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Old 08-08-2014, 06:51 AM   #5 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,524

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.06 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile View Post
I used an MPPT charge controller to make the most of the available current. Problem is as soon as you start the engine, the voltage jumps to ~14v and the controller detects this as a full battery and shuts off the panel while driving.
The controller would have also prevented overcharging & ruining the battery when parked.

But you could have switched your system to bypass the controller when the alternator was running - you would have lost the efficiency of MPPT, but avoided the problem of it detecting 14v and sitting on the sidelines.
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Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
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