Forum Discussion

Naio's avatar
Naio
Explorer II
Jul 02, 2015

Is it bad to drive with trickle charger on chassis battery?

Y'all Tinkerers are going to be disgusted by this. But I have finite energy this summer, and too many demands on it.

One result: I have a milliamp drain in my chassis system which I have put some time into but not enough to track it down. Dug out a pair of little solar panels someone gave me years ago (when I was more of a tinkerer myself), set them on the dash and clipped them on. Since then, battery is full every time I check it.

But is it terrible if I don't disconnect them when driving? I have forgotten a couple of times. Nothing exploded. Can I stop trying to remember?

When I get tired I start looking for things I can eliminate from the 'to do' list.

13 Replies

  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer III
    I agree with Mex entirely—there is no need to remove or disconnect them, unless possibly to prevent them from blowing off the roof or to give you vision out the windshield or something like that.
  • Might give your engine's alternator a case of the hiccups from laughing so hard butbin reality the panels are not pesky at all. Forget they are there. Enjoy your 4th of July.