VW t6.1 California Victron DC/DC install

[racerke600]

This week I installed the Victron DC/DC charger in my VW T6.1 California. I followed the detailed steps from Loz and others.
But when I started installing I quickly noticed that the T6.1 didn't seem to have an 80A fuse near the VW relay.
I looked for it everywhere but when I traced the positive lead going from the relay to the leisure battery it connects via a 200A MIDI fuse that sits on the + terminal.
Next to it is a second midi fuse from 100A going to the rear leisure battery.

When i ordered all my bits and pieces I bought a 60A MIDI fuse and a 60A conventional fuse.
The 60A midi fuse is installed between the starterbattery and the victron's input.
The output from the victron is connected straight to the input of the leisure battery and the 200A VW midi fuse.

So i have a couple of questions :

- 200A fuse from VW isn't that way to much with the old style relay?
- the 200A fuse needs replacing with a 60A fuse, but the 200A fuse is 'pressed' on one side and bolted M6 on the other side. (how do I replace this myself?)
- can't I just leave the 200A fuse and replace the connection point with another 60A MIDI junction box?

Thanks in advance

 

[racerke600]

And one more question while i'm at it
When installing the AMT12-2 i wanted to do it as the manual, but the 16mm² going in and out of the victron left me virtual no space to add another 6mm² from the AMT12-2.
So since the Victron is located under the passenger seat (LHD), I placed the AMT12-2 under the drivers seat.
That means that I piggy backed the wires from the 60A midi fuse block and the connector (see picture above).
Would this cause any issues? It's the same wires, just a bit further away from the victron.
I could still try and wiggle in 1,5mm² or 2,5mm² wires into the DC/DC ports, if needed.

 

[Loz]

Q1 You dont need to replace the 200A fuse as you can introduce the charge by going through a smaller 40 or 60 amp midi fuse holder first.



Q2 not a problem, I have connected mine to the midi fuse holder with an inline 5a mini fuse. (it only trickle charges at 3a max)

 

[racerke600]

@Loz okay thanks
Q1 -> I'll replace the straight connector with a new MIDI connector and a 60A fuse
Q2 -> where would i need to put the 5A inline, on the leisure or vehicle side?

 

[Loz]

I fitted mine here as I'm using small gauge wire.


So I made the link cables out of the inline mini fuse holders you buy with the loop of wire, cut the loop and put a spade on one end and a loop on the other. But mine is close to the dc-dc connections.

 

[racerke600]

Okay I quickly changed the drawing the way my wires are connected at the moment.
The blue 5A fuses will need to be introduced , and the 60A fuse between DC/DC output and the leisure battery also.

Hope this will be ok ?

 

[Loz]

Perfect..

 

[racerke600]

Added the extra midi 60A fuse to the leisure battery input and two 5A fuses on the amt12

 

[racerke600]

weird stuff going on!
this weekend I connected a battery charger to the main starter battery, al fine untill i check the victron app a couple of hours later.
seems that the victron orion dc/dc kicked in!?
i wired the H pin to the black wire that went in the original relais connector, so i would've tought no charging possible.
anyways i checked the H pin when the charge was running and indeed 12.3volts
the ignition was off and no engine running.
when i unpowered the external charger, charging halted.
also when i activated the automatic detection in the orion, charging halted.

normally i don't use an external charger, so i guess no issue
but the fact that the vw control unit can randomly 'power' on the orion leaves me a bit puzzeled

i'm thinking of adding a simple switch in the control wire that goes to the H pin, this way i can decide when the orion is allowed to charge the leisure batteries

any thoughts?

 

[Dellmassive]

Normal Operation.

i call it "auto vsr" . . . where a DC-DC charger will start up when it sees the starter battery voltage rise.

The H pin and IGN feeds are used to shut off at the lower limit. . . not a Hard ON/OFF

some extra info here:

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

@Farnorthsurfer did you set the Dc-dc to lithium mode for the TN100 battery? Also have you got any more BM2 views showing more days? Yes the unit is set to Lithium profile. Easy enough to do when it was powered up. Yesterday was a flat line all day as it just sat on the drive. Back to work...

www.t6forum.com

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[racerke600]

Normal Operation.

i call it "auto vsr" . . . where a DC-DC charger will start up when it sees the starter battery voltage rise.

The H pin and IGN feeds are used to shut off at the lower limit. . . not a Hard ON/OFF

some extra info here:

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

@Farnorthsurfer did you set the Dc-dc to lithium mode for the TN100 battery? Also have you got any more BM2 views showing more days? Yes the unit is set to Lithium profile. Easy enough to do when it was powered up. Yesterday was a flat line all day as it just sat on the drive. Back to work...

www.t6forum.com

.



View attachment 192862




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Hi there, i think i've read all your posts concerning Dc/Dc and other stuff, verry helpfull.
But I don't agree, yesterday i watched the entire process.
I attach the external charger and the orion says voltage is 13.x volts, nothing happens.
H pin also says 0 volts.
And after a certain time, suddenly the orion turns green and starts charging.
H pin voltage at that moment is 12,3volts

So i would assume that the orion is not triggered by battery voltage, but indeed by H pin AND enough voltage on the main battery.
Because also when at that time i alter the orion settings, it stops charging even with the external charger still connected....

 

[Dellmassive]

may i ask where you are getting your H pin feed from?

if it was 0v to start, why was it over 12v when the Orion switched on?

++++

the H pin spec is - ON above 3V (which should only be supplied when the engine is running, from the BCM Engine run terminal, or from a switched IGN feed)

+++++



....




the next chapter cover the fully auto setting







++++

https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Orion-Tr_Smart_DC-DC_Charger_-_Isolated/34439-Orion-Tr_Smart_DC-DC_Charger-pdf-en.pdf

.....

 

[racerke600]

"may i ask where you are getting your H pin feed from?

if it was 0v to start, why was it over 12v when the Orion switched on?"

That's the one million dollar question ;-)

I used the black wire from the plug that entered the original VW relais (now discarded)

I have a t6.1, maybe it's different in behaviour?

 

[Dellmassive]

easy to test the idea. . . .

just remove the H pin from the Orion and re-test.

++++

unknown testing on a T6.1 for the OEM SCR relay myself,

but

@Oceanis has done a lot of work on a T6.1 cali with multiple batteries

++++

this dock, , , for T6.1 ( non camper) shows the same setup as a T6

T6.1 - Second Battery Wiring Diagram

Factory fit auxiliary battery wiring diagram Not for factory camper vehicles (californias) VIP Membership is required to download this document

www.t6forum.com

SCR switched with POS singal from BCM.

J519 --. T73b/58 SIG --> J7 relay

,






,



so assumiong the Camper / calli / ocean setup maybe different



.

 

[Dellmassive]

@Pauly @Loz


can we get a T6.1 Cali - "second battery wiring diag" for the download section?

as it may be different to the layout above.

 

[Pauly]

I have that, will be up shortly, it is different, the above one is second batt in a normal van/kombi same as you get when you spec factory heater etc

 

[Pauly]

Here you go, there are two versions so make sure you check which is relevant to you

T6.1 - Camping Equipment

Wiring diagram for camping equipment There are two different diagrams in this download covering both types of setups, these are PR codes A9A & A8L A8R I assume these cover different models ie ocean,beach etc VIP Membership is required to...

www.t6forum.com