Negative battery terminal connection issue

[Sasquatch]

Ideally everything (bar a battery monitor) should go via the chassis on the negative side, but you delivering a jump charge straight off the battery is correct for the donor vehicle.

 

[Blackberry66]

Jumping on this thread, recently bought a Bluetti Charger 1 and can't figure where to attach it to the negative terminal either. Like you say, every instruction I've found online and from Bluetti says to attach to the negative terminal.

Can you provide an update when you've tried the headlight fixing bolt? Thanks

Yes. I fitted the negative terminal to the headlight mounting bolt. Initial fitting gave me a slightly high reading but a bit more sanding of the area got me a good connection on the multimeter. Works fine now and no flat battery. I did ask this question on a bluetti forum too, which resulted in bluetti uk contacting me directly. They said I had a very unusual vehicle. Not many VW vans like ours on the road are there

 

[DBritt]

I too connected my BLUETTI Charger 1 to the negative connector too and it drained my battery. Since connected to the headlight fixing point but still seeing slow drain on my battery while van not being used. I’ve installed a battery monitor and it charges fine while driving but lost 10% in 3 hours while not being used when I got home. Any ideas what could cause this? Only since I installed the Charger one.

 

[DBritt]

Yes. I fitted the negative terminal to the headlight mounting bolt. Initial fitting gave me a slightly high reading but a bit more sanding of the area got me a good connection on the multimeter. Works fine now and no flat battery. I did ask this question on a bluetti forum too, which resulted in bluetti uk contacting me directly. They said I had a very unusual vehicle. Not many VW vans like ours on the road are there

How do I use a multimeter to test the connection on the headlight mounting bolt?

 

[Sasquatch]

How do I use a multimeter to test the connection on the headlight mounting bolt?

Set the meter to continuity test, one probe on the headlamp bolt, the other on the battery -ve terminal. If you get a good 'beep', which you should do, you're golden.

 

[oldiebut goodie]

Better to check actual resistance surely.

 

[Sasquatch]

Better to check actual resistance surely.

Indeed, but if he's already having to ask how to do it...

 

[DBritt]

Set the meter to continuity test, one probe on the headlamp bolt, the other on the battery -ve terminal. If you get a good 'beep', which you should do, you're golden.

Thank you. Could a bad connection possibly cause battery drain while the van’s off? My BLUETTI Charger 1 has a fuse trip switch that I leave turned off so it doesn’t try to charge my power station all the time, I presumed this would stop any drain in that circuit. (I apologise if all these questions are very basic, I’m new to this).

 

[Blackberry66]

I too connected my BLUETTI Charger 1 to the negative connector too and it drained my battery. Since connected to the headlight fixing point but still seeing slow drain on my battery while van not being used. I’ve installed a battery monitor and it charges fine while driving but lost 10% in 3 hours while not being used when I got home. Any ideas what could cause this? Only since I installed the Charger one.

Not too sure to be honest, as I have not seen that issue myself. I connected the negative cable to the headlight fixing bolt and I turn off the rcd switch once I switch off and park up the van. Its been fine for me ever since. Did you get a good ground reading from your multimeter off the headlight bolt point? My first attempt the reading was a little high and I had to sand off the area a bit more to get a better ground. Cant think of anything else.

 

[DazzaB]

Hello. I have recently fitted a Bluetti Charger 1 into my 2016 T6 Caravelle. Both the Bluetti instructions and help on the Bluetti forum say to connect the cables to both the positive and negative terminal of the starter battery. Since doing this I have started to get issues with the van struggling starting and the battery going flat after a week. The battery is only a year old and this is happening despite the circuit breaker for the charger 1 being switched off once the van is parked up. I've seen a few posts on here saying that I should not connect anything to the negative terminal of the battery but not sure why and wondered if I should have connected the negative to a ground point instead. Can anyone offer any help and advice on this please?

Hi
Where did you run your cable too inside the Caravelle. I want to install the Charger 1 also but want to run the cable to the boot area but don’t know what route to take and what is involved in hiding the cable under the floor etc

 

[Blackberry66]

Hi
Where did you run your cable too inside the Caravelle. I want to install the Charger 1 also but want to run the cable to the boot area but don’t know what route to take and what is involved in hiding the cable under the floor etc

Hi
I basically followed this guys cable routing off his youtube video. I think it shows it better than I can explain. I then installed mine on to the the side of a vangear mini kitchen pod, so didn't run all the way back. Hope this helps.

 

[T6.1Mark]

Hi
I basically followed this guys cable routing off his youtube video. I think it shows it better than I can explain. I then installed mine on to the the side of a vangear mini kitchen pod, so didn't run all the way back. Hope this helps.

God, this looks quite daunting!

 

[DXX]

I made a heavy cable with a suitably large terminal at the free end.
One end is attached on the engine grounding point, the other located near the battery. Cable tied to prevent it moving.

 

[manfrotto]

I made a heavy cable with a suitably large terminal at the free end.
One end is attached on the engine grounding point, the other located near the battery. Cable tied to prevent it moving.

That is on my list of things to do !

 

[DXX]

That is on my list of things to do !

Once you’ve fitted it you’ll never need to use it.
I carry a charged Noco battery booster everywhere and only use it other peoples vehicles!

 

[manfrotto]

Once you’ve fitted it you’ll never need to use it.
I carry a charged Noco battery booster everywhere and only use it other peoples vehicles!

Same here , although it is comforting to know it is in the van just in case.

 

[Gavlar]

Hi all,

I've just bought a Bluetti Charger 1 - I assume it's ok to take the feed for it from one of the spare 200 Amp points on top of the battery (arrowed), provided I fit a 60 Amp fuse in line. I don't want to go direct to the battery positive terminal, as it's getting a little crowded on there. Also, I'm looking at connecting the Charger 1 negative lead to the vehicle ground point onthe vehicle bulkhead.

 

[Sackmycook]

fitted a small bracket View attachment 272065

Where is the bracket from ? My battery charger Croc clip struggles to bite the headlight bolt so could do with something like this....
@Vanderlust

 

[Sackmycook]

I made a heavy cable with a suitably large terminal at the free end.
One end is attached on the engine grounding point, the other located near the battery. Cable tied to prevent it moving.

Can you post a picture ? @DXX

 

[Gavlar]

Hi all,

I've just bought a Bluetti Charger 1 - I assume it's ok to take the feed for it from one of the spare 200 Amp points on top of the battery (arrowed), provided I fit a 60 Amp fuse in line. I don't want to go direct to the battery positive terminal, as it's getting a little crowded on there. Also, I'm looking at connecting the Charger 1 negative lead to the vehicle ground point onthe vehicle bulkhead.

View attachment 301444

Thanks CAB.