CTEK D250SE - Still having dramas, despite the very helpful forums!

W

WOOTTON55

New Member
Hi,

Hoping someone can shed some light on my issues below please... hoping to go away soon!

DC-DC CTEK D250SE New charger (with NO smartpass). 2x 100ah AGMs, 2x 100W (19v) Solar in series.

My solar is intermittent every 70 seconds or so, but the correct lights are showing. It seems like this even in strong sun.

More importantly however, the alternator doesn't seem to charge the leisure batteries.

It did however work properly on the first day or so.

I noticed I had a low voltage via my refrigerator, so checked out the system, both 100ah AGM batteries very low. They are now charged and at about 12.5v. I replaced a fuse that was a little bit naff, but other than that I see no reason why the system now isn't charging. Specifically, i'm getting 13.5+ V from the battery and on the CTEK battery input terminal. I'm equally getting 12.7 or something at the output, so I can't understand it.

The only possible thing I can think it is, would be the ignition feed wire, but i've checked this inline and it does as it should.

For days prior to this, the power light was flashing, indicating 'current saving mode' as per the manual (which isn't particularly helpful), so I assumed the batteries were full and there were no dramas - until they were giving low power (and my bluetooth battery checker confirmed they were very low.

Another strange thing is that whilst i've been charging the batteries, I noticed the CTEK charging lights for solar (As per manual, solar and charging light) were coming on, even though it wasn't able to give an output (as it was disconnected) - is this normal? I figured the solar light would come on, but not the 'charging output' light too....

I've seen a few forums about fried diodes and fuses internally in the system, so can only but assume it's the box and not me?!?!

Any help/thoughts/answers are welcomed - cheers.
 
2 x 19v solar panels In series means upto 38v into the Ctek. Can it take that voltage ?

(Just checked - it’s 23v max I think)


Pete
 
post some pics of your install showing the connections etc. . . .

well see what we can see .
 
You’ve said the alternator isn’t charging the leisure batteries. You also have 200W of solar, does this charge them or are you getting no charge at all?

If your alternator is running, I’d have expected to see 14.4V coming into your CTEK, are you sure it is kicking in? You could try and connect an external charger to the starter battery, that will put out 14.4v or thereabouts which will turn the CTEK on. That will tell you if the CTEK is working as it should from starter battery input. With two 100Ah leisure batteries the external charger will need to be a high current one or it won’t do much but as a test it is probably worth a go.

may sound daft but are you certain it isn’t charging since you changed the dodgy fuse? If the batteries are charged and you have solar connected it will switch to trickle pretty quickly.
 
Pictures attached. One shows the intermittent lights (two amber for solar charging and one solid greed - generally a good sign), another a wider angle of the connections as they are set up in normal operation, lastly two of the bluetooth battery monitor that shows, how I found the batteries upon 'fridge error' inspection aka, drained, then the batteries being charged today, and the final image now at their rest voltage, noting that they are actually lower now as I need to give them a proper charge tomorrow ( i.e. not off the alternator directly/not via CTEK as I did today just for fault diagnosis and to give them some juice). It's worth saying that I do have a cut off switch between the vehicle battery and the CTEK (my own choice) and also the 'out fuse' is literally at the point of the CTEK connection, which I appreciate isn't best practice I guess, but it works all the same.

@Big.mac - from what I can tell the lights say i'm getting charge via solar, what's odd is that it's so inconsistent with direct sunlight, and as it's so formulaic, like on off in rhythm i'm inclined to think something is up. Part of me though thinks that perhaps as the batteries were discharged it was the CTEK trying to boost them in some sort of pulse way via solar, but that's way over my head. As I can't tell the amperage charge from just the solar, I can only assume, it is working, but only briefly. The voltage would suggest it's reaching the CTEK just fine, but combined with the alternator not working I think it's a bigger issue. Similarly, with the engine on, I do get 14v going into the CTEK, just still 12+ coming out of the charger (which I presumed was norma), just no orange alternator lights, which is the concern.... As the batteries are sitting below optimal level now from today, the alternator should be charging them and it's not. Having connected the veh battery lead to the output lead from the CTEK (one to one) I know that the wiring works and reads well... hope that helps... CTEK BATT1.jpegctek batt 3.jpegctek batt 5.jpegctek 6.jpeg
 
In your picture there is only one lead connected to the earth connector on the CTEK. What does that connect to? An earth or the Solar panel? It looks like the same cable as the positive from your solar which is why I ask.
 
1596399915080.png


why have you got a 30A fuse on the solar input top left? - you can remove that. (solar VOC 23v max)

starter battery should be connected bottom left. (12v)

body ground should be top right. (0v)

leisure battery should ne bottom right (12v)



****************

can you show what the battery select cable is connected too?

and the smart alt cable?


get a multimeter and check the readings referenced to a known good body ground point (ie seat bolt etc) - with engine running.

solar in =
starter in =
ground =
aux out =


**********


the LED readout says that the AUX battery is being charged via solar . .

1596400408225.png
 
Big.mac said:
In your picture there is only one lead connected to the earth connector on the CTEK. What does that connect to? An earth or the Solar panel? It looks like the same cable as the positive from your solar which is why I ask.
Click to expand...

So that's my negative coming from the solar.
 
Big.mac said:
In your picture there is only one lead connected to the earth connector on the CTEK. What does that connect to? An earth or the Solar panel? It looks like the same cable as the positive from your solar which is why I ask.
Click to expand...

This was my first thought. How is the Ctek grounded to the body of the van ?

Pete
 
1596400912265.png



body ground cable,

AWG12 or 4mm-sq



1596400981922.png
 
WOOTTON55 said:
So that's my negative coming from the solar.
Click to expand...
If that is the only cable connected there, it may well be the problem. There needs to be an earth connected to this connector.
I would start by adding in an earth between a known good earth on your chassis and the earth connector on the CTEK. Cable gauge needs to be the same size as the one on your solar panel as you will get a current flow through this from your solar input.
 
Gents. I'm been a total tool. When I first installed it I had it wired correctly. I had a play around with its seating and upon putting it back together must have not re-connected the neg lead to the service battery. Having reconnected it as advised its perfect. Totally stumped me for days and it was such a simple error. The trouble with long days looking at the same thing over and over.

Thank you for your comebacks. Quick, respectful and most of all helpful. Thank you.
 
Hello all
I’ve done a search on CTEK chargers and am jumping on this thread as it has most in common with my problems (and I’ve now checked my charger is grounded!).
Mine is a new installation but I don’t have a solar input but like above I noticed the gradually dropping voltage on my leisure battery which I put down to only doing short runs here and there from the campsite. However after the couple hours run home I was ‘excited’ (may be a bit strong) to see if the leisure battery had charged a bit but no. It’s now down to 9.5v which I’m concerned about in itself but that aside for now...

I have done my best to check through everything again and then again and I cannot fathom what is wrong here.
I’m getting an led on the CTEK indicting there is incoming voltage from the alternator (A). This is just above 12v.
I’ve checked I have the ignition switched live for the Smart alternator setting and I’ve grounded the other short tail to indicate the leisure battery is an AGM.
I’ve sat and had the engine running for ages with the meter on the charger out and it never provides any voltage to the leisure battery.
Any one any ideas please?

images below are:
Switched ignition live voltage.
Alternator in voltage
Charger out NO voltage
Leisure battery depleted voltage (9.5v)

thanks

2517A167-AB19-4C29-A08C-E58431D9BDF1.jpeg

95AEEE95-DFE5-49F8-A9AB-02E0FF432C73.jpeg

4103769F-BF60-4732-A01A-3C376DE18F5C.jpeg

A4D4D4D2-2A5E-4C1A-89BC-149AF0774086.jpeg
 
I would expect more than 12v from the alternator with the engine running.
Also, the charger output voltage should be the same as the leisure battery as they connected to the same terminal ?
Finally, I think some chargers don’t output a charge if they think the leisure battery is dead - maybe 9.5v means the charger thinks this is the case ?

Pete
 
Pete C said:
I would expect more than 12v from the alternator with the engine running.
Also, the charger output voltage should be the same as the leisure battery as they connected to the same terminal ?
Finally, I think some chargers don’t output a charge if they think the leisure battery is dead - maybe 9.5v means the charger thinks this is the case ?

Pete
Click to expand...
This is an excellent point about the voltage being the same at the charger as at the leisure battery... I checked the fuse on the Charger out as I was thinking that could be a problem, but I didnt think to check the continuity right to the battery terminal. Makes me think maybe theres a crimping fail at the terminal??
Right... seat back out!! Its late, but I have to know now!!
 
Glad your sorted . .

but you need to remove that red triangle tag too, its not helping with the connections.

its just for the installer as a notice, to be removed at install.
 
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