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Found an ITECH BM500 battery monitor in the garage, will connect it up tomorrow. Only issue is to set the % capacity the battery voltage should be at 13.5V. I have two Victron 30amp chargers trying to get there, most I can achieve is 13.3 on the 400a/hr bank - any ideas? I could roll it out into the sun I guess and get some solar input perhaps?
OK, bit of a development. I contacted ITECH this morning, spoke to a very attentive guy in the techncal dept, expalined I am struggling to get over 13.2V into the batterys where 100% full is 13.5, and he advised in a parallel set up one of the batteries has likley failed and needs to be returned for warranty replacement. OK, thats refreshing, so then the issue was the next stage of determining which one - the batteries are built into a bum in a bucket config for space economy. Anyway took 10 mins to disassemble the box which was bettr than I thought, then decouple all the batteries from the common pos+ and neg- buss bars.
Currently have 4 lithium rated battery chargers topping up the batteries, all started at 13.2V - the one that doesn't come up to 13.5 is the culprit.
So, the 100a/hr are no longer made, and in a parallel setup all batteries need to be the same a/hr rating. The only ofering as a replacenet is a 100a/hr slimline, which is 100mm longer, wont fit - never a dull moment here folks.
Anyway, ITECH are doing a hunt around to see if they have a single unit squirreled around for a replacement. I guess I will know if the fulty one identifies itself overnight or not.
At 13.2V the system is at 93% charged, but I would prefer the full 1005 as that what I paid for. The decision then is around running on 400AHR at 93% or 300ahr at 100% - will see what they say and if the situation will get worse and the under-performer drags the system down lower.
OK, so put the batteries on a top up charge, individually , until the lithium chargers all reached their storage status or essentially full. I had measured the battery voltages immediately after disconnecting the busbar and they were all sitting at 13.18V.
After 6 hrs, and disconnection and re-measurement after 1hr, got the following results.
Bat A - 13.14/13.14, Bat B - 13.2/13.18, Bat C - 13.20/13.17, Bat D - 14.06/13.95
Full is 13.5
So back to ITech, they need to review with their engineers, and get back to me tomorrow. Something strange going on, BUT they want all 4 batteries returned to Perth for the assessment - urrgggghhhh, transporting lithium batteries cross country, this is going to be interesting, negating hundreds of thousand are shipped around now, but sure to strike some young upstart who declares they need to be delivered by Uber or similar from Melb to Perth.
Anyway, at worst I say no, and put up with 360a/hr instead of 400a/hr - not the end of the world I guess - just want something from ITECH to accept this odd situation and warrant the batteries for the full 3 yrs full replacement - difficult now they dont make this battery size or discharge profile, and then the remaining 2 yrs warranty pro-rata. I am leaning on the hope of fair outcome, will let you know.
Your doing well mate. My brother is also an engineer and he is the biggest procrastinator on earth. It literally takes him weeks on even how to go about changing a light bulb in his house. Any decision he has to make he writes down all possible scenarios and then crosses them off one by one until there's one. Even then he's still not convinced. Its quite funny watching him.
Where you. You just get it done.
I know what you mean... Wish I would just let things go easily off my brain instead of carrying them over for weeks/months.Quote:
Originally Posted by mudski
Mark,Quote:
Originally Posted by mudski
working from Melb for the time being. I have resolved the Lithium charge issue. Spoke with a different tech at ITECH yesterday and he suggested just using the charger that achieved the 13.95V charge, on each of the other batteries. Got me thinking this was the Victron 30amp unit with single output. I was also using another Victron 30amp unit but it has 3 outlets. Penny dropped there is only 10amp/leg on the second one, so made up some new leads last night and hooked the 30amp unit to the second battery, and the second 30amp unit with three legs to the 3rd lithium and left overnight.
Bingo, battery 2 charged to 13.9, battery 3 charged to 13.9, so came down to state of discharge and inability of a 10amp charge rate to lift the baseline. Currently charging battery 4 with a 30amp Victron and expect all resolved. Checked the Optima this morning also, with the new ground isolation switch in place, sitting at 13V after 2 days, has not budged - great when a plan comes off.
Managed to blow the 105amp alternator up today, fuse didn't protect it when I have a spark connecting the rear battery bank - oh well, wanted to swap it out to the 300amp unit anyway - now have the driver. I tell ya, if its electrical I can stuff it.
After a del]al of analysis, added an isolation switch to thr negative side of th 400a/hr lithium cell. I have charged the rear batteries to 13.5V, 100% capacity, and the front to 100% capacity, with a neg isolation switch. Everything functioni9ng as required, all parasitic loads ignored, not chasing the leakage as they dont matter in my mind if they are not in play. I am going to add isolation switches, have them in hand to the positive outputs for the front and rear batteries, just need some spare time to do that.
I also have been researching the possibilities of using turnip juice as a fuel instead of diesel, seems an emerging opportunity but will to give it a go. I can pick up fresh turnips for less than a tenth of what they charge for discount diesel and none of the nasty carbon emissions. I believe the planet can be saved from the evil 4wd's out there destroying our future, and will make this my crusade. I also like marmalade sundae's.
Nurssssseeeee! where is my giraffe? Has greta called today?
Whatever you are smoking Phil. Can i have some? I'm about to embark on a lithium setup in the rear of my GU, so i can get rid of the aux battery under the bonnet to make way for a custom air box i will build myself.
I think i need some Turnip jooce! I found using cat wee instead of adblu made the exhaust smell a lot better too....
But takes quite a while to train 'em to piddle in the correct tank.Quote:
Originally Posted by mudski