Ctek D250SA with Sargent EC150

powerbungalow

powerbungalow

Member
Hi. I have a Cetek D250SA and a Sargent distribution board in my T6 (installed by others). I am concerned that the system has been wired wrong. The small red wire for the smart alternator connection is not in use! There is a constant 12v at the Alternator input terminal on the unit and also at the service battery outlet terminal (when the van is parked up). The green light on the unit flashes occasionally but the system does work and the output to the service battery with engine running is 14.7v
I understood it that the CTek unit was meant to be OFF when the ignition was off? Is there a different way to wire this if using a Sargent DB?

Thanks
 
Those two terminals are hard wired to each battery so you will always measure a voltage at them
One will be engine batt voltage and the other will be leisure batt voltage

personally I think I would like to se the red ignition live cable connected otherwise you run the risk of the unit prematurely shutting down and not fullly charging the battery
 
Pauly said:
Those two terminals are hard wired to each battery so you will always measure a voltage at them
One will be engine batt voltage and the other will be leisure batt voltage

personally I think I would like to se the red ignition live cable connected otherwise you run the risk of the unit prematurely shutting down and not fullly charging the battery
Click to expand...
Thanks Pauly. What I don't understand is that if the green light is flashing when the van is parked up, then surely it is draining a battery?
Is the idea of the ignition sense wire to actually switch on the Ctek?
Also the small black wire has not been connected to -ve and has been left bare. I thought this had to be connected to ground when using 'leisure batteries'?
Cheers again
Andrew
 
If all the orange lights are out then the green light means its in current saving mode according to the instructions

The black wire is not a negative, it is joined to negative to change the charging profile of the unit depending on battery type
If you are using a standard SLA battery the black wire doesnt join onto anything, if you are using an AGM battery then putting that cable to earth will up the charging voltage accordingly
 
Thanks again Pauly. Would you happen to know how to access the fuel pump relay so I can take connect the red ignition sense wire? Is that the easier way for me to do it?
I guess an AGM battery is like the start-stop type like my vehicle battery.
 
I've just installed mine on same setup as the numpty who converted the van had used a Durite split charge unit!!!! watch this video, should explain it all.
I have a lead acid type battery so the thin black wire (known as battery select cable) is NOT connected to anything.
Thin red (smart alternator select cable) is +12V ignition fed - I used the piggy back connector as in the video, works a treat and does damage any vehicle wiring. The unit wont function without this..I tried.
 
powerbungalow said:
Thanks again Pauly. Would you happen to know how to access the fuel pump relay so I can take connect the red ignition sense wire? Is that the easier way for me to do it?
I guess an AGM battery is like the start-stop type like my vehicle battery.
Click to expand...
The easiest way to get a switched ignition feed to your CTEK is using a piggy back connector as shown in that useful video. You can pick them up pretty cheaply on EBay.

It will work without this connected BUT it won’t work correctly. The CTEK switches on based on the voltage it senses on the starter battery. Above a certain threshold it will kick in and charge the leisure battery, below a threshold it switches off. Because a T6 with a smart alternator keeps the starter battery at only around 80%, there will be periods when the engine is running when the CTEK won’t kick in (because the battery voltage is too low). The red lead attached to IGN essentially overrides this and forces the CTEK to turn on when it sees 12V on this line (I.e. when the engine is running.

It is also possible for the CTEK to charge when the ignition is off. If you connect an external charger to your starter battery and the voltage goes up over the min threshold for the CTEK, it will kick in and start to charge the leisure battery as well (I have tested this).
 
Thanks Bigmac, very informative. The issue I now have is trying to run an ignition switched live to the Ctek, which is one the RHS of the bed (not near to the fuse box). ould there be a switched live on the Sargent EC155 that I could piggy back off?
Otherwise I assume I will struggle to run a wire from the fuse box all the way to the back of the van...
 
Don’t know whether the Sargent has a switched feed or not so can’t help with that I’m afraid.
My CTEK is under the drivers seat. To get a feed there, I used a piggy back on the fuse panel and ran the wire across the lower dash on the drivers side, then under the edge of the carpet along the step. I removed the step to do this bit. From there I went through the existing ducting from the bottom of the B pillar to the under seat area. I think it would be pretty simple to continue down the side of the van from the B pillar depending on what furniture you have in place. If you have a lot of furniture that may actually make it easier as you can run the cable through the back of it?
 
Cheers guys. I purchased the van from Big Wave Campers in Bude. They were not aware of the smart alternator on a Euro6 engine and sold it to me with a standard split charge relay setup. I informed them that it needed a battery to battery charger so they installed the Ctek. It was obviously too much effort for them to conenct the ignition live wire on the Ctek to the fuse box up front. They also neglected to place the Ctek temperature probe near to the leisure battery (they had it coiled up about 1 metre away).
I have now moved the temperature probe to where it should be and will be running in a switched live later this week. Connecting up a 100w solar panel tomorrow (directly to the Ctek).
Cheers
 
i am amazed that converters are still unaware of smart alternators and the issues a conventional relay causes. the smart alternator has been around since bluemotion became a thing in 2013 on the t5.1
 
No towbar fitted. I have just ordered 10m of 0.5mm 12v cable from eBay and will use a fuse tap from the cabin fusebox.
They have placed the 30A fuse next to the output tetminal of the Ctek and NOT near to the leisure battery itself!
I want to upgrade the horn next. Does anyone know how to access it please?
Cheers on
 
powerbungalow said:
No towbar fitted. I have just ordered 10m of 0.5mm 12v cable from eBay and will use a fuse tap from the cabin fusebox.
They have placed the 30A fuse next to the output tetminal of the Ctek and NOT near to the leisure battery itself!
I want to upgrade the horn next. Does anyone know how to access it please?
Cheers on
Click to expand...
Sounds like electrics are not their strongest point.
 
powerbungalow said:
Cheers guys. I purchased the van from Big Wave Campers in Bude. They were not aware of the smart alternator on a Euro6 engine and sold it to me with a standard split charge relay setup. I informed them that it needed a battery to battery charger so they installed the Ctek. It was obviously too much effort for them to conenct the ignition live wire on the Ctek to the fuse box up front. They also neglected to place the Ctek temperature probe near to the leisure battery (they had it coiled up about 1 metre away).
I have now moved the temperature probe to where it should be and will be running in a switched live later this week. Connecting up a 100w solar panel tomorrow (directly to the Ctek).
Cheers
Click to expand...
Make sure the panel is within the voltage limit for the CTEK. Max VOC for the CTEK is 23v
 
powerbungalow said:
Cheers guys. I purchased the van from Big Wave Campers in Bude. They were not aware of the smart alternator on a Euro6 engine and sold it to me with a standard split charge relay setup. I informed them that it needed a battery to battery charger so they installed the Ctek. It was obviously too much effort for them to conenct the ignition live wire on the Ctek to the fuse box up front. They also neglected to place the Ctek temperature probe near to the leisure battery (they had it coiled up about 1 metre away).
I have now moved the temperature probe to where it should be and will be running in a switched live later this week. Connecting up a 100w solar panel tomorrow (directly to the Ctek).
Cheers
Click to expand...

"Big Wave" These are the numpties I was referring to in my previous reply, the build quality was shocking on my van (all the bits you couldn't see) I have now re-built my van correctly over "lockdown". - no insulation on the floor even.
Whilst on electrics, they had connected the CRX50 fridge (compressor type) to the EC155 which doesn't support a compressor fridge - I've connected it via a fuse and switch direct to the battery.
Battery is now installed under the seat where I can get to it.
 
Thanks Big.mac The 30A fuse between the CTEK and the leisure battery has been installed near to the CTEK instead of near the leisure batteryand the cable run is about 1m.
Do you think this will be OK or should I move the inline fuse so that it is closer to the leisure battery?
 
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