Help Fogstar 280Ah battery issue in Spain

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T18:55:59+0000

Been in Spain for two weeks and everything was working fine with the new Fogstar 280Ah LiFePO4 battery. Tonight power cut out and is only capable of discharging enough to run the fridge electrical for gas. Turn on any lights and the discharging stops. I then have to turn it on and off again. It keeps coming up with an over current charging alarm but I’m stationary, no solar now and not connected to electric. Cell voltages look unusual to what they have been. Chargers are eviction Orion xs and MPPT 100/30 all set up to recommended profile from Fogstar support.

Any ideas would be appreciated?

Outdoors Dad · 2025-03-11T19:00:42+0000

You could try enabling charging on your dashboard?

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T19:01:59+0000

Also has now over current discharge. Not sure how currently only have an 80A fuse directly off battery and it’s capable of 250A

Peavy · 2025-03-11T19:02:36+0000

Whizzo said:
Been in Spain for two weeks and everything was working fine with the new Fogstar 280Ah LiFePO4 battery. Tonight power cut out and is only capable of discharging enough to run the fridge electrical for gas. Turn on any lights and the discharging stops. I then have to turn it on and off again. It keeps coming up with an over current charging alarm but I’m stationary, no solar now and not connected to electric. Cell voltages look unusual to what they have been. Chargers are eviction Orion xs and MPPT 100/30 all set up to recommended profile from Fogstar support.

Any ideas would be appreciated?

View attachment 1026332

View attachment 1026333

It appears the charging function is set to OFF. Maybe because of the over current alarm. Are you able to turn to ON the charging slide button in the app?

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T19:04:01+0000

Outdoors Dad said:
You could try enabling charging on your dashboard?

Yes charging and discharging are enabled. They have been working fine for a couple of weeks.

Peavy · 2025-03-11T19:06:08+0000

Whizzo said:
Yes charging and discharging are enabled. They have been working fine for a couple of weeks.

Here's showing OFF

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T19:12:19+0000

It turns off the discharging at less than 6a draw..! Think I might be limited..

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T19:13:45+0000

I can then turn it back on again. So able to run the fridge at least off gas. But not much else. Will try to contact Fogstar tomorrow.

Outdoors Dad · 2025-03-11T19:14:50+0000

That pic shows discharging off?

JockandRita · 2025-03-11T19:16:12+0000

We too are in Spain, but with Fogstar Eco batteries, ie, minus any Bluetooth connection to the batteries, other than from the Victron gear.
We are sat at 13.15v and at 58% SOC, so from your second photo, if the figures are correct, there is something wrong going on elsewhere.

HTH,

Jock.

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T19:16:48+0000

Outdoors Dad · 2025-03-11T19:25:39+0000

I'm sure some of the auto electricians will help. If it was me I'd check fuses and connections on battery and electric circuits. I'd isolate as many things as I could and try each one individually. Then I'd isolate battery for 15mins if no difference I'd be asking folk on here. I have a fogstar but never had any problems. Is the app having a wobbler?

Gaston aires · 2025-03-11T19:34:01+0000

Both charging and discharging need to be on to make it all work. Fogstar are good for customer service. Phone Ben on 0121 8281387
Phil

mikash · 2025-03-11T19:44:47+0000

That cell imbalance seems huge. Three cells almost full and one cell almost empty.

Raul · 2025-03-11T19:47:00+0000

That is a very unbalanced battery, with 300mV deviation. When you discharge, the low cell protection kicks in, and activates over current discharge. When you charge, the high cells hits the upper limit and activates the over current charge.
Catch 22, the way to help this massive imbalance, is to limit discharge, and apply a small charge 2-3A. That will bring the total voltage up, and the balancing will kick in. You need to spend some time in this state to allow the low cell to catch up.
Heavy discharge will hammer the low cell, and high charge will trigger the high cells into protection.
Just small a current to bring the battery to about 13.6v -13.8v max.
If the charging stops because the higher cells, stop charging, let it rest and repeat. It's a tedious process.

Outdoors Dad · 2025-03-11T19:47:19+0000

Would plugging into a ehu to charge help balance cells worth a try?

Raul · 2025-03-11T19:51:04+0000

Outdoors Dad said:
Would plugging into a ehu to charge help balance cells worth a try?

No it won't, it will trip the high cells and cut charging. You need very small charging current to allow the low cell to catch up.
After the deviation has come down, then ehu charger will help.

Outdoors Dad · 2025-03-11T19:51:57+0000

Raul said:
No it won't, it will trip the high cells and cut charging.

What will help settle the cells?

Raul · 2025-03-11T19:53:01+0000

Outdoors Dad said:
What will help settle the cells?

I explained above in post 15

Outdoors Dad · 2025-03-11T19:54:05+0000

I didn't see but have noted the explanation,

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T20:09:28+0000

Raul said:
That is a very unbalanced battery, with 300mV deviation. When you discharge, the low cell protection kicks in, and activates over current discharge. When you charge, the high cells hits the upper limit and activates the over current charge.
Catch 22, the way to help this massive imbalance, is to limit discharge, and apply a small charge 2-3A. That will bring the total voltage up, and the balancing will kick in. You need to spend some time in this state to allow the low cell to catch up.
Heavy discharge will hammer the low cell, and high charge will trigger the high cells into protection.
Just small a current to bring the battery to about 13.6v -13.8v max.
If the charging stops because the higher cells, stop charging, let it rest and repeat. It's a tedious process.

Sounds a good idea will limit the charge current on the Orion xs and maybe turn off solar

Outdoors Dad · 2025-03-11T20:11:36+0000

It amazes me it only took a knight in shining armour 1 HR to give you some help If it was the RAC you would still be waiting

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T20:13:11+0000

Raul said:
That is a very unbalanced battery, with 300mV deviation. When you discharge, the low cell protection kicks in, and activates over current discharge. When you charge, the high cells hits the upper limit and activates the over current charge.
Catch 22, the way to help this massive imbalance, is to limit discharge, and apply a small charge 2-3A. That will bring the total voltage up, and the balancing will kick in. You need to spend some time in this state to allow the low cell to catch up.
Heavy discharge will hammer the low cell, and high charge will trigger the high cells into protection.
Just small a current to bring the battery to about 13.6v -13.8v max.
If the charging stops because the higher cells, stop charging, let it rest and repeat. It's a tedious process.

How would it get that unbalanced as it is a very new battery and is charged by Orion XS and a solar controller with lithium profile?

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T20:14:13+0000

By the way Thanks for all the replies it is much appreciated.

Cush · 2025-03-11T20:41:29+0000

What app are you using to read the bms. If you go into the one you are using can you turn off the balance on charging option. That should let the cells balance on their own.

Kannon Fodda · 2025-03-11T21:35:58+0000

The app is the default Fogstar system.

Control of any charging of individual cell(s) will not be possible by default. Fogstar techy bods might be able to give added access.

But for a cell group to be so badly out of sync after only 4 cycles suggests a fundamental problem in the battery itself, especially if that is causing shutdowns. I think contacting Fogstar must be a way forward as I suspect a rare occasion where there will be a warranty issue where cells are behaving abnormally.

Raul · 2025-03-11T21:38:42+0000

Cush said:
What app are you using to read the bms. If you go into the one you are using can you turn off the balance on charging option. That should let the cells balance on their own.

If bms has that function certainly do that, it will speed the process of balancing.

Whizzo · 2025-03-11T21:39:57+0000

Cush said:
What app are you using to read the bms. If you go into the one you are using can you turn off the balance on charging option. That should let the cells balance on their own.

The Fogstar app. Don’t see an option for this.

daveclare · 2025-03-11T21:43:01+0000

Good luck. Our friends are in Spain with us and they too have a problem. Their Fogstar bms has shut their battery down. They too are waiting for a call back from Fogstar uk.

MichaelT · 2025-03-11T21:47:01+0000

daveclare said:
Good luck. Our friends are in Spain with us and they too have a problem. Their Fogstar bms has shut their battery down. They too are waiting for a call back from Fogstar uk.

Did you buy them together? Maybe a faulty batch.

Help Fogstar 280Ah battery issue in Spain

Subscribers do not see these advertisements

Subscribers do not see these advertisements

Subscribers do not see these advertisements

Subscribers do not see these advertisements

Subscribers do not see these advertisements

Subscribers do not see these advertisements

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

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

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

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

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

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