CB522-Lt

N

nickq

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Does anyone know why it seems imposible to get the new CB522-Lt in the UK?
I would really like to consider a lithium battery when by current lead acid dies, but without replacing the CB516 I wonder if I should. I already have the NDS MPPT solar controller which does have a lithium charge profile, but do need to get hold of the temperature probe and figure out how the heck I route it to where the battery is.
 
there are far better chargers you could fit, have a look at the Victorn range prices start at £130 for the IP22 15 amps up to a few hundred quid for the really powerful ones.
 
I might just give it a miss and get an AGM. I just don't understand the CBE setup (Rapido) as currently I believe there is a split charge relay in the CBE 12v distribution box. However the van is 2017 Euro 6 so surely has a smart alternator? But if my research is correct with a smart alternator I would need a B2B charger and not the split charge relay setup so this doesn't make sense to me.

So whilst the mains charging might be a straight forward swap, I'm more concerned about the charging whilst driving. Don't want the lithium overloading the alternator.
 
I would have thought a Rapido A class would have an uprated alternator even if not a 30 amp B2B won't overload it.
As for AGM about the worst choice possible for a leisure battery, Your CBE probably supports Gel that would be a far better option.
 
Lenny HB said:
I would have thought a Rapido A class would have an uprated alternator even if not a 30 amp B2B won't overload it.
As for AGM about the worst choice possible for a leisure battery, Your CBE probably supports Gel that would be a far better option.
Click to expand...
Yes you're right the CBE supports Gel, there's a switch under the cover to select it.
I've contacted Rapido, be interesting to see if they reply.

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Ah yes sorry, it's the DS300. Got to love that 230v socket that is totally unusable.
IMG_4761.jpeg
 
Looks like it has the relay in there to put the starter and leisure battery in parallel when the engine is running. 2A max to starter battery, priority to leisure. Also a 50A fuse to the leisure battery.

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You could consider fitting a B2B even if you don't go for lithium. It's a good upgrade for any type of battery. If you get one with a lithium setting on its list then you are ready for any future changes. Some B2Bs, like the Sterling, have a half power setting, so you can run a 60A B2B at 30A if you only have one Gel battery. It can be switched to 60A if you get a lithium or two Gels later.

It's reasonably easy to determine if there's a split charge relay or B2B in there already. Apart from obviously just looking to see if there's a B2B, a few voltage measurements with the engine stopped and running will tell you which system you have. Basically with a split charge relay the starter and leisure batteries will always be the same voltage when the engine is running. With a B2B they will usually be different, although it's possible that by coincidence they will both be the same for a short time.
 
As far as I can see the cable size to the leisure battery looks like 8.5mm thin wall.
It’s pretty much impossible to trace the route of the cable but I’m estimating it’s less than 5m from the gubbins at the back to the battery.
Given that the battery path to ground should be considerably shorter then based on the one way trip distance at 14v charging 30A should be ok with < 3 % voltage drop.
IMG_4771.jpeg
 
nickq said:
Yes you're right the CBE supports Gel, there's a switch under the cover to select it.
I've contacted Rapido, be interesting to see if they reply.
Click to expand...
I had a reply from Rapido! Sadly it's quite generic.

"
Your vehicle was not configured for Lithium. You cannot simply change the lead/acid battery for a lithium. To benefit from a higher charging rate it is likely you will need to change the main battery cables B1 to B2, install a remote D+ controlled high amp relay and have the 35A relay in the CBE board removed. You really need to have this done by a professional as the risks of ‘just’ changing a charger are enormous.

To answer you specific question I would not know the specification of the alternator fitted, for that you would need to speak to Fiat.
"

Bit suprised about the alternator, how did they design the system not knowing this? hmmmm.
 
Quite a reasonable reply from them, most manufacturers would refer you back to your dealer.

They should have been able to tell about the alternator as most converters specify uprated alternators. Looks like you will have to get the part number off the alternator if you want to know.
If you are only fitting a 30 B2B even a standard alternator should cope with that.

You don't need to remove the relay in the DS300, depending on the version you can either disable it with a separate relay I think Pausim did it that way. On the later versions there is a zero ohm link labeled R37 that can be removed to disable the relay.

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I swapped my cbe 520 out for the victron ip22 quite an easy job the only thing I lost was the wire that goes to the control panel that lets you know whether you’re hooked up. I also followed the way Pausim got around dealing with the split relay by fitting a n/c relay
 

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