I've taken the plunge into lithium

[Outdoors Dad]

Ok well after reading various lithium battery reviews on on our very informative site I ordered a fogstar 230a battery with BMS. This will be fitted to my 05 transit autosleeper. I have 150w solar panel with a votronic mppt controller with lithium setting. My mains charger doesn't have a lithium setting and I have the original alternator charging system. I was thinking of fitting a victron mains charger with lithium setting so I can charge and maintain battery when it's not sunny etc. I'm concerned the original charger will charge both starter and new lithium house battery simultaneous and thus negate the lithium setting on new victron charger. Or will my old charger be ok. ???

 

[jumar]

Ok well after reading various lithium battery reviews on on our very informative site I ordered a fogstar 230a battery with BMS. This will be fitted to my 05 transit autosleeper. I have 150w solar panel with a votronic mppt controller with lithium setting. My mains charger doesn't have a lithium setting and I have the original alternator charging system. I was thinking of fitting a victron mains charger with lithium setting so I can charge and maintain battery when it's not sunny etc. I'm concerned the original charger will charge both starter and new lithium house battery simultaneous and thus negate the lithium setting on new victron charger. Or will my old charger be ok. ???

I went Lithium a few months back....I was correctly advised to include a B2B....and what a good move that was....

 

[autorouter]

Your old charger will be OK if you are one of those that are only occasionally on hookup, so that the lithium battery is mostly charged from solar and the alternator. However if you usually leave it connected, for example on the drive at home, then it's a good idea to do something about disconnecting the old charger.

This might be as simple as pulling out a fuse, what make/model of distribution/fusebox is fitted?

The direct alternator connection might be more of a problem. Usually the solution is to fit a B2B charger, which takes power from the alternator in a controlled way and feeds it to the lithium battery at a suitable voltage and current to keep it happy. Just as important, it stops charging when it's full, or if the temperature is very low. Unlike lead-acid, it's best to avoid overcharging a lithium battery.

When fitting a B2B, you need to disable the old split charge relay connection, which is probably built into the distribution/fusebox. There are various ways to do this, but the details depend on your exact setup.

Then there's the question of how to keep the starter battery charged when parked up for an extended time. Does the Votronic MPPT have two battery outputs?

 

[paddymcc]

Does the Votronic MPPT have two battery outputs?

Yes it does - the second one is a few amps only but fine for keeping a starter battery topped up with 150W solar from my experience

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Thanks for replying peeps. It has just dawned on me the charger has a switch to either charge hab or starter batt! I was looking at the renogy dc-dc which has a profile that trickle charges your starter from hab battery if starter gets low.
If I can effectively use the existing mains charger to just charge starter it will be a bonus.

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[Outdoors Dad]

Can anyone help with a suggestion to disconnect the existing split charge relay just by looking at my board?

 

[autorouter]

Need to know the make/model of the distribution/fusebox, some you can remove a jumper link, some you cut a resistor, some even have a switch, and some are more complicated.

 

[Outdoors Dad]

It would appear that the electrical system is very basic in that the control panel is really just a switch panel and all fuses are squeezed under seat.

 

[the1andonly]

From your sheet it says the split charge relay fuse is the fuse2 green 30A
fuse 1 15A blue Fridge
fuse 2 25A clear Battery charger
the fuses i can see are
1A
3A
2x orange/ yellow 5/20A
are there any other fuses? can you confirm the orange/ yellow values and or what the fuses control (inc 1,3A)

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Not yet I'll have a go on Thursday checking them with a tester etc cheers for replying peeps

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[autorouter]

It's possible that all you have to do is remove one of those fuses listed in Pic 2. Probably the 25A Vehicle Battery Charging fuse. However this may also disable functions you want to keep. I can't see the actual relays in the picture, do you know where they are? You could do some tests at the relay terminals. If the fuses and relays are accessible it should be possible to disable the split charging but keep all the other functions.

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Thanks 'auto router' I'll send a better picture with relays on Thursday when I get a bit play time lol

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Well I had a day free of work today so removed the drivers seat to have more of a look.
I tried removing the 3 fuses in 'change over relay' it only accomplished various things not working in van and hab batteries charged regardless!
Here's what you can see now. Also pic behind switch cover zig? Any thoughts on how to disable existing SCR to fit B2B? Cheers Mark

 

[autorouter]

That relay has a Ford label on it. Some Ford Transits have a second battery which they call an auxiliary battery, as well as the starter battery. It is charged by a split charge relay. This is supposedly to help with the problem of the starter battery going flat when the driver uses electrical items all day in it, such as a builder on a site. Is it possible that your vehicle is one of those, and the auxiliary battery is used as a habitation battery?

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Cheers for looking. Yes I've read that as well. I've also read A/S were at the time sometimes inconsistent when it came to the electrical bits at battery sometimes using vehicle base bits and sometimes not. I had left the van on drive and starter battery was nearly flat it wouldn't start, leisure batteries were low but not flat. I charged starter over 24hrs with EHU it started then.