12v power problem (1 Viewer)

[cookie]

Ongoing problem.

Adria 2019 van

Added 2 x lithium ks energy batteries, which should work with existing charger and solar controller.

But.

Overnight between 11pm and 6am the 12v power shuts down. Control panel , everything.

Turn control panel back on and everything works OK till the next night, it's almost as if there's a timer somewhere, I've tried leaving lights on so there's a drain. Resetting everything before we retire.

Only thing showing is ks app shows different voltage to control panel. App shows 13.4 panel shows 13.1.

Adria says its battery tension . Wtf is that?

We leave a light on at night , so we know if lights off its turned off again.


Help

We getting no sleep because we keep waking to see if it's off

 

[Jev88]

What voltage are your batteries at rest (30 minutes)? Good place to start.

 

[Tombola]

the KS energy app shows ah usage too, what ah usage draw does it show on normal just before bed. And how many ah remaining capacity does it show
and if you go into the icon that looks like 3 lines in a box are all the cells reading the same or very nearly

 

[Guigsy]

The difference in voltage between the app and the panel is expected. The app is measuring it within the battery. The panel is probably measuring it at a distance and there's voltage drop along the cable. Don't worry about it unless the difference is a volt or more.

Does the KS Energy app show state of charge? Most lithium batteries have a (basic) shunt so they know their charge levels.

 

[cookie]

The difference in voltage between the app and the panel is expected. The app is measuring it within the battery. The panel is probably measuring it at a distance and there's voltage drop along the cable. Don't worry about it unless the difference is a volt or more.

Does the KS Energy app show state of charge? Most lithium batteries have a (basic) shunt so they know their charge levels.

Normally 95 to 97% when going to bed

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[cookie]

the KS energy app shows ah usage too, what ah usage draw does it show on normal just before bed. And how many ah remaining capacity does it show
and if you go into the icon that looks like 3 lines in a box are all the cells reading the same or very nearly

All cells same. Amp draw minimal amount. 1 or .2

 

[cookie]

What voltage are your batteries at rest (30 minutes)? Good place to start.

Normally 13.2 to 13.3

 

[Guigsy]

Normally 95 to 97% when going to bed

How much is in it when you reactivate it in the morning?

 

[LithiumConvert]

Added 2 x lithium ks energy batteries

Did you mean added (as in parallel to existing lead-acid) or replaced lead-acid with ....

 

[cookie]

How much is in it when you reactivate it in the morning?

About the same

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[cookie]

Did you mean added (as in parallel to existing lead-acid) or replaced lead-acid with ....

Replaced

 

[Cush]

it's almost as if there's a timer somewhere

My control panel (much older than yours) has a timer on it. Could yours have been activated by accident?

 

[cookie]

My control panel (much older than yours) has a timer on it. Could yours have been activated by accident?

There's nothing anywhere that could be a timer , unless it's hidden

 

[Pausim]

There have been earlier posts about KS Energy batteries having a sleep mode which cuts in if there is no activity. A battery that turns itself off falls into the “chocolate fireguard” category as far as I am concerned.

 

[Cush]

There's nothing anywhere that could be a timer , unless it's hidden

Mine is in the control panel menu, software, not a lump of any sort. Hope you get to the bottom of it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

I will be avoiding LiFePO4 batteries with built in bluetooth when I upgrade my new Malibu Van. I would rather the batteries just sat there with permanently live terminals (subject to normal BMS cutoff parameters) and external monitoring by a Victron Shunt. This has worked for me for the last 6 years. I also have a preference for cylindrical cells over prismatic ones but this has cost and minor weight implications so I have not yet decided.

 

[AdrianChen]

I will be avoiding LiFePO4 batteries with built in bluetooth when I upgrade my new Malibu Van. I would rather the batteries just sat there with permanently live terminals (subject to normal BMS cutoff parameters) and external monitoring by a Victron Shunt. This has worked for me for the last 6 years. I also have a preference for cylindrical cells over prismatic ones but this has cost and minor weight implications so I have not yet decided.

I used to prefer cylindrical cells, because my understanding was the manufacturing process, and mechanical properties were better developed since cylindrical were the first mass produced types. I think the difference now is negligible, so would happily go with a decent brand with prismatic cells. What I would like is Victron compatibility just because my kit is Victron, and now there is a growing list of suppliers......

 

[Guigsy]

I will be avoiding LiFePO4 batteries with built in bluetooth when I upgrade my new Malibu Van. I would rather the batteries just sat there with permanently live terminals (subject to normal BMS cutoff parameters) and external monitoring by a Victron Shunt. This has worked for me for the last 6 years. I also have a preference for cylindrical cells over prismatic ones but this has cost and minor weight implications so I have not yet decided.

I'm not sure that logic tracks. Just because you have less visibility, or doesn't mean it's not going to have the same features. Most of the BMSs are from a handful of manufacturers.

 

[MichaelT]

I will be avoiding LiFePO4 batteries with built in bluetooth when I upgrade my new Malibu Van. I would rather the batteries just sat there with permanently live terminals (subject to normal BMS cutoff parameters) and external monitoring by a Victron Shunt. This has worked for me for the last 6 years. I also have a preference for cylindrical cells over prismatic ones but this has cost and minor weight implications so I have not yet decided.

Like my KS underseat battery then. Never shuts off but there is an on/off button onit.

 

[MichaelT]

I will be avoiding LiFePO4 batteries with built in bluetooth when I upgrade my new Malibu Van. I would rather the batteries just sat there with permanently live terminals (subject to normal BMS cutoff parameters) and external monitoring by a Victron Shunt. This has worked for me for the last 6 years. I also have a preference for cylindrical cells over prismatic ones but this has cost and minor weight implications so I have not yet decided.

But it must be the bms that sends the battery to sleep not Bluetooth as that is just to monitor the bms isn't it?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

But it must be the bms that sends the battery to sleep not Bluetooth as that is just to monitor the bms isn't it?

That is logical but it seems to be ones with bluetooth monitoring that have issues. Perhaps they only set a sleep function because the bluetooth drain needs turning off? Sleep mode is not the only issue, some Funsters have reported bluetooth failures and it seems this is often not covered by the warranty. I like to keep things simple and equipment separate so that any failure can be easily isolated and sorted. Just a personal preference, no right or wrong involved.

 

[Pausim]

I'm not sure that logic tracks. Just because you have less visibility, or doesn't mean it's not going to have the same features. Most of the BMSs are from a handful of manufacturers.

Just a personal preference but I have never heard of a low use sleep mode on a battery without bluetooth. Cost is another factor, my preferred manufacturer charges an extra £125 per battery for the bluetooth model and for two batteries one Victron Shunt works out cheaper.

 

[Pausim]

I used to prefer cylindrical cells, because my understanding was the manufacturing process, and mechanical properties were better developed since cylindrical were the first mass produced types. I think the difference now is negligible, so would happily go with a decent brand with prismatic cells. What I would like is Victron compatibility just because my kit is Victron, and now there is a growing list of suppliers......

One manufacturer that uses both types gives a 10 year warranty on the cylindrical cells (without bluetooth) but the equivalent prismatic battery gets 6 years warranty. This suggests they still see some advantage. However the extra cost may lead me to choose prismatic anyway.

 

[Guigsy]

Just a personal preference but I have never heard of a low use sleep mode on a battery without bluetooth. Cost is another factor, my preferred manufacturer charges an extra £125 per battery for the bluetooth model and for two batteries one Victron Shunt works out cheaper.

I think it's just this brand that has the over enthusiastic sleep function.

 

[AdrianChen]

But it must be the bms that sends the battery to sleep not Bluetooth as that is just to monitor the bms isn't it?

Can't be the cells themselves, it can only be the bms shutting down functions to reduce its own consumption?

The only real thing for mine is I don't know what the cell balance is like with my batteries, I do know that the regime is set so the bms has every chance to balance the cells, so if the battery looses capacity at some point I'll not know if its a balance issue or a duff cell for some other reason, but my only remedy will be the warranty in either case..... unless I open it up which is unlikely unless the warranty is refused.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[autorouter]

Adria says its battery tension . Wtf is that?

Voltage is tension in French and Spannung in German.

 

[Kups]

I suppose you've phoned KS about this issue?
If not, call them, I did and they were very helpful.

 

[cookie]

Contacted ks . Very helpful, took the batteries off 1s 13.38 and other 1 only read 2.3 v on the multimeter, so we think that dragging the other down.

Speaking tomorrow to ks again looks like exchange or repair if possible.

 

[Kups]

Contacted ks . Very helpful, took the batteries off 1s 13.38 and other 1 only read 2.3 v on the multimeter, so we think that dragging the other down.

Speaking tomorrow to ks again looks like exchange or repair if possible.

Good news. I always try to buy from UK companies that have real customer services like KS, not just online bots or untrained "advisors" which they usually are not