Victron DC to DC charger - draining starter battery ?

[samc21]

Well the BT on the dc-dc and the BT2 should at least tell you if its charging. I will add a bit more info about my system if I get time as well.
As above, any details on the extra cable install?

hi buddy, apologies for my brief description.

so I'm running the isolated victron dc dc

the extra cable I'm referring to was the ignition live switch which I will have connected via a piggyback fuse holder tommorow. I'll take a picture I picked it up from Halfords around 6 quid.

followed the cable route from under the drivers side seat where the charger is to the fuse box I'm sure one of the admin guys I believe delmassive the electrical guru had wrote something on this.

i had a little look through to find the correct fuse I'd piggy back from it's a 5a mini fuse on the right hand side.

and yeah I can figure out charging details via BT but I just ment prolonged results to see if for any reason the battery looses charge or doesn't charge etc during first hookup

 

[Skyliner33]

hi buddy, apologies for my brief description.

so I'm running the isolated victron dc dc

the extra cable I'm referring to was the ignition live switch which I will have connected via a piggyback fuse holder tommorow. I'll take a picture I picked it up from Halfords around 6 quid.

followed the cable route from under the drivers side seat where the charger is to the fuse box I'm sure one of the admin guys I believe delmassive the electrical guru had wrote something on this.

i had a little look through to find the correct fuse I'd piggy back from it's a 5a mini fuse on the right hand side.

and yeah I can figure out charging details via BT but I just ment prolonged results to see if for any reason the battery looses charge or doesn't charge etc during first hookup

Thanks for that. Appreciated.

 

[samc21]

Thanks for that. Appreciated.

hi buddy,

so after connecting up, I had it set to auto without using additional supply cable for ignition.

from what I can see so far using the Bluetooth monitoring system from victron, along as the correct battery is selected & then set to charging the additional cable is not needed.

I spoke to rayne automotive who also confirmed this theory. also as its an isolated system I questioned if the negative cable was needed to be ran back to the main battery but they said & qoute along as using an effective ground it shouldn't be the case, saving money on extra cable lengths.

I'm just typing this up quickly between a coffee break so if there's any questions feel free I'll answer in more detail later.

 

[Rough Shirt]

Hi all..

Hope someone may be able to shed some light on this one.

So I am using an Victron 12-12-18a isolated DC to DC charger.

This is how I have wired it :

- Positive from starter battery to input positive on Victron
- Negative from earth point under seat to negative input on Victron
- Positive output of Victron to positive of leisure battery
- Negative output of Victron to negative of leisure battery

Then from the leisure battery :

- Positive to the positive of a 12 way 12v distribution board
- Negative from rear earth stud (drivers side rear quarter) to negative of 12 way 12v distribution board

The issue :

- When on a camp site for 2 or 3 days on mains hook up (there is a battery charger under the seat, charging the leisure battery), the starter battery is losing voltage to the point where I can't start the van ??


Is this being caused by the DC to DC wiring / vsr or maybe something else.

Your help would be much appreciated - I am completely lost !

Thanks,

Andy....

Hi Andy,
I’m not sure if you’ve solved your problem or not but I think there is a mistake in your wiring. As you have the isolated model charger you should not have the negative of the leisure battery or it’s circuits connected to the cars earth. You need to move your negative of the 12v DB to the negative of the leisure battery.
Hope this helps.

 

[Dellmassive]

Hi Andy,
I’m not sure if you’ve solved your problem or not but I think there is a mistake in your wiring. As you have the isolated model charger you should not have the negative of the leisure battery or it’s circuits connected to the cars earth. You need to move your negative of the 12v DB to the negative of the leisure battery.
Hope this helps.

That's incorrect information.

The isolated version is designed for boats that have a fiberglass body and no chassis ground. It's also for galvanic isolation.

If you have a isolated version in a van.... Both negs got to the common chassis ground at the closest point. Either the battery terminal, or busbar, or ground point.

I have the isolated version..... Have a look at the install pics on the DC-DC charger thread.

[Guide] DC-DC Charger (for leisure battery) -- How I Done It --

DC-DC Charger (for Leisure battery) -- How I Done It -- ************************************************** Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread ************************************************** Kit List And Stuff -- How I Done It & What I Use --...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Epic-Rob]

I am having a similar problem (newish 6.1)
solar + Dcdc charging 200ah lithium.
DCDC feed taken from pos terminal on starter batt through a 70amp fuse.

so all can be good for a few weeks with little use then Bang is so flat i cant even open door on remote, charge it up and all good again for a while - its just random. had it in to VW they say no current draw on van side of things.

so i took DCDC feed completely off battery and all has been good for 3-4 weeks with occasional use. i did rig up an anderson plug on LB with a jumper lead - used it once.
Sherlock thinks it must be something to do with DCDC charger (or the set up) but Watson here isnt smart enough to figure all this electrical black magic out!!!!

i think i am going to go down the line of rigging up a charge from the solar panel.

 

[Dellmassive]

Post a few pics of your install...

The Victron connections and the battery connections.

Are you using auto mode? Or do you have an IGN or engine run feed?

 

[Epic-Rob]

If you remembar You and Grim Reaper helped me out with the initial set up of batteries cos it was throwing up all sorts of warning lights
so all pics etc are on here, i think i just want to set up a trickle charge from LB to starter but LB are lithium and starter lead acid.

Epic-Rob’s Lithium Leisure Build Thread​

I have the van up for sale now - decided i needed 4 motion... so i will have to do it all again september ish.....

 

[Epic-Rob]

So van has been sat fine with no starter batt probs for a few weeks so i re-connected the DCDC charger back up (put wire back on at batt terminal) maybe a week ago, and you can see there are a few spikes where van was started, then whilst sat there has been a steady decline until it went off a cliff and was at 5v when i tried to start it.
I cant see where the draw might be other than maybe through the DCDC charger (faulty?) or maybe leaking away through this 70amp trip switch.

I may try taking out the switch and just putting a mega fuse in place to eliminate that

 

[Dellmassive]

Can you post a bm2 plot from the previous week...

..... When the DC DC was disconnected.

Also post some pics of the DC-dc charger install.


That voltage drop doesn't look right.... Something is draining the battery.

 

[Dellmassive]

You can also look at getting a DC clamp meter.

That will show you where the power is coming from, and where it's being draining too..

More info.

Clamp Meters

Any recommendations for clamp meters? They have been mentioned in a few threads but I can’t find suggested products. Suitable for small mA measurements with dc in the van and elsewhere and also if possible up to mains ac. I’m not sure how much I need to spend for a tolerably decent one with the...

www.t6forum.com

.

 

[Epic-Rob]

Can you post a bm2 plot from the previous week...

..... When the DC DC was disconnected.

Also post some pics of the DC-dc charger install.


That voltage drop doesn't look right.... Something is draining the battery.

Link to thread with battery build pics on. Epic-Rob’s Lithium Leisure Build Thread
screnshot from end of may with van sat pretty constant think i reconected it just before the start spikes. ite has been disconnected since early May

will get a clamp meter tommorow.

 

[Dellmassive]

This happen as soon as you fitted the Victron Orion back up?

 

[Dellmassive]

Take some screenshots of the Victron Orion settings pages.

And. Post a couple of pics of the Orion wire terminals.

...


Also what's loads are running off the leasure battery?

 

[Epic-Rob]

Take some screenshots of the Victron Orion settings pages.

And. Post a couple of pics of the Orion wire terminals.

...


Also what's loads are running off the leasure battery?

Mine isnt a Victron its POWER SERVICE • Travel battery charger DC DC Converter
no loads running off LB all turned off whilst van sat.

 

[Dellmassive]

What version of NDS charger?

Post a pic of the wire connections.

And the jumper settings.

And the led readout.


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Is it just dc-dc or do you have solar too?

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[Epic-Rob]

What version of NDS charger?

Post a pic of the wire connections.

And the jumper settings.

And the led readout.


.....

Is it just dc-dc or do you have solar too?

..


View attachment 160307View attachment 160308View attachment 160309View attachment 160310View attachment 160311View attachment 160312


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[Epic-Rob]

I have the plus version doing solar AND DcDc there doesn't appear to be jumpers on that one (only the gold?) i have taken the case off in the past to see if any inside but nothing apparent.
will take a pic of wires when i take seat out to access it all to test with clamp meter BUT i am 99% sure all wires are into correct terminals - have had it in and out a number of times and also have checked led lights in past and they are doing what they are supposed to.

will report back later in week.

 

[Dellmassive]

The jumpers to set the battery type and charge profile are under the cover next to the fuses.

We need to see what profile you are set too.

Also what leasure battery type have you got?

...

There is a warning at the start of the manual that says the charger is active above 12.0v and switch ed off bellow 11.8v when in euro6 mode. And a D+ signal.

That could mean.... Depending on your D+ wire that the charger could be on all the time... As a resting AGM starter battery could be 12.2v

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[Dellmassive]

But your bm2 plot above show a continuous drain well below 11.0v.

So the unit is either wired up incorrectly, or its faulty.

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