Sterling B2B 60 Amp fault

[Dazza 6863]

Hi Everyone
I have a sterling 60amp B2B fitted and I am getting readings of 15.2 v coming in on my remote control with a high voltage alarm with a warning light going off and desulphation light coming on, and when I use my multimeter I get 14.47v. my batteries are full so I would expect 14.47 which seems normal. I have sent it back to Sterling who advised that no fault was found and asked me to check all connections. I started at my vehicle battery and got between 14.4 and 14.7 with the engine on tick over.... is this ok ? I then tested the input cables to B2B and got the same, I haven't fitted the B2B back in yet. many thanks in advance of your help Darren

 

[Abacist]

I had a Sterling B2B beeping at me with monotonous regularity recently and it turned out to be a low voltage alarm from an ancient cab battery which has now been replaced. Vanbitz said that the battery was 10 years old and was the first and cheapest item to change. They said it would be worth checking the output from the alternator if the battery was not at fault so that may be your issue.

 

[Dazza 6863]

I had a Sterling B2B beeping at me with monotonous regularity recently and it turned out to be a low voltage alarm from an ancient cab battery which has now been replaced. Vanbitz said that the battery was 10 years old and was the first and cheapest item to change. They said it would be worth checking the output from the alternator if the battery was not at fault so that may be your issue.

Hi thanks for the advice, just to clarify are you thinking the readings from my alternator are too high ?

 

[Abacist]

That's my thinking. My cab battery is kept at about 12.6 volts by a battery maintainer. If its on charge it gets to nearly 14 volts but then settles back when off charge again. The leisure batteries which are lithium are 13.3 volts at rest. I'm no auto electrician but continual high voltage will cook the batteries which could be unsafe if they start gassing.

 

[Dazza 6863]

That's my thinking. My cab battery is kept at about 12.6 volts by a battery maintainer. If its on charge it gets to nearly 14 volts but then settles back when off charge again. The leisure batteries which are lithium are 13.3 volts at rest. I'm no auto electrician but continual high voltage will cook the batteries which could be unsafe if they start gassing.

Thank you i will get the alternator checked out

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[peterc10]

Hi Everyone
I have a sterling 60amp B2B fitted and I am getting readings of 15.2 v coming in on my remote control with a high voltage alarm with a warning light going off and desulphation light coming on, and when I use my multimeter I get 14.47v. my batteries are full so I would expect 14.47 which seems normal. I have sent it back to Sterling who advised that no fault was found and asked me to check all connections. I started at my vehicle battery and got between 14.4 and 14.7 with the engine on tick over.... is this ok ? I then tested the input cables to B2B and got the same, I haven't fitted the B2B back in yet. many thanks in advance of your help Darren

Are your batteries Lithiums? If so they will be damaged if charged at 15.2v and if they were subjected to a desulphication cycle.

 

[autorouter]

I have a sterling 60amp B2B fitted and I am getting readings of 15.2 v coming in on my remote control with a high voltage alarm with a warning light going off and desulphation light coming on, and when I use my multimeter I get 14.47v.

Can you clarify if the 15.2V on the remote control is measuring the B2B input or the B2B output? And are you measuring the B2B input with the multimeter? Which type of B2B is it? The BB Ultra or the Saturn?

I think 14.47V from a standard alternator doesn't sound like a problem to me, while it is actively charging the starter battery.

 

[Dazza 6863]

Thank you i will get the alternator checked out

Can you clarify if the 15.2V on the remote control is measuring the B2B input or the B2B output? And are you measuring the B2B input with the multimeter? Which type of B2B is it? The BB Ultra or the Saturn?

I think 14.47V from a standard alternator doesn't sound like a problem to me, while it is actively charging the starter battery.

Hi and thanks for taking interest and trying to help. Yes the input voltage is 15.2 on my remote screen and this causes the high vol voltage light to come on. Although when I check with my volt meter I get a reading of 14.47 IN and 13.87 OUT ( this is readings from the B2B input & output terminals ) B2B is the ultra one. Sterling have checked my B2B and say it’s not faulty I have checked all cables and all are tight with no breakage. Like you Sterling say 14.47 going in is okay but can’t explain why the B2B is reading 15.2.

 

[Dazza 6863]

Are your batteries Lithiums? If so they will be damaged if charged at 15.2v and if they were subjected to a desulphication cycle.

Hi Peter
Yes my battery is lithium but I checked the input voltage at the B2B terminals and get 14.47 going in and sterling have checked B2B and say nothings wrong with it

 

[JockandRita]

May I suggest a reset of the battery charging regime using the buttons on the front of the B2B, and a re-selection to Gel, then test the voltage readings again, both at the panel and at the multimeter. If fine for gel, carry out another reset, but back to Lithium, and check voltages again.

Not Lithium I appreciate, bit I too have experienced a higher voltage reading when charging Gels or SLA batteries from a B2B Ultra, than the readings I get directly from my multimeter, which are the ones I take as being more accurate.

Good luck sorting it out.

Jock.

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[autorouter]

Maybe it's just the remote unit. When you are getting 15.2V from the remote, what are the readings on the LEDs on the B2B front panel? They should show the input and output voltages. On mine, they are in 0.2V steps. If both LEDs are lit then the reading is midway between them. So for example if the 14.4V and 14.6V LEDs are lit, the reading is 14.5V.

 

[Dazza 6863]

May I suggest a reset of the battery charging regime using the buttons on the front of the B2B, and a re-selection to Gel, then test the voltage readings again, both at the panel and at the multimeter. If fine for gel, carry out another reset, but back to Lithium, and check voltages again.

Not Lithium I appreciate, bit I too have experienced a higher voltage reading when charging Gels or SLA batteries from a B2B Ultra, than the readings I get directly from my multimeter, which are the ones I take as being more accurate.

Good luck sorting it out.

Jock.

Thanks I will give it a go

 

[Dazza 6863]

Maybe it's just the remote unit. When you are getting 15.2V from the remote, what are the readings on the LEDs on the B2B front panel? They should show the input and output voltages. On mine, they are in 0.2V steps. If both LEDs are lit then the reading is midway between them. So for example if the 14.4V and 14.6V LEDs are lit, the reading is 14.5V.

I unplugged the remote and tried without it and didn't show any LEDs it just lit up the desulphation light and high alert warning light I've tried a factory reset and custom set and it just reverts to the same. I've checked my battery history for the last month and it has never been up to 15.2 and the guys at Sterling say they checked the history on the B2B and it says the same, ?

 

[autorouter]

I unplugged the remote and tried without it and didn't show any LEDs it just lit up the desulphation light and high alert warning light I've tried a factory reset and custom set and it just reverts to the same. I've checked my battery history for the last month and it has never been up to 15.2 and the guys at Sterling say they checked the history on the B2B and it says the same, ?

So, you're getting an uncommanded desulphation mode. That in my book is a fault. If Sterling can't find that fault, their test procedures need to be overhauled.

 

[AdrianChen]

So, you're getting an uncommanded desulphation mode. That in my book is a fault. If Sterling can't find that fault, their test procedures need to be overhauled.

Just had a quick look at the manual - de-sulphation mode seems to be one of the battery type (agm gel li etc) selections - Might be worth doing the reset again, and the confirmation 2 sec thing, then re-selcting the battery type?

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[Dazza 6863]

I agree, I will ring them again today and go through the process again while on the phone. Like you I think it’s faulty as my readings on the volt meter seem correct.
I’m no auto technician but it seems straightforward that a reading from the battery with engine running is the same coming into the B2B at terminals then changes

 

[Abacist]

Electrickery can be so puzzling at times. On my N&B Arto the CBE control panel as supplied with the van always exaggerates the voltages on both the cab and hab batteries by about 1 volt each. I've learned to trust my Victron equipment, as confirmed by a multimeter and to ignore the CBE battery voltage display!

 

[AdrianChen]

Electrickery can be so puzzling at times. On my N&B Arto the CBE control panel as supplied with the van always exaggerates the voltages on both the cab and hab batteries by about 1 volt each. I've learned to trust my Victron equipment, as confirmed by a multimeter and to ignore the CBE battery voltage display!

Yes had to adjust our display - wonder why they don't do it at the dealer....

 

[JockandRita]

Ours is the same on the Flair, but I think it is too old to be of the adjustable type panel.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[peterc10]

Hi Peter
Yes my battery is lithium but I checked the input voltage at the B2B terminals and get 14.47 going in and sterling have checked B2B and say nothings wrong with it

Does your B2B have a LiFePo4 profile. If so it should never instigate a desulfication process as that will damage your battery. If it doesn't have a LiFePO4 profile you will need to change it if it runs any sort of desulfication process

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[Dazza 6863]

Hello all,
Update... I received my B2B back from Sterling Power today connected it back up and it works fine!! I rang them and asked again if they had done anything to it and they said no. It came back with a different profile setting so I am not sure what was done!! I reset it to lithium and atm it is fine. Once again thank you all for your advice.
kind regards Darren