can you charge battery through 12V socket?

[Guest robson]

I thought  I can use my 12V  socket to keep charging on my bike when I don't ride in winter for more then few days.

Any problem with that?  it woyld spare me unscrewing the battery cover.

 

[tc3 1,095]

Should work as I use my Optimate lead connected to battery in the same way

[Puglim 61]

Should work as I use my Optimate lead connected to battery in the same way

Robert,

Me too......assuming your 12volt socket is not wired via the ignition switch and only 'live' when the ignition is on. Otherwise it should not be a problem.

[Normsthename 91]

Not sure if the Official Honda Socket one can charge thru' it......

I fitted an aftermarket Socket off of a Auction Site that connects direct to the Battery, only cost a few £££

It works brilliantly and I can charge thru' the Socket with my Optimate (using an Optimate Adaptor)

Andy

Edited November 30, 2014 by Normsthename

[Guest robson]

Not sure if the Official Honda Socket one can charge thru' it......

I fitted an aftermarket Socket off of a Auction Site that connects direct to the Battery, only cost a few £££

It works brilliantly and I can charge thru' the Socket with my Optimate (using an Optimate Adaptor)

Andy

 

I have  original honda 12V socket but it goes not through relay,

even I told dealer it should be according to specs by honda.  But since I have 

this socket in the frunk no problem somebody will steal my power I guess.

It comes handy that way if I can charge through it though.

[Reckless_Rat 89]

You might have have issues if there's a fuse inline with the (cigarette lighter type?) socket (?).
The honda dealers just keep the bikes topped up using the Optimate socket that dangles out the left side of the bike - my charger can plug directly into that.

[Guest zoeff50]

I have the original 12V Honda socket installed. No problem with my Optimate charger connected. I keep it connected all the time during the (my) winter storage period 01-12 till 01-04. As long there is no salt and/ or snow on the road I try to keep driving.

[Guest chicken george]

it woyld spare me unscrewing the battery cover.

 

Dude, it's a couple of cross head screws...

 

Plus, with the cover off you can check up every now and again to make sure the battery isn't doing anything funky....

[Guest Brosh]

I thought  I can use my 12V  socket to keep charging on my bike when I don't ride in winter for more then few days.

Any problem with that?  it woyld spare me unscrewing the battery cover.

 

Depends what sort of socket it is. If it's a factory fitted thing it'll likely be designed specifically not to allow that, as any devices you plug in to the cigarette lighter socket should consume, not generate power. There will be fuses and such in place to prevent it. If it's aftermarket, chances are they won't have bothered since, after all, aftermarket parts manufacturers don't tend to give much of a **** about what they break.

 

Further note, depending on the charge rate (I imagine it'll be a trickle if you're charging constantly), you may well burn out cables, setting fire to your bike by melting the insulation and shorting things out, or possibly even just damage the battery by charging it too quickly. If you leave it plugged in constantly it's not a problem. If you let it run down and charge it up, it probably will be a problem. Bear in mind cigarette lighter sockets have a specification and requirements very different from that of the battery of the bike. If it is not designed to allow you to do this, there are probably numerous safety risks to doing it.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Brosh

[Guest scrumpymike]

You might have have issues if there's a fuse inline with the (cigarette lighter type?) socket (?).

The honda dealers just keep the bikes topped up using the Optimate socket that dangles out the left side of the bike - my charger can plug directly into that.

 

Haven't noticed the socket you mention - where exactly is it?

[Guest Tibs]

Without wishing to be rude, that's a load of nonsense.

[Tonyj 6,907]

Without wishing to be rude, that's a load of nonsense.

Not wanting a fire session what's not right with earlier posts and why as I'm a bit at a loss

[Guest Tibs]

Sorry I got interrupted and hit the send button a little prematurely. It was Brosh's comments I had issue with.

I cannot think of any reason not to charge through the socket. I've never heard of them being protected by a diode to only allow current flow in one direction only.

The socket is protected by a fuse, but even if it wasn't, how much current do you think a charger is going to put through it? Have you not seen these devices which claim to be able to jump start cars by connecting the 2 cigarette lighter sockets together? I certainly wouldn't suggest you try that, but charging really shouldn't pose a threat under normal circumstances.

I'll shut up now...

Tibs

[Tonyj 6,907]

Thanks ,

[Guest robson]

Sorry I got interrupted and hit the send button a little prematurely. It was Brosh's comments I had issue with.

I cannot think of any reason not to charge through the socket. I've never heard of them being protected by a diode to only allow current flow in one direction only.

The socket is protected by a fuse, but even if it wasn't, how much current do you think a charger is going to put through it? Have you not seen these devices which claim to be able to jump start cars by connecting the 2 cigarette lighter sockets together? I certainly wouldn't suggest you try that, but charging really shouldn't pose a threat under normal circumstances.

I'll shut up now...

Tibs

 

well, definitively there is no diode there but in factory setting there is a relay which prohibit charging without turning ignition on.

Mine doesn't have a relay because of dealer laziness...

[Guest Tibs]

I don't think the socket is fed by the relay. I think it feeds the other leads for the heated grips etc.

I could be wrong because I made my own sub harness and that's how I did mine for that very reason. 

There's certainly a live feed in that 6 pin plug that the sub harness connects to, which is not switched power, so I would think that is the supply for the socket.

Anybody got a pukka Honda socket who can confirm?

[Guest duk2n]

I don't think the socket is fed by the relay. I think it feeds the other leads for the heated grips etc.

I could be wrong because I made my own sub harness and that's how I did mine for that very reason. 

There's certainly a live feed in that 6 pin plug that the sub harness connects to, which is not switched power, so I would think that is the supply for the socket.

Anybody got a pukka Honda socket who can confirm?

Wrong

 

If you follow Honda instructions to fit the socket it will be switched.

The live feed you see in the 6P conector is for the alarm.

 

HTH

[Guest Brosh]

Sorry I got interrupted and hit the send button a little prematurely. It was Brosh's comments I had issue with.

I cannot think of any reason not to charge through the socket. I've never heard of them being protected by a diode to only allow current flow in one direction only.

The socket is protected by a fuse, but even if it wasn't, how much current do you think a charger is going to put through it? Have you not seen these devices which claim to be able to jump start cars by connecting the 2 cigarette lighter sockets together? I certainly wouldn't suggest you try that, but charging really shouldn't pose a threat under normal circumstances.

I'll shut up now...

Tibs

 

Actually wasn't going to bother replying on the grounds of such little effort, but as you've put some in...

 

The jump start over accessory socket isn't a massive problem because it doesn't provide sustained power consumption (and isn't designed to be a long term solution). The power drawn over the jump cables you're talking about is for a very short period of time, typically not long enough to produce any real heat. What we're talking about here is leaving some quantity of power (potentially quite high, in the event that the battery does get badly drained) for a number of hours unattended. The problem with short bursts of very high power is they produce massive quantities of heat, that heat melts the insulation around the copper, causing the copper to inevitably end up touching the chassis and shorting out, at least with the live wires. The problem here is in reality more likely to be the sustained heat over a long period. If you look at things like cooker cables for electric ovens and such, you'll notice the cables become brittle and crack over time. This happens through the same effect, prolonged heat being pumped into the rubber. It causes the structure of the insulation to change, and eventually it will just crumble and fall away. If you're extremely lucky, you'll get away with neither. For the saving of removing 2 screws though? It's kinda worth not risking it.

 

The chargers I've had in the past have all been fairly old fashioned and well made. They typically provided up to around 8 amps max, at 12 volts. That's a considerable chunk of power. It wouldn't surprise me if the modern equivalents were poorly made, unprotected, and could potentially provide unlimited quantities of power (beyond what's on the label, only really restricted by how much you can draw and/or how much the components in the charger can supply.)

 

I really wouldn't be surprised to find a diode, even an in-line one built in to the cable. I don't see why they wouldn't do it, it does make perfect sense. Fact is, if something is trying to charge the battery from an accessory socket which is designed to provide, not draw, power... Something is probably going wrong and the best thing to do if something is going wrong is to fail safely, meaning something small, cheap, and easily replaceable should blow and stop further, more expensive damage.

 

Edit: On a side note there are some connectors you can pick up which you hook up to the battery terminals, and just plug it straight in to a charger. That prevents the need to risk blowing things up, the cables should have specific connectors which match up to the charging device (thus preventing pumping too much power down them), and it's a far more appropriate method of charging the battery. I believe Oxford make one, but can't seem to find it on these internets. Probably worth researching.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Brosh

[Guest robson]

The jump start over accessory socket isn't a massive problem because it doesn't provide sustained power consumption (and isn't designed to be a long term solution). The power drawn over the jump cables you're talking about is for a very short period of time, typically not long enough to produce any real heat. What we're talking about here is leaving some quantity of power (potentially quite high, in the event that the battery does get badly drained) for a number of hours unattended. The problem with short bursts of very high power is they produce massive quantities of heat, that heat melts the insulation around the copper, causing the copper to inevitably end up touching the chassis and shorting out, at least with the live wires. The problem here is in reality more likely to be the sustained heat over a long period. If you look at things like cooker cables for electric ovens and such, you'll notice the cables become brittle and crack over time. This happens through the same effect, prolonged heat being pumped into the rubber. It causes the structure of the insulation to change, and eventually it will just crumble and fall away. If you're extremely lucky, you'll get away with neither. For the saving of removing 2 screws though? It's kinda worth not risking it.

 

The chargers I've had in the past have all been fairly old fashioned and well made. They typically provided up to around 8 amps max, at 12 volts. That's a considerable chunk of power. It wouldn't surprise me if the modern equivalents were poorly made, unprotected, and could potentially provide unlimited quantities of power (beyond what's on the label, only really restricted by how much you can draw and/or how much the components in the charger can supply.)

 

 

 

you're wrong here - modern chargers use very small current 0.75A in pulse mode, no way to overheat anything and overcharge. They're fully automatic designed to be connected whole winter to keep battery in charge.

I have something like that, not exact but similar.  Once battery is fully charged the devise simulate normal vehicle use, meaning some discharging and charging back.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Charger-KeyLine-Conditioner-Applications-Introductory/dp/B00O84WNNG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417567249&sr=8-1&keywords=car+battery+mini+charger

Edited December 3, 2014 by robson

[michael 324]

I preferred having my heated gear powered by it's own (name brand inserted here) lead, which is the "dangly thing," i kept off the left side of the bike. My charger plugs into that with no worries as it's a direct (but fused) connection to the battery terminals and is not 'switched power," like the factory installed socket in the frunk.

 

As i'm trying to ride the bike every week to work (-4C yesterday) the 15 km's each way, i've only plugged it in briefly in the last month or so. within a few moments the charger revealed to me it was fully charged and went into float mode. <wahoo>

 

Exactly what I like to see.

[chris 357]

Actually wasn't going to bother replying on the grounds of such little effort, but as you've put some in...

 

The jump start over accessory socket isn't a massive problem because it doesn't provide sustained power consumption (and isn't designed to be a long term solution). The power drawn over the jump cables you're talking about is for a very short period of time, typically not long enough to produce any real heat. What we're talking about here is leaving some quantity of power (potentially quite high, in the event that the battery does get badly drained) for a number of hours unattended. The problem with short bursts of very high power is they produce massive quantities of heat, that heat melts the insulation around the copper, causing the copper to inevitably end up touching the chassis and shorting out, at least with the live wires. The problem here is in reality more likely to be the sustained heat over a long period. If you look at things like cooker cables for electric ovens and such, you'll notice the cables become brittle and crack over time. This happens through the same effect, prolonged heat being pumped into the rubber. It causes the structure of the insulation to change, and eventually it will just crumble and fall away. If you're extremely lucky, you'll get away with neither. For the saving of removing 2 screws though? It's kinda worth not risking it.

 

The chargers I've had in the past have all been fairly old fashioned and well made. They typically provided up to around 8 amps max, at 12 volts. That's a considerable chunk of power. It wouldn't surprise me if the modern equivalents were poorly made, unprotected, and could potentially provide unlimited quantities of power (beyond what's on the label, only really restricted by how much you can draw and/or how much the components in the charger can supply.)

 

I really wouldn't be surprised to find a diode, even an in-line one built in to the cable. I don't see why they wouldn't do it, it does make perfect sense. Fact is, if something is trying to charge the battery from an accessory socket which is designed to provide, not draw, power... Something is probably going wrong and the best thing to do if something is going wrong is to fail safely, meaning something small, cheap, and easily replaceable should blow and stop further, more expensive damage.

 

Edit: On a side note there are some connectors you can pick up which you hook up to the battery terminals, and just plug it straight in to a charger. That prevents the need to risk blowing things up, the cables should have specific connectors which match up to the charging device (thus preventing pumping too much power down them), and it's a far more appropriate method of charging the battery. I believe Oxford make one, but can't seem to find it on these internets. Probably worth researching.

The fuse on the Honda socket is only 1 amp

The Honda socket is wired via a relay so only works with ignition on.

If you have an alternate socket wired direct then there should be no problem hooking it to a suitable charger.

The battery is only about 10 or 11 AH. That means you wouldn't normally want to charge at much more than about 1 amp. Much more would damage the battery over a fairly short time.

[Guest robson]

As i'm trying to ride the bike every week to work (-4C yesterday) the 15 km's each way, i've only plugged it in briefly in the last month or so. within a few moments the charger revealed to me it was fully charged and went into float mode. <wahoo>

 

Exactly what I like to see.

 

that's the spirit!  you don't have a heated windshield don't you?  

 

wonder what kinda cloth you're wearing in such temperature, do you feel any cold or not?

[Guest Tibs]

It was lovely here yesterday by the time I was heading out so only wore jeans and thin jumper under my jacket. Mistake, it was bloody freezing by the time I got over to leominster. Thank the lord for heated grips! Much chattering of the teeth...

[Guest robson]

It was lovely here yesterday by the time I was heading out so only wore jeans and thin jumper under my jacket. Mistake, it was bloody freezing by the time I got over to leominster. Thank the lord for heated grips! Much chattering of the teeth...

 

heated seat would be handy too

[michael 324]

wonder what kinda cloth you're wearing in such temperature, do you feel any cold or not?

 

LDComfort long sleeved shirt under a Gerbing heated jacket liner. Whether I fire some electrons through the liner or not, the extended collar keeps the wind away from my neck and chin.

 

I only feel the cold through the hole in my Held gloves…which I'm anxious to replace yet loath to put them away.