Electrical Woes

[rando]

Your new diagram looks fine with respect to the ACR.

I am trying to figure out how the solar charge controller is effecting the power to the fridge and fan if the power to the fridge and fan are coming directly from the battery (via the fuse panel)? What if you disable the charge controller using the settings in the app? Does the same thing happen?

 

[buckland]

Out here in the camper still, and I will give that a try. Thanks for these suggestions. I am to do basic installs but when trouble occurs I lack the fundamentals to grasp how to back track. I’ll give it a go. And Thanks.
Rob

 

[buckland]

I just did that and I get no juice at all.... nothing ..... then even weirder ... I turned it back on and the CO alarm chirping and nothing would go on.
This is nuts. I have done nothing other than change out the battery and put in a new controller.

 

[rando]

Your dead sure you are not connected to the load terminals on the MPPT 100/20?

The only other explanation I can come up with is that your battery is not providing any power and everything is just running off the solar panels. What does your multimeter say at the battery terminals with nothing connected?

 

[buckland]

Thanks really appreciate the help.
I will pull everything off and test ASAP .... (there is nothing on the load on the Victron.)
Rob

 

[buckland]

The Fluke reads 3.3 volts! I spent $945 for this battery!

 

[rando]

The battery is probably fine, the BMS likely shut it down and it just needs to be charged. If you have an AC charger, charge the battery up with that. If not, connect the Victron solar controller (and only the solar controller) to the battery and see what it can do.

It really sounds like there is something fundamentally wrong with your electrical system, which likely explains all the frustration you had with your previous battery as well.

 

[Vic Harder]

If the BMS has shut down the battery (I learned this the hard way) then you might have to disconnect all loads from the BBorn battery to allow it to reset. A few seconds it all it takes.

Not sure the battery is dead... in a previous post you had a pic of the controller app, and it said it was in bulk mode and the battery voltage was pretty high as I recall.

Also, in your wiring diagram I see a fuse in the ground wire. That's not necessary.

 

[buckland]

Ya on the negative wire fuse. I peeled back tape...it was red...FWC must have run low on wires and somebody just black taped a red wire to use for a negative lead. Ha!

I have a battery tender charger that says it does LiFePo4 charging. Tomorrow. Still got to find why things went south .... there’s a ghost in my machine.

 

[ntsqd]

I never digitized mine, has anyone ever made their complete wiring diagram something that could be posted? I'm suspecting that a diagram of how it should be done might be immensely helpful. I can whip out a conceptual 3D model in no time, but I'm dreadfully slow at something like a digital wiring diagram and no one can read my hand writing.

 

[buckland]

I don’t like what I see. Battery on LiFePo4 Charger for an hour and still reading 3.2 volts? Battery is out of camper.

 

[rando]

Is that measurement when the charger is on the battery, or with the charger removed? For some chargers, if they can't detect the battery is there, they won't start charging.

Maybe someone with Battleborn battery can chime in on any procedure to get it out of shutdown?

 

[buckland]

With or with out the charger on ... at around 3 volts. Battle born opens 11AM my time so will try a call to them.

 

[rando]

Ok, the problem is with the charger then - because the battery is not providing any voltage, the charger can't see it and won't start charging. You either need to put the battery on a 'dumber' charger for a while (if you have an old lead acid charger that would work), or you need to put another battery in parallel with the BB to provide enough voltage to trick your smart charger into switching on. You could even use jumper cables from your truck battery to do this - you only need to parallel the second battery for ling enough for your smart charger to start.

 

[buckland]

I have put the battery on my old 3amp charger and tested with fluke. It read 9.75 volts... keep it on for an hour or so?

 

[rando]

Yup, I don't think there is any harm in leaving it on for several hours to get it well away from the shutdown point, then you can switch to your smarter charger with a more lithium specific profile.

 

[buckland]

Just off the phone with Battle born and they stayed on the speaker phone while I put jump cables from truck. Meter read 12.94. Waited awhile then removed jumper .... battery still read 3 volts.
Then we tried jumpers and a charger ... waited 2 minutes and removed jumpers but it fell right back to 3 volts.
He is now discussing with team. If they can’t figure out how to get it out of sleep mode they said they’d swap it out. So now just waiting.

 

[buckland]

One last team idea ... I put jumpers to truck and run truck for 15 minutes .... it it is still 3 volts they’ll swap it out. Will let y’all know soon.

 

[buckland]

15 minutes on jumpers with truck and it stayed at 3 volts. So they will swap out a new one. I’m still in lock down so no where to go anyway.

Want to thank all for your help and support. I’ll get back once it comes.
Whatever would I do without WTW!

 

[rando]

That is too bad - the battery is essentially brand new, right?

It is good that they are supporting their product, but it would be better if were dependable enough you didn't need support.