Martin Nolan
New Member
Just ordered a ctek time to go charger as main battery voltage is low. Do i need to disconnect the battery leads before connecting the charger? Vw T6 2016. Thanks...
Battery Charging
- Thread starter Martin Nolan
- Start date
No, but try to use a body ground so you dont bridge out the power monitor on the battery neg post. (If you have stop/start installed)
Martin Nolan
New Member
Thanks! The main battery voltage is 12.1, leisure..12.6. I am hoping the ctek will sort this out. It has stop start.
I bought the van new and had a partial conversion. I had rear speakers installed but the coverter garage was unable to enable the front / rear fader... do you have any suggestions please?
I bought the van new and had a partial conversion. I had rear speakers installed but the coverter garage was unable to enable the front / rear fader... do you have any suggestions please?
The starter battery will normally be lower voltage than your leisure battery, it’s supposed to be like that. The starter is held at around 80% charge by the stop/start system. It never receives a full charge. That’s why we have to use B2B chargers for the leisure battery.
its only a small charger @ 5Amp, so more of a trickle charger / maintainer . . .
CT5 TIME TO GO
Countdown function, to know when the battery will be charged
Output - 14.4/14.7/15.8 V, 5.0 A
CT5 TIME TO GO
but it will help if the van is left for a while.
Martin Nolan
New Member
Thanks...so to be clear, I'm going to leave both main battery terminals connected in the van,connect the ctek positive to the positive battery terminal and the negative to the chassis/ body...
Yes =)
Can a numpty ask an additional question please?
I have a Sterling Dc to Dc charger in between the vehicle and leisure batteries which is triggered by voltage not a run signal.
if I connect my mains charger to the vehicle battery, as mentioned, then this then triggers the Sterling so in practice this then charges both batteries.
Is this ok?
Yes, the sterling may kick in when the starter battery voltage raises sufficiently....
Though at only 5Amp charge rate it may take some time (days!!!) To charge both batteries....
If you wanted to isolate the dc-dc you could pull the fuse feeding it........ moving forward it would be good it you had an ignition feed run to the dc-dc.
I take it a kill-switch between the DC-DC and the leisure battery would suffice?
Possibly.....
It would have to be an isolator switch beefy enough to deal with the max current..... but some dc-dc charger dont like having the battery disconnected, possible internal damage and faults stored.....
It's much better to run dc-dc chargers with an ignition/run feed that can easily be switched off. (A simple in line low current switch will suffice)
But can’t I just leave it as is? That way both batteries stay charged from just the one charger.
I do this, and I can see that my DC-DC charger is charging the leisure battery, when the starter battery is being charged.
In addition it is probably worth giving the leisure battery a full charge with a mains battery charger every now and then.
Pete
yep if you wish.
the only side effect would be that with such a low charge rate of 5amps . . . . . that if you had a low starter battery (and needed to charge it up straight away)
with the DC-DC connecting both batteries together and sharing the 5amp charge plus the slight losses in the dc-dc charger . . . . . (5A/2 = 2.5A per battery)
you might end up with only 2-2.5A charging up the battery which could take:
100ah battery:
10a charger 10hrs
5a charger 20hrs
2.5a charger 40hrs
so it could take 48-hours to recharge the battery.
If you have the time . . . . . then great.
if you dont have the time, then you need a more powerful charger, or isolate the DC-DC charger.
real life results may be slightly different: the dc-dc charger may wait for the starter battery voltage to increase to the trigger point before switching on, at which point the 5A will start to be shared...... it may even cause the starter battery to drop slightly and switch of the DC-DC until the next cycle.
Furgoavispa
New Member
Hello from Spain and excuse me for my bad english
I bought a Redarc 1240D from Travelvolts (thanks Martyn) and I tried to switch off the blue cable (ignition feed) in order to stop charging my Fraron 100 ah lifepo4 battery when freezing and it does not works.
Without the ignición wire switched, the redarc just works charging the leisure battery when it detects over 13,2 V in the main batt and stops below 12,8 V
How can I switch off the redarc when freezing?
Thanks
Last edited by a moderator:
Have you got solar connected? - solar charging is 24/7?
what do the LED status show? what profile? what charge mode? (can you photo?)
green and orange wire like this for LI Profile:
**************
Blue wire like this for Smart alternator mode.
****************
maybe try this reset:
*****************
https://www.redarc.com.au/Content/Images/uploaded/Manuals/BCDC Dual Input Instruction Manual.pdf
Dual Input 40A In-vehicle DC Battery Charger
****************
appart from the above . . . . . .
I've not fitted my 1250D yet im still testing the Victron 12/12/30,
so in the meantime lets see if @travelvolts (travelvolts) and @Dave Hallford-Nye (technical sales manager for the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for Redarc) has any ideas?
So the main question @Dave Hallford-Nye is that what sets the mode in the 1240D/1250D for standard/low voltr mode, and is it a one time setting at install? or a constant thing?
and why is his 1240D changing to standard mode after he has removed the ignition feed (should be LV mode)
its not something i have tested as yet (but will be soon)
so he want the 1240D totally shut down when the +12v ignition feed on the blue wire is removed.
****************
..............
Furgoavispa
New Member
Yes, I have an Anderson connect for a Renogy portable 100 w panel. (yellow cable + ground) It works properly.
The DC/DC charger and the battery are installed under the driver (left) seat of my California Beach MY2018. Lithium profile is selected (green+ Orange wire) and also connected to an optional led.
I installed a Victron BMV712 battery monitor in order to use the themperature relay to open the circuit when freezing (blue wire) but it did not work at all , the Redarc seems to be in Standard Mode input when the circuit of the blue wire is open.
I do not know how to switch off the DC/DC charger automaticaly or even manual when freezing or when I wanna do
With the Van stopped for a couple if seems, if I try to charge the main battery with a EHU, when the battery reachs about 13,2 volts the redarc start to charge the leisure battery too.
I have this photo of my installation.
Thank you Dell.
The DC/DC charger and the battery are installed under the driver (left) seat of my California Beach MY2018. Lithium profile is selected (green+ Orange wire) and also connected to an optional led.
I installed a Victron BMV712 battery monitor in order to use the themperature relay to open the circuit when freezing (blue wire) but it did not work at all , the Redarc seems to be in Standard Mode input when the circuit of the blue wire is open.
I do not know how to switch off the DC/DC charger automaticaly or even manual when freezing or when I wanna do
With the Van stopped for a couple if seems, if I try to charge the main battery with a EHU, when the battery reachs about 13,2 volts the redarc start to charge the leisure battery too.
I have this photo of my installation.
Thank you Dell.
Martin Nolan
New Member
Massive thanks to Dellmassive... CTek charger sorted things out.
Awsome...
Post some pics here if you can of your new charger, conection method, voltages, your setup etc.
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