be too worried about it, but being 10w I didn’t want to risk running a cheaper controller and sending 20v+ to the battery and LR electronics.

Видео Solar trickle charger on the Land Rover LR4 канала Eric Mcginn