Renogy DCC50S + 100Ah Smart Lithium Install

[Eddy7]

I have the Renogy charger and battery in the van now.

I have a bt2 module connected to both.

The App gets you access.

On the battery you can see all the stats, volts, power in/out etc.

On the charger you get same info again as well as access to the program ING to play with the charge profile and set the current limiter etc.



Eg .


View attachment 168604View attachment 168605View attachment 168606View attachment 168607View attachment 168608

@Dellmassive Many thanks for getting back to me with this, so it looks like the main difference is being able to set the charge profile which is probably more advanced than I need and I don't currently have solar so I don't need to know where the powers coming from.

What do you think about the 10mm sq cable, the lengh shouldn't be over 4m battery to battery? (I'm only running the DCC30S)

Many thanks,

 

[Rapt0rUK]

Have an odd one whilst on the road travelling through France. We've been hopping from site to site so not bothered with hook up as the travel time has meant we're fully charged by the time we get to the next place.

A while after arrival at the last place I checked the status and shocked to see it down near 20%...despite a 4hr drive we hadn't charged at all so did some investigation and found that when moving the seat forward and back (when the Mrs and I swapped driving) the quick disconnect for the solar input had somehow been trapped and the wire insulation damaged exposing the cable...

I removed the quick disconnect fully from the Renogy box, isolated the fuse at the van battery and disconnected the black cable on the Renogy box, gave it a min, reconnected everything, started up and the alternator light kicks in and we're back in business. To try and save the food in the fridge we left the engine running a while, it charged to about 25-30% but then out of nowhere stopped charging, alternator light out...at this point it's 1am and a storm above so sacked off till morning.

Next morning, seat out so I could get a better look, everything looks good. Disconnect everything again including taking the little green plugs out for BMS and ignition live. Left it for 5 mins, plug back in and all good again.

Back on the road assuming all is good, check it a couple of hours in and we're up to 65% but it's stopped charging again...

The health of our van battery is questionable as the stop/start never works but with all the drivimg it's clearly fully charged because the stop/start is working so I'm wondering, seems unlikely but does the alternator go to sleep when the van battery is fully changed???

What would cause it to stop and start like that, if there was a fault surely it would be binary and either work or not?

It's been bloody hot in the van so wondering whether temp could be playing a part and the BMS is stopping it charging but we've had Aircon on whilst on the road so it's been reasonable.

We've been at a site with hook up for the last few days so we're back up at 100% and no issues charging via hook up but we're back on the road tomorrow and going to be without hookup for at least 4 days so going to need the solo char0ger...

Any ideas what could be going on? Could the solar quick disconnect issues have damaged the unit somehow and made it work intermittently, seems unlikely, I assume it would either work or not??

 

[Buzznitro]

By any chance did you connect the temp probe to the charger, if so we don’t need these as we are Lifepo4 it may sense that the area is too hot by the sounds of things in France so it will shut down. Just a thought.

 

[Rapt0rUK]

By any chance did you connect the temp probe to the charger, if so we don’t need these as we are Lifepo4 it may sense that the area is too hot by the sounds of things in France so it will shut down. Just a thought.

Thanks, yep temp probe is taped to the top of the battery, could take that off...assumed it was needed. Having said that the temperature in the cabin really isn't that bad when we have the Aircon on, I think they can charge in temps upwards of 40-50 degrees and we're a way off that but will take it off and see if it helps.

 

[Grim Reaper]

does the alternator go to sleep when the van battery is fully changed???

Yes it does, but your DC/DC charger should be set to account for this to stop it turning off.
You could disconnect the sense wire from the starter battery shunt on the negative terminal, which blinds the van ECU to checking its state of charge and will keep the alternator permanently on like in the good old days.
If your leisure batteries now charge fully this would suggest there is an issue with the config of your charger or the sense circuit.

 

[Rapt0rUK]

interesting just got into the app and found this warning regarding over current protection




So assume that means the alternator is pumping too much out?? Anything you can do to control that, run the battery down a bit or something??

@Dellmassive you come across that before?

 

[Grim Reaper]

That looks like another menu, see the arrow to the right?

 

[Rapt0rUK]

That looks like another menu, see the arrow to the right?

Not ideal ...

 

[Grim Reaper]

Oh......

 

[Rapt0rUK]

This is what the other app is giving me...pretty limited info.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Isn't that saying that the battery is full? 100%? So it won't be charging it.

 

[Rapt0rUK]

Isn't that saying that the battery is full? 100%? So it won't be charging it.

Nope don't think so, unless it thinks it's full but the Renogy monitor shows c.80% at the moment (as we've been on hook up last couple of days) but it was down to 20% the other day and still not working.

Not actually sure what over current protection refers to but have raised a ticket with Renogy on their website, can't see them coming back any time soon through....

 

[Rapt0rUK]

There's a forum in the Renogy app, someone else with exactly the same issue, Renogy have chipped in and seem to think it's do with operating temperature...doesn't stack up though, temp of battery and charger are both about 30c and the operating temps in the manual claim to be up to 65c...

 

[Dellmassive]

interesting just got into the app and found this warning regarding over current protection

View attachment 169707


So assume that means the alternator is pumping too much out?? Anything you can do to control that, run the battery down a bit or something??

@Dellmassive you come across that before?

you have showing 64A here which has triggered the Alarm.

the unit is 50A , , , but can pull 60A max on its input side,

due to volt drop over a longer cable run.

.........


yours is showing 64A on the imput side, so its triggered the fault.


++++++++++


this can be caused but a low voltage on the input side, caused by either a low starter battery,

or

a large volt drop over the run.


....


i would reset the unit.

disconnect both power feeds to the unit - either by removing each fuse, or unbolt the terminal.

also remove the IGN feed and temp sensor. . .

basically fully disconnect the unit electrically and leave it half hour.

then reconnect all cables,

and re - test.


+++

 

[Dellmassive]

whats your battery?


got a few pics of the charger settings?

is it set to lithium battery?

is it set to 50A max?

you can set the current limiter to say 20A to keep it cooler for a while.

 

[Dellmassive]

fwiw -

this was mine the other day . . .

 

[Dellmassive]

and this morning:




.




.

 

[Dellmassive]

if the unit shows the same error after reconnecting...


is there any way to confirm the input current?

do you have a DC clamp meter?


.............................


if you can confirm the input current is 60A odd and its not going to the output battery . .

then there may be an internal fault?


in which case you will need to raise a ticket with Renogy to get a warranty replacement.


( I've done this before, they will ask for evidence in screen shots, pics, short video, to show the engineers . . . then they will authorise a warranty replacement. )


+++++++++++++++++

 

[Dellmassive]

here is the install book . . . trouble shooting section.

https://store-nkm2yhe9h8.mybigcommerce.com/content/RBC3050D1S-Manual.pdf

+++++

 

[Rapt0rUK]

if the unit shows the same error after reconnecting...


is there any way to confirm the input current?

do you have a DC clamp meter?


.............................


if you can confirm the input current is 60A odd and its not going to the output battery . .

then there may be an internal fault?


in which case you will need to raise a ticket with Renogy to get a warranty replacement.


( I've done this before, they will ask for evidence in screen shots, pics, short video, to show the engineers . . . then they will authorise a warranty replacement. )


+++++++++++++++++

Cheers @Dellmassive no clamp meter with me unfortunately, I think we can probably middle through the next few days by getting hook up here and there and topping up, it's only really running fridge and lights.

Battery is a Renogy 100A lithium, it was set to 50A so will drop that and try again but it's going to need a reset as you say before it will let me do anything.

We've done over 1000 miles so far so the van battery is well and truly charged so can't see that being low...

Will reset everything at the next stop and turn the charge profile down and see what happens...