Carthago hab panel displays low battery 10v but shunt reading over 13v. Solar readings similar. Where to check next ?

I know you guys have discussed the 'weaknesses' in the HAB panel with them being turned on/off etc and then not coming back to life. Given that issue, though mine has always turned back on, is it a potential contributory factor in my intermittent 13v-10v lottery ?

This afternoon ( around 3pm ) I re-connected the main central locking "OUT" cable and left the "AUX" items loose ( safely shielded ).... and the panel volts did not drop from 13v even with the ALDE and lights happily fired up and left running whilst I made a brew.

I had turned the panel off ( and the isolators ) in order to re-connect that single "OUT". Am clutching at straws obviously. Loathe to reconnect the 2nd OUT just now, even more worried about moving on to the SCR disabling ! LOL
 
MarkHoughton said:
I know you guys have discussed the 'weaknesses' in the HAB panel with them being turned on/off etc and then not coming back to life. Given that issue, though mine has always turned back on, is it a potential contributory factor in my intermittent 13v-10v lottery ?

This afternoon ( around 3pm ) I re-connected the main central locking "OUT" cable and left the "AUX" items loose ( safely shielded ).... and the panel volts did not drop from 13v even with the ALDE and lights happily fired up and left running whilst I made a brew.

I had turned the panel off ( and the isolators ) in order to re-connect that single "OUT". Am clutching at straws obviously. Loathe to reconnect the 2nd OUT just now, even more worried about moving on to the SCR disabling ! LOL
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I think the panel will be fine as long as you power it down before just cutting its power, and put power back on before you switch on. Neither of mine have gone yet. but I am careful about powering the thing via its button, rather then just disconnecting the battery.

As for the strange voltage behaviour - You could always try removing the grey box fuses, then with both cables replaced see if one of the fuses when replaced causes a volt drop (Assuming your happy now with the power supply cable runs to B2).

I've never looked into that box to know where or how it operates - but mine maybe different since its not the same van - I'll have a look next time I'm at the van storage place, intrigued to know!
 
AdrianChen said:
I think the panel will be fine as long as you power it down before just cutting its power, and put power back on before you switch on. Neither of mine have gone yet. but I am careful about powering the thing via its button, rather then just disconnecting the battery.

As for the strange voltage behaviour - You could always try removing the grey box fuses, then with both cables replaced see if one of the fuses when replaced causes a volt drop (Assuming your happy now with the power supply cable runs to B2).

I've never looked into that box to know where or how it operates - but mine maybe different since its not the same van - I'll have a look next time I'm at the van storage place, intrigued to know!
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I am always careful to power down the panel at the panel. The little grey box fuses are tinier than usual and require some small pliers to ease them out. Will have a go at that tomorrow. Am certainly glad I can keep the motorhome on the rear driveway and have easy access to it. I think if it was in storage I would be loathe to attempt any such remedial work.
I have as yet not replaced the 2nd OUT cable, I have been unable to trace any voltage drop anywhere along the termination studs. Though again yesterday, it "worked" in the afternoon then failed after dark ! Still an hour to go before that final test for the day.
 
Been busy this morning and only just gone out and checked van...I connected the OUT last night to get the main central locking functioning and it let me put the TV and lights on.... just checked at 11am and although the panel displayed 13v as soon as i turned the ALDE on it dropped to 10v and flashed low battery.
Disconnected that OUT left it this past 30 minutes and tried again, but panel still reading just over 10v.
Am seriously disappointed, really thought I had sorted it.
Can anyone recommend a decent auto-electrician ?

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MarkHoughton said:
Can anyone recommend a decent auto-electrician ?
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You need someone who understands Carthago & CBE electrics not easy to find.

One I can recommend is down south near Portsmouth.

Andy Bottle, Magic Motorerhome Man at Wickham near Portsmouth he use to be the electrical guy at Southdowns.

www.magic-motorhome-man.com

magic motorhome man

www.magic-motorhome-man.com www.magic-motorhome-man.com
 
Right, so I know you will say "I told you so..." but thought I would try a direct connection from the battery ( after the Victron isolator ) to the B2 terminal and thus bypass all the new busbars etc etc... the bolt holding the battery on was only just "finger tight", unbolted anyway, connected to B2... all good in the HAB.

Unbolted it, reconnected to busbar... torque tight, at least tightened with a ratchet driver, everything fired up in the HAB, so TV, ALDE, kettle boiling on the inverter, lights on, been running happily for last 15 minutes.

Let's hope now that it was just as stupid a mistake as that !
Will revisit later as it does seem to like working around lunchtime but die again by dinner !
 
Had to give that a funny pleased that it looks like your are sorted.
With problems like this it's always best to go back to basics and check what at the time you don't consider to be a problem.
 
MarkHoughton said:
Right, so I know you will say "I told you so..." but thought I would try a direct connection from the battery ( after the Victron isolator ) to the B2 terminal and thus bypass all the new busbars etc etc... the bolt holding the battery on was only just "finger tight", unbolted anyway, connected to B2... all good in the HAB.

Unbolted it, reconnected to busbar... torque tight, at least tightened with a ratchet driver, everything fired up in the HAB, so TV, ALDE, kettle boiling on the inverter, lights on, been running happily for last 15 minutes.

Let's hope now that it was just as stupid a mistake as that !
Will revisit later as it does seem to like working around lunchtime but die again by dinner !
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Thats good news!

The down side is you're running out of things to do instead of R28(R37) snipsnip!

:giggle:
 
AdrianChen said:
Thats good news!

The down side is you're running out of things to do instead of R28(R37) snipsnip!

:giggle:
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Parking that for this week, have done a few more tests this afternoon running ALDE, Inverter and lights. When darkness falls will be the big test as that is when it usually fails. The solar and EHU have been isolated/unplugged these past few days so no chance of them adding any power. Heading to Northumberland for the weekend, so am hoping it is resolved, but will not tackle the B2B install and SCR snip until next week now. I have just ensured the cable ends are suitably shielded.
Fingers still crossed for later tonight and tomorrow morning that it still plays ball.

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Checked this morning at 7am... TV and ALDE work,
Checked at 10am. TV and ALDE turned on ok. no problems.

Just had a coffee, wandered back to the van... checked now at 11am ... back to 10v ???
Nothing touched in the van , no cables changed etc
WTF ?!?!?


Cheers all



1728555161368.png
 
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autorouter said:
What is 10V? The panel display? The leisure battery terminal voltage? The GND to B2 voltage on the distribution box?
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10v on panel
Battery NEG to B2/Out both 12.7
NEG to B1 shows 12.5

But GND to B2/OUT is varying between 11.9 and 12.4 and 12.7
Every time i test it it varies… sat here testing once a minute

Tested at the ALDE terminals snd they only show 10v too.

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I have not tested POS to GND more than once.

Decided to bolt direct to B2 and bypass busbar and panel shows 13v again ?!?

It is almost as if putting it all back together each time is stressing some joint on the busbar. But which/where as yesterday and this morning everything worked a treat.

At the dentist this afternoon now for a few fillings and potential root canal work…it will be less painful than this has been !
 
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Back from the dentist with 2 fillings and an appointment for another but with some "in the chair inspiration".
So, seeing as whenever I bypass the Carthago isolator and connect direct to B2 from the battery everything works, I have done just that !
I removed the existing cable to the small red switch isolator and connected up a spare red battery feed direct from the busbar to B2.... it is only a 25mm cable and not 50mm, but then from the isolator to B2 the original cable was only about 10mm if that.
Anyway, so far we are back where we were yesterday with everything working.
Will see what tomorrow brings !
 
MarkHoughton said:
Back from the dentist with 2 fillings and an appointment for another but with some "in the chair inspiration".
So, seeing as whenever I bypass the Carthago isolator and connect direct to B2 from the battery everything works, I have done just that !
I removed the existing cable to the small red switch isolator and connected up a spare red battery feed direct from the busbar to B2.... it is only a 25mm cable and not 50mm, but then from the isolator to B2 the original cable was only about 10mm if that.
Anyway, so far we are back where we were yesterday with everything working.
Will see what tomorrow brings !
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Ah well, at least you know it works when you have plenty of anaesthetic in your blood!

10mm² seems a bit small for that bit, sure my original was 16mm².

I bypassed the old Carthago isolator, just have a new one between the battery and busbar(Lynx), then from the Lynx to b2. Trying to keep the minimum number of joints etc.

25mm² should be good enough I would think if it is only supplying the CBE box, and its consumers.

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AdrianChen said:
Ah well, at least you know it works when you have plenty of anaesthetic in your blood!

10mm² seems a bit small for that bit, sure my original was 16mm².

I bypassed the old Carthago isolator, just have a new one between the battery and busbar(Lynx), then from the Lynx to b2. Trying to keep the minimum number of joints etc.

25mm² should be good enough I would think if it is only supplying the CBE box, and its consumers
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AdrianChen said:
Ah well, at least you know it works when you have plenty of anaesthetic in your blood!

10mm² seems a bit small for that bit, sure my original was 16mm².

I bypassed the old Carthago isolator, just have a new one between the battery and busbar(Lynx), then from the Lynx to b2. Trying to keep the minimum number of joints etc.

25mm² should be good enough I would think if it is only supplying the CBE box, and its consumers.
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So you do have 2 isolators then ? I can always order an extra if you think I should ?
 
MarkHoughton said:
So you do have 2 isolators then ? I can always order an extra if you think I should ?
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Nope only one - The original Carthago one is not connected - essentially from the battery I have a fused cable going to the one battery isolation switch located just by the busbar, so a short cable to the busbar, then a cable runs from the busbar to b2. Fuse for this is in the busbar. Charger(s) and inverter etc all connected to the busbar.
 
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AdrianChen said:
Nope only one - The original Carthago one is not connected - essentially from the battery I have a fused cable going to the one battery isolation switch located just by the busbar, so a short cable to the busbar, then a cable runs from the busbar to b2. Fuse for this is in the busbar. Charger(s) and inverter etc all connected to the busbar.
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Well that now sounds like my setup. So far ALDE and TV tests have worked. Locked it up for the night now, got the woodburner lit and opened a bottle of Bordeaux we picked up this summer. Need to unwind before tomorrow's test ! Have a good evening.
 
It is with great joy and celebration that I can not only announce my wife's Birthday today, but that I have got everything connected up, tidied away and working !

It has been without any faults at all since yesterday when I fitted the new busbar to B2 cable !

A weekend away in Northumberland tonight and then on to doing the B2B-Relay job next week.

Have a great weekend everyone. Thanks again for your patience and moral support.
 

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