OBD socket and portable solar panel battery charger

[Theaggregator]

Does anyone know whether the OBD socket underneath the steering wheel of our T4 Cali Westfalia Event (2002) should work with a portable solar panel that requires an OBD2 connection? Not having much luck so far. Have searched the site but can't find anything. Thanks.

 

[T6 CFO]

As far as I am aware the OBD socket is for getting data out and not power in. I wouldn't plug a solar panel in there.
No doubt someone with a more technical answer will be along soon.


Mike

 

[WelshGas]

I would be very wary, personally. There is a very expensive piece of electronics on the end of that circuit.
Having said that there are many WiFi OBD dongles that are powered by the OBD socket so I presume a 12v supply to the plug but I'm not sure it is always On or Ignition On only.

 

[Chris Greaves]

ODB1 was replaced by ODB2 as the standard in 1996. So anything after that date will be ODB2. There is a power out pin in the connector but whether your solar panel will work with it would need to be confirmed with the manufacturer of the panel.

 

[Chris Greaves]

Just another thought, the connection to the battery through the ODB2 connection will be to the engine battery, not the leisure battery which is what I assume you will want to charge. Unless VW have customised the connection.

 

[mrcheesbrough]

Does anyone know whether the OBD socket underneath the steering wheel of our T4 Cali Westfalia Event (2002) should work with a portable solar panel that requires an OBD2 connection? Not having much luck so far. Have searched the site but can't find anything. Thanks.

As @Chris Greaves has said any connection made to the OBD2 port will only trickle charge the engine battery. Assuming that's actually possible. As far as I know the leisure battery charging circuit wasn't linked to the engine until the T5 California came about so it wouldn't be of any benefit to you unless the plan was to use the engine battery to charge devices or listen to the radio for long periods while on a campover. If you're looking to trickle charge the leisure battery with a solar panel I think you'd need to connect it to the 12V Hella socket behind the drivers seat or look into a more integrated solution.

 

[Theaggregator]

Thanks for all comments.

It seems that the solar panel will only charge via the OBD socket on diesel engine vehicles from January 2004 onwards when a European Directive for this came into force. The advert for the AA version makes this clear. I got a full refund for a different brand.

The following from Wikipedia

The EOBD (European On Board Diagnostics) regulations are the European equivalent of OBD-II, and apply to all passenger cars of category M1 (with no more than 8 passenger seats and a Gross Vehicle Weight rating of 2500 kg or less) first registered within EU member states since January 1, 2001 for petrol (gasoline) engined cars and since January 1, 2004 for diesel engined cars.[24]

24 "Directive 98/69/EC of the European Parliament". Publications Office of the European Parliament.
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Thanks again.

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