Split charge relay (Sargent EC176) and Smart alternator - tested and definitely worse than useless.

[Pausim]

Thanks. I'm planning on following the circuit that my dealer provided, as its specific to the Sargent set up that I have on my van.



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Until I saw your diagram I didn’t know Sargent did a B2B, so being interested I looked up the details and found this.

“ This unit takes power from the vehicle battery and alternator, to provide a rapid multi-stage charging of a leisure battery. It is particularly useful when the base vehicle is fitted with a smart alternator, such as Euro6 vehicles.
The charger can provide up to 20 amps to the leisure battery and uses a 3-Stage profile to ensure fast, efficient charging during driving.
The unit can be configured for most leisure battery types, including Lead Acid, Gel, AGM & LiFePO4 (We advise checking compatibility with your battery manufacturer before installing)
The charger also features a rugged extruded casing with intelligent fan cooling to reduce noise.”

I don’t think I would describe a 20A unit as providing rapid charging and I would substitute the word “essential” for the words “particularly useful”. However I guess it is designed to slot easily into their existing system and wiring without too many modifications and as such may be a popular addition.

 

[autorouter]

However I guess it is designed to slot easily into their existing system and wiring without too many modifications and as such may be a popular addition.

The B2B connections (In, Out, Negative and D+) would be exactly the same for any brand of B2B including Victron. All that other wiring, including the relay, is just to disable the split charge relay in the Sargent box when the engine is running.

 

[Pausim]

The B2B connections (In, Out, Negative and D+) would be exactly the same for any brand of B2B including Victron. All that other wiring, including the relay, is just to disable the split charge relay in the Sargent box when the engine is running.

I was trying to find something less negative to say about the unit. I guess not.