Where's my battery separator?

[dunnah01]

I'm trying to track down why my Rapido 7065+ isn't charging the starter battery from EHU or solar. It's fine from the alternator.

I have a CBE DS450RA control box and this should be wired to a separate CBE SB-150 battery separator (via an 80A Ampere meter), but can I find the beepin battery separator, can I beepin beep. I can't trace the wires from the control box (multiplug 35) to the separator as they disappear into the vans belly. Has anybody found their separator in any weird or obscure places away from the main electronic cupboard?

 

[dunnah01]

Well finally found it after nearly ripping the whole van apart. It's in the passenger door step! Couldn't be further from the control box so had to take panels out inside the whole van to chase the wiring loom but at least it's near the battery

 

[Just smiffy]

Please don’t tell me that the box is screwed into that wire run….

 

[dunnah01]

Please don’t tell me that the box is screwed into that wire run….

It's just hanging there, but was behind the wiring loom. It all looks factory fit which is alarming compared to the rest of the van which is very well screwed together

 

[dunnah01]

Result - the B1&B2 starter & leisure battery connections were the wrong way round at the separator. Been like that ever since I've owned the van (3+ years). Now have proper read out of battery voltages at the panel and the starter battery is charging off solar and EHU

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[Hoovie]

Interesting it made much ( or even any) difference.
Those devices are basically just a electrical switch that connects/disconnects two cables and there is no one current direction (unlike a B2B).
If signal activated, a 12V (D+ usually), will turn it on and wires connected. No D+ and wires are not connected.
Must be a unidirectional VSR?

 

[dunnah01]

Interesting it made much ( or even any) difference.
Those devices are basically just a electrical switch that connects/disconnects two cables and there is no one current direction (unlike a B2B).
If signal activated, a 12V (D+ usually), will turn it on and wires connected. No D+ and wires are not connected.
Must be a unidirectional VSR?

My crude understanding is that charging of the leisure battery by the starter is meant to be prevented by diode (REL 2 circuit). With my reversed B1 & B2 even though the contacts were closed by the 12v trigger from the mains or solar charger the diode prevented the flow from leisure to starter battery by mistake. With the engine running the alternator was happily providing charging to both batteries (Rel 1 circuit).
The take off for the control panel reading via B1+ was also wired to the wrong battery so always showed the leisure battery voltage instead of the starter battery.

 

[Hoovie]

My crude understanding is that charging of the leisure battery by the starter is meant to be prevented by diode (REL 2 circuit). With my reversed B1 & B2 even though the contacts were closed by the 12v trigger from the mains or solar charger the diode prevented the flow from leisure to starter battery by mistake. With the engine running the alternator was happily providing charging to both batteries (Rel 1 circuit).
The take off for the control panel reading via B1+ was also wired to the wrong battery so always showed the leisure battery voltage instead of the starter battery.

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Thanks for posting that. Interesting. I like CBE kit and it makes sense it was not just another repackaged Durite VSR

 

[dunnah01]

Thanks for posting that. Interesting. I like CBE kit and it makes sense it was not just another repackaged Durite VSR

I'm now wondering what happens when a highly depleted Lithium battery gets connected to a fully charged starter battery when the engine is turned on. There's no thermister or other protection against the potentially large current flows between batteries and wonder if the circuit could cope. I'm still on old skool lead acid so don't go too low with depletion but I was toyng with Lithium upgrade next change - why is nothing ever simple

 

[Hoovie]

I'm now wondering what happens when a highly depleted Lithium battery gets connected to a fully charged starter battery when the engine is turned on. There's no thermister or other protection against the potentially large current flows between batteries and wonder if the circuit could cope. I'm still on old skool lead acid so don't go too low with depletion but I was toyng with Lithium upgrade next change - why is nothing ever simple

There are a few ways people do this and a quite a few posts to peruse when the time comes (or you are really bored! )
Personally, I use a B2B given the choice, which is an automatic current inhibitor, but others seem to prefer other ways.

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