EBL220-2 not charging leisure batteries

[82125]

Another EBL problem.

When i bought this 2012 Burstner Elegance i890 despite all the pre-purchase checks having being ticked off as working, Ive had to fix a lot of the allegedly working items myself.

Latest one is stumping me however.
My leisure batteries were not being charged by either the solar or the alternator (ive since fixed the alternator charging which was just the 20a fuse on the engine +ve terminal).
Not so simple with the solar it seems.

Ive checked continuity on every fuse on the EBL220-2, checked the 50a and 2a fuse on the leisure batteries (visual check only was done on these as i didnt want to pull them and could get meter probes on them). Likewise for the engine battery (which is when i found the 20a for the alternator charging had blown). Irrelevant, but the 10a for the fridge had also blown on the EBL so now that works on 12v too (dealership had ticked everything tested as working).

What's next to try please? Are there associated relays somewhere (or is it all handled via the EBL?)

My solar set up is a large unknown 150w ish? panel, a Solar Technology International STCC10 charge controller (pictured below).
As per the picture it constantly flashes the "battery 2" led and never switches over to battery 1 (which must be my leisure batts). Flashing (it says) means both banks are fully charged. Clearly this isnt the case because it continues to do this when my leisure batteries are down to 12v.
The "Sun" led is lit constantly, even at night! Which cant be right.

Ive had digital volt meters fitted to both engine and leisure battery banks and can see the engine battery at 14v at times when im off grid (so it appears the solar is charging the engine battery ok). But im assuming either theres a fault with the solar controller and it cant switch charging to the leisure batteries or it just isnt "seeing" the leisure batteries because the fault lies elsewhere?

Any ideas please? Thanks in advance.

 

[steveh57]

Can you check what voltages the controller is seeing at it’s terminals for all three inputs

 

[82125]

Can you check what voltages the controller is seeing at it’s terminals for all three inputs

14.22v input, 0v batt 1 output, 14.22 batt 2 output.
(engine volt meter is currently showing 14.1v so its charging batt 2 atm.)
batt 1 output shows 109k ohms (resistance?) if thats any use?

 

[Lenny HB]

Yes sounds like it's the regulator, check the voltage on the input should be 17 to 23v, the output, if it's charging, should gradually rise up to14.4v before dropping back to 13.8v.

Blade fuses really need to be checked with a meter they can often be blown and not noticeable on a visual check, I've also known them to go high resistance.

That particular solar regulator is prone to failure.

 

[82125]

thank you Lenny, ill inform the dealership to add ANOTHER item to the parts list needed.

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[steveh57]

Look I’m no expert at all but it looks to me as if the controller is seeing no voltage at battery one, the solar input @14.22 I think others may have the correct answer for that as I was expecting something different than batt 2 voltage certainly with the solar cables disconnected from the controller you should see the solar panel output voltage

posted before I saw Lenny’s reply

 

[berni109]

Go back to basics- physically disconnect the panel and batteries from the solar controller. Leave the solar controller disconnected for a while then re-connect the batteries and as Lenny HB suggested check volts on the physical wires from the solar panel and if ok reconnect to solar controller.
I personally would not reconnect the panel during the day in case you spark the wires and fry the controller .

 

[82125]

thanks, the controller is less than £40 so ive asked the dealer to send me a new one (they should have checked all this stuff before i collected the vehicle, instead of just ticking everything as working when they clearly werent even inside the vehicle when they did it).

 

[Lenny HB]

thanks, the controller is less than £40 so ive asked the dealer to send me a new one (they should have checked all this stuff before i collected the vehicle, instead of just ticking everything as working when they clearly werent even inside the vehicle when they did it).

I wouldn't bother just get yourself a decent regulator.

 

[autorouter]

You could find out if the solar controller goes through the EBL, or goes direct to the battery. If it goes through the EBL, check the voltage on the 3-way connector 'Solar Laderegler'. Pin 1 negative, pin 3 positive. It goes through a 15A fuse labelled 'Solar', then straight to the leisure battery via the internal shunt.

Pin 2 on that connector goes to the starter battery, but not along the main feed. There's a wire from the other 3-way socket (BL4) pin 3
which goes to the starter battery via a 20A fuse near the starter battery. It supplies the fridge 12V heater element normally, but also takes the solar trickle charge. BL4 Pin 2 is negative.

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[autorouter]

14.22v input, 0v batt 1 output, 14.22 batt 2 output.

It's a PWM controller, not MPPT, so that is correct. The panel voltage is reduced to whatever the battery requires.

About the 0V batt1 output - have you seen this?

https://www.solartechnology.co.uk/content-files/cms/files/STI%20Charge%20Controller%20-%20Common%20Negative%20final.pdf

It looks like a different controller, but I'm pretty sure it's just a rebranded version of your STI controller. It appears that it can't charge two batteries that have a common negative. For a motorhome that's just not fit for purpose. You could disconnect the starter battery and just charge the leisure battery.

OK, you could work around it by adding a switching relay, as described in the link. But maybe just buy another controller that charges two batteries properly, like the Votronic Duo, which is an MPPT controller.

Or get a single output MPPT controller. The starter batter can be trickle-charged from the leisure battery by a battery maintainer like a BatteryMaster.

 

[82125]

wow, thanks.
Its all getting too complicated. I think ill just bury my head in the sand and ignore it!
Im having a new 200w panel and MPPT controller fitted direct to the leisure batts in a weeks time (was always the plan, but it would make sense if the existing panel did what its supposed to and charged both sets).