Installing a Powerpart PDU

[FactionRaptor]

Has anyone installed the BCA Powerpart PDU kit?

I’m looking for some advice re: the wiring loom to the vehicle battery. Shown in the attached photo. I’m assuming the green cables are the positive, brown and white are negative but the third cable which is blue & green isn’t labelled on the wiring diagram. Would this be a ground wire?

Any help would be really appreciated

 

[roadtripper]

Do you have any documents that came with it?

 

[FactionRaptor]

I have the user manual here https://www.camperlands.co.uk/downloads/pdf/powerpart-converters-pdu-wiring-harness-kit-manual.pdf

Looking at the PDU relays diagram on page 8, I can’t work out what to do with the blue & green cable…

 

[roadtripper]

In your photo you have a 3 pin connector and a 2 pin, are they attached to an 8 pin connector? Possibly with one wire going to a 12 way connector?

 

[roadtripper]

My suspicion is that it is maybe a Black and Yellow wire that goes to your 12 way connector. Oddly that's not listed in the colour chart.

If so I suspect if you look at the 12 way connector it's pin 10 for the ignition feed, as this would be the other wire you would want to route to close to the vehicle battery?

Double check where it ends up at the other end of the wiring harness.

 

[FactionRaptor]

Thanks for your help. Yes that would make sense if it was an ignition wire, however there is a specific ignition option in the loom. I’ve lopped the 3 way connector off so I’m assuming the 2 green cables are the positive, the 2 brown and white are negative, it’s just bizarre there’s a random blue & green wire which isn’t labelled on the wiring diagram

 

[FactionRaptor]

Here’s the loom

 

[roadtripper]

Double check where the wire is at this end of the loom, then the pin out of the connectors in the manual should confirm what it is

 

[FactionRaptor]

OK thanks for your help, now that you've pointed that out I'm not sure whether or not I've got the wiring right on the 8 way, I've run 1 & 2 to the positive side of the leisure battery, as that's what the diagram shows but looking at the Pin/Fuse & Circuit information, I'm now thinking is this the right thing to do? Surely someone on here has wired one of these up before?

 

[roadtripper]

I think generally the all in ones are mostly fitted by converters, most folks self converting go for individual units. We generally see questions about how to add such things as DC-DC chargers to them around here.

If your van has start stop BTW then the PDU will not be suitable for charging the leisure battery, but hopefully you're already aware of that or have an older van.

I would ignore the numbers on that section of the PDU relay chart and cross check the pinout and colours on the 8 way with your loom. It's really only a 4 way circuit wise, they are just doubled up for carrying the load.

 

[FactionRaptor]

Yes I think so too, I was recommended this system by a converter, but unfortunately they have not offered any help when asked, even though I've purchased 2 campervans from them. I have wired a Renogy DC to DC in to handle the leisure battery charging.

I'll have a look at the loom tomorrow and see if I can identify where the spurious blue & green wire leads to.

Again, thanks for your help and support, it means a lot

 

[roadtripper]

The Renogy is a popular choice, the 50A one or the lower rated ones?

What you must take care not to do putting the PDU in is to enable/wire up it's split charge relay as that will directly connect both batteries and cause no end of issues. It's not clear from the manual if it does this - but that manual is not great. I suspect it does have one otherwise there would be no need for it to be connected to the starter battery at all.

 

[FactionRaptor]

Yes the 50a version, I’ve checked and there doesn’t seem to be any split charge facility so no idea why it needs to connect to the starter battery

 

[roadtripper]

If you have the 50A version consider downrating it to 30A - it'll run a lot cooler and put less stress on the battery.

 

[FactionRaptor]

Oh really, How do you do that?

 

[FactionRaptor]

Quick update - I’ve been in touch with BCA and they confirm the following:

The blue & yellow wire is the ignition signal wire needed to turn everything off while driving (as per regulations) and work the split charger relay so the leisure battery can be charged from the vehicle battery while driving (newer vans with a smart alternator would need a Battery 2 Battery Charger)

If a B2B charger is used, ignore the vehicle battery connections altogether