Leisure Battery Monitoring

[Orca]

something is not right here:

View attachment 80153

if you have a current shunt style battery monitor (for lithium battery)

you should only have ONE conection to the battery-ve post.

ALL other ground connections need to be a body ground.

it looks like you have 2x beefy ground cables and a small black cable on the -ve battery post.


if that is the case your battery monitor may be giving you false readings?



View attachment 80154




any idea what ur energy monitor app is conected to?

what of these below have you got?


View attachment 80155

View attachment 80156

View attachment 80157

Just the right hand side of the diagram (LCD battery-Computer S with Smart-Shunt and the Bluetooth Connector S-BC)
The solar is going straight to the Ctek d250SE.
I wasn't aware of a limit to number of connections to the -ve of the battery.
This is exactly how I got it back.
Yes, there is a beefy cable which seems to go under the floor, and a braided cable which goes to one side of the shunt and it looks like the smaller black cable with blue crimped
ends goes to the other side of the shunt.
Got the passenger seat off now, so bit easier to see.

 

[Orca]

I was in communication with Votronic this morning - I was a bit confused what to set the battery type to.



It was set as type 24 when I got it so I guess the installers had not set it up.
I was looking for a 12.8v LiFePo4 setting which didn't exist (the battery is TN POWER LFP 12.8V 100Ah Lithium Leisure Battery) so I used 89.
In talking to them I needed to use the "end-of-charge" voltage which I assumed to be 13.6v which is what I measured across the terminals, apparently it's the charge voltage!



I have now set to 86.

They also said on initial install (as the manual says) the battery should be charged for 24 hours so the battery monitor is able to recognise 100% full charge.
Also this needs to be done if the Smart Shunt loses voltage supply - which it did, yesterday, when the battery died.
So, I'll leave it connected to the charger until tomorrow, then put a load on and see how it depletes.

I am using a Vectron BlueSmart 12/15 and it's holding in storage phase.




As the sun's shining and the battery is fully charged, the A led on the Ctek is illuminating regularly so I assume it's trickle charging the starter battery.

Thanks for all the comments - I'll let you know if it seems to be monitoring, now.
I've also ordered a BM-2, although I guess I won't know if it's firmware 5 or 6 until I get it.

 

[Orca]

The PV solar ground can be connected to a ground else where - it will still work.

BTW, this is what made me think both wires from the solar panel had to go directly to the Ctek D250SE

 

[Orca]

if you have a current shunt style battery monitor (for lithium battery)

you should only have ONE conection to the battery-ve post.

ALL other ground connections need to be a body ground.

Dellmassive - I think you're correct - on re-reading the installation it's quite clear ...




So the thinner black cable shouldn't be going to the battery but should go directly to earth.

I'm not sure they'd installed one of these before.

Probably time for an email to them!

 

[Dellmassive]

that shunt is wired wrong . . .



as per above . . . the ONLY thing going to the battery shout be ONE fat cable to the shunt.




Then the shunt needs an equily fat cable conecting the otherside of the shunt to the vansbody ground.


******


ALL OTHER GROUNDS MUST GO TO EITHER BODY GROUND OR AN EARTH BLOCK BUT NOT TO THE BATTERY -VE POST.

*******


so what is that fat black cable on the battery going to?


is that a second body ground? -- if so that needs moving to the other side of the battery shunt.




*******

 

[Dellmassive]

if that thick black is a body ground then its an easy fix....

just move that to the other side of the shunt . . . along with the small black.


************


looks like your battery is most likely flat . . .

and the monitor is reporting incorrectly . . .

 

[Dellmassive]

I was in communication with Votronic this morning - I was a bit confused what to set the battery type to.

View attachment 80201

It was set as type 24 when I got it so I guess the installers had not set it up.
I was looking for a 12.8v LiFePo4 setting which didn't exist (the battery is TN POWER LFP 12.8V 100Ah Lithium Leisure Battery) so I used 89.
In talking to them I needed to use the "end-of-charge" voltage which I assumed to be 13.6v which is what I measured across the terminals, apparently it's the charge voltage!

View attachment 80202

I have now set to 86.

They also said on initial install (as the manual says) the battery should be charged for 24 hours so the battery monitor is able to recognise 100% full charge.
Also this needs to be done if the Smart Shunt loses voltage supply - which it did, yesterday, when the battery died.
So, I'll leave it connected to the charger until tomorrow, then put a load on and see how it depletes.

I am using a Vectron BlueSmart 12/15 and it's holding in storage phase.

View attachment 80207
View attachment 80206

As the sun's shining and the battery is fully charged, the A led on the Ctek is illuminating regularly so I assume it's trickle charging the starter battery.

Thanks for all the comments - I'll let you know if it seems to be monitoring, now.
I've also ordered a BM-2, although I guess I won't know if it's firmware 5 or 6 until I get it.
View attachment 80207

Yes, set the end of charge to 14.6v dc for lithium. (so 86 as you have done)

The BM2 will most likely be a standard SLA/AGM firmware . . . but thats fine, the only difference is how the APP reports charging/charged etc . . .


whats important is the trend of voltage over time . . . ie 14.6 charging from EHU, then 13.5 static . . . then 12.5 under loads etc etc.

like this sort of thing . . .

 

[Orca]

looks like your battery is most likely flat . . .

and the monitor is reporting incorrectly . . .

The Victron charger is showing it as fully charged, though.

 

[Orca]

if that thick black is a body ground then its an easy fix....

just move that to the other side of the shunt . . . along with the small black.


************


looks like your battery is most likely flat . . .

and the monitor is reporting incorrectly . . .

I think the small black wire is going to the Ctek.
The ctek diagram shows a wire to -ve battery.
I don't know where the blue crimped wire, on the other side of the shunt, goes. They are all earthed.
I think you're correct re the thick black being earth, so yes, could move that.
would still need 2 wires to the battery -ve, though?

 

[Dellmassive]

if you want the shunt to monitor correctly then just one battery connection.

the ctek is just a general install guide . . .


follow this if you want the shunt to report correctly.

 

[Dellmassive]

look at this example of the victron shunt..

https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/1.2KVA-12V-MultiPlus-230-Volt-system-example-with-Argo-Fet-and-MPPT.pdf

 

[Orca]

Thanks Dellmassive - I've moved the fat round cable and the other, thinner cable to the other side of the shunt



Just the braided cable to the -ve

 

[Dellmassive]

Thats much better . .

now fully charge the battery with the Victron charger,

and reset the battery monitor so it registers a 100% SOC when the battery is full.


then hopefully we will back to square one . .


and start looking for what if anything is causing the battery drain . . .

and why the solar light was on (in the dark at night)


might be multimeter time next . . . .

keep that seat out for a while.

 

[Dellmassive]

and dont forget to come join the VIP club for more help. downloads and advice.

Downloads

www.t6forum.com

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VIP Membership

VIP Membership Information

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[Dellmassive]

also take a look at the upcoming meets . . . .

see if you can make any . . .

Upcoming VW Events

Info & Discussions on Upcoming VW events

www.t6forum.com

.

 

[Orca]

and dont forget to come join the VIP club for more help. downloads and advice.

Downloads

www.t6forum.com

****

VIP Membership

VIP Membership Information

www.t6forum.com

****

I have a VIP membership with another username - couldn't change name, when I named the van, so created a new user
Anyway to merge accounts?

But really appreciate all your help and info - especially to a non-VIP member

 

[Dellmassive]

glad we could help . . .

whats the other username? / account?

@Pauly
@Loz

can we merge or change the VIP membership to his new name?

 

[Loz]

Or rename the old one?

 

[Dellmassive]

perfec @Orca there we go.

it can be done.

 

[Orca]

I looked at that, previously, but couldn't see a way to do it.
I'll have another go.
Thanks