Main battery dead despite ctek and solar

[phoenixfc7]

Main battery is completely flat, I am perplexed as I have a ctek and a solar panel so how has it run flat? I’m going to try jump start it tomorrow. Set up is 140 solar with Victron MPPT15/75 a ctek 250se and a agm leisure battery. I thought the starter battery would be charged first. Any ideas? The image was before I connected the cables to the leisure.

 

[phoenixfc7]

So this morning the ! Mark on the ctek was flashing. Hooked up main battery to battery charger and this light was flashing. When booking up a battery charger (old style) do you connect black and red?

 

[ThreeBridgeT6]

I think you need to hook up the black to ground on the body if you're using it to charge, otherwise the monitor gets cross! I think people have jumped direct just to get the motor started, as it's a short burst.

 

[Leehoops]

I have the same although mine is parked inside so I have another intelligent charger for the starter battery , but I presume you are parked outside

 

[Deaky]

Main battery is completely flat, I am perplexed as I have a ctek and a solar panel so how has it run flat? I’m going to try jump start it tomorrow. Set up is 140 solar with Victron MPPT15/75 a ctek 250se and a agm leisure battery. I thought the starter battery would be charged first. Any ideas? The image was before I connected the cables to the leisure.

View attachment 85138

The only thing charging your starter battery is the van's alternator. The Victron MPPT will only charge the leisure battery.

 

[Skyliner33]

The only thing charging your starter battery is the van's alternator. The Victron MPPT will only charge the leisure battery.

SHouldnt the CYEK charge the starter batter when the leisure battery is full?

 

[Deaky]

SHouldnt the CYEK charge the starter batter when the leisure battery is full?

Only if the solar panel is connected to the CTEK, which it's not.

 

[phoenixfc7]

Ok I thought the starter battery gets charged first. So is my ctek serving any purpose? The solar goes via MPPT to leisure?

 

[Deaky]

Ok I thought the starter battery gets charged first. So is my ctek serving any purpose? The solar goes via MPPT to leisure?

Your CTEK will charge the leisure battery whilst the engine is running.

 

[Dellmassive]

more info:

looks like they have re-written the manual and the 250SE has a few tweaks from the SA version. (in addition to the lithium profile)

[Guide] DC-DC Charger (for leisure battery) -- How I Done It --

DC-DC Charger (for Leisure battery) -- How I Done It -- ************************************************** Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread ************************************************** Kit List And Stuff -- How I Done It & What I Use --...

www.t6forum.com

https://www.ctek.com/storage/C0580F494AC95446E6939578B5580BF5AA9656A9E12C36D4AAD7DD09871EFAE3/aa0a51b9b46e4fbc891f295e0cf4d5b9/pdf/media/0cad3a1ce7fd46a190d88fdb4bd3b8cf/D250SE-manual-low-AU-EN.pdf

so the above would imply that a stand alone solar system that charged the AUX battery directly "would" cause the d250SE to start reverse charge the starter from the AUX battery? - if the charge levels are as required.



20A / 20A - nothing changed here . . . .

 

[Skyliner33]

Not wanting to derail the thread too much, but what would I need to add to my system; Solar, Redarc 1240, leisure battery to get it to top up the starter if required?

 

[Deaky]

Not wanting to derail the thread too much, but what would I need to add to my system; Solar, Redarc 1240, leisure battery to get it to top up the starter if required?

All detailed here

Deaky’s Kombi to Camper journey

Out of interest, how did you mount the consumer unit? just directly to the plastic bay separator or to something else?

www.t6forum.com

 

[Sim60]

I’m using a CTEK with 150W panel connected to its solar input - so slightly different to you. I’ve just installed this and the leisure battery is unloaded. The CTEK fully charges the leisure battery first and then trickle charges the starter battery - I can see this happening on my battery monitor - I also get the Amber A led flashing when this happens.

the manual Says the CTEK will charge the starter battery even without Solar input connected - so first question is what’s the state of charge of your leisure battery ? - what voltage do you read across the battery itself? ( and also on the CTEK output?)
Maybe your solar cells/victron is not fully charging your leisure battery.

I’m assuming the victron is connected to the leisure battery and not the starter battery
Simon

 

[Skyliner33]

All detailed here

Deaky’s Kombi to Camper journey

Out of interest, how did you mount the consumer unit? just directly to the plastic bay separator or to something else?

www.t6forum.com

Thanks that looks great, however I dont have the victron MPPT, my solar is connected to the REDARC so I dont have any control over that to only turn on the load when the solar is charging. Bugger I can see this getting expensive :/

 

[Flyingspanner]

I charge the aux battery under the seat via the 13 pin tow wiring, my van has factory fitted removable tow bar and aux battery under the front bench seat.
All I do to make sure the starter battery charges is to remove the 100 relay under the seat (which effectively separates the two batteries until J519 activates the relay to charge the aux battery) and fit a modified 100 relay which is bridged constantly. Obviously I need to swap them back over when using the van, but for the long periods it is parked with a constant 400mA drain due to my cameras, the mains CETEK charger I use keeps both fully charged nicely.
I have a proper DC to DC Cetek setup in the car with two batteries and the Cetek charges the starter battery without having to swap any relays as it is wired differently to my van.If I could be bothered, I could just wire the relay via a switch but this works fine.

 

[phoenixfc7]

I think you need to hook up the black to ground on the body if you're using it to charge, otherwise the monitor gets cross! I think people have jumped direct just to get the motor started, as it's a short burst.

thanks, do you know where the ground point is under the bonnet? I know there are several earth points in the cab and rear, not sure where to clip the black lead? Thanks

 

[phoenixfc7]

more info:

looks like they have re-written the manual and the 250SE has a few tweaks from the SA version. (in addition to the lithium profile)

[Guide] DC-DC Charger (for leisure battery) -- How I Done It --

DC-DC Charger (for Leisure battery) -- How I Done It -- ************************************************** Dellmassive`s -- "how I Done It" -- Thread ************************************************** Kit List And Stuff -- How I Done It & What I Use --...

www.t6forum.com

https://www.ctek.com/storage/C0580F494AC95446E6939578B5580BF5AA9656A9E12C36D4AAD7DD09871EFAE3/aa0a51b9b46e4fbc891f295e0cf4d5b9/pdf/media/0cad3a1ce7fd46a190d88fdb4bd3b8cf/D250SE-manual-low-AU-EN.pdf

View attachment 85197

View attachment 85195

View attachment 85191


so the above would imply that a stand alone solar system that charged the AUX battery directly "would" cause the d250SE to start reverse charge the starter from the AUX battery? - if the charge levels are as required.

View attachment 85192

20A / 20A - nothing changed here . . . .

View attachment 85193




View attachment 85194


View attachment 85198

Thank you, looking at the description at the top of you reply (final bullet point) it says "starter battery only available as a lead acid battery" the starter battery is an AGM, do you read this that the ctek will not reverse charge if aux/leisure is full? I do not know the charging levels as I do not have a battery monitor? I must rectify this!

 

[Sim60]

AGM is a type of lead acid battery -so will not affect reverse charge.
Battery Monitoring Is fine in the longer term - you probably just need a volt meter ( digital multimeter) to understand what is happening

Simon

 

[bootsam]

Please correct me if i am wrong but as i understand from the comments here, the ctek charges the starter battery once the leisure battery is satisfied. But will only do so if ignition live. Is this correct? Ta.

 

[phoenixfc7]

AGM is a type of lead acid battery -so will not affect reverse charge.
Battery Monitoring Is fine in the longer term - you probably just need a volt meter ( digital multimeter) to understand what is happening

Simon

Thanks and apologies for the lack of understanding! I do remember now that agm is still acid! I have a multimeter so I will check. Thanks for your help