Victron Orion xs B2B problem

[Just smiffy]

I have one and have just yesterday replaced my 2 gels for a eco-worthy 280a lithium. It worked ok when I was running fine with it on the gels, although only set to 30a

I have changed the victron solar controller to life-po4 and the b2b to the settings that RogerIvy gives in his video on the b2b I have a regular alternator.. when engine is started it runs around 3 amps and is now down to 1.8a 24w

I have 16mm cables positive coming from the vehicle battery to the b2b and the negative from the bad going onto the bus bar near the lithium battery.

Any thoughts …?

 

[MichaelT]

You really need a D+ instead of engine shutdown detection.

Also you have a 2 minute delay till B2B charges so are you waiting for that long to check?

 

[Just smiffy]

You really need a D+ instead of engine shutdown detection.

Also you have a 2 minute delay till B2B charges so are you waiting for that long to check?

But it works on engine shutdown…

Yes van has been running 15mins now

 

[Just smiffy]

Just tested the cable going in to the b2b and getting 3.00a from the b2b into the battery is 2.7a tested on positive cable

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Not sure but the user defined engine shutdown detection looks odd. Try the standard Victron regular alternator setting. With a Fogstar mine is start 14.0v, delayed start 13.8v, delay 120s, shutdown 13.5v. Seems to work well, although rarely get 50A as the fridge and stuff pulls a bit.

Oh and check your firmware is current on the Orion. See the cog settings and product info in the right 3 dot drop down.

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[Ditcha]

I have one and have just yesterday replaced my 2 gels for a eco-worthy 280a lithium. It worked ok when I was running fine with it on the gels, although only set to 30a

I have changed the victron solar controller to life-po4 and the b2b to the settings that RogerIvy gives in his video on the b2b I have a regular alternator.. when engine is started it runs around 3 amps and is now down to 1.8a 24w

I have 16mm cables positive coming from the vehicle battery to the b2b and the negative from the bad going onto the bus bar near the lithium battery.

Any thoughts …?

View attachment 1050623View attachment 1050624View attachment 1050625View attachment 1050626View attachment 1050627View attachment 1050628

Garry 13.44v on the battery app could mean the battery is full ignore the 67% cycle the battery a few times and it should come inline.

 

[Ditcha]

Try sticking some loads on like your fridge etc and see if the b2b output climes

 

[Just smiffy]

Not sure but the user defined engine shutdown detection looks odd. Try the standard Victron regular alternator setting. With a Fogstar mine is start 14.0v, delayed start 13.8v, delay 120s, shutdown 13.5v. Seems to work well, although rarely get 50A as the fridge and stuff pulls a bit.

Oh and check your firmware is current on the Orion. See the cog settings and product info in the right 3 dot drop down.

It was the same on default that’s why I changed the settings to what OGS recommends…

 

[Raul]

Just tested the cable going in to the b2b and getting 3.00a from the b2b into the battery is 2.7a tested on positive cable

At what voltage? Is the voltage the same as the solar controller reads?

 

[Just smiffy]

Try sticking some loads on like your fridge etc and see if the b2b out climes

Yes I thought that, I don’t want to buy a lithium mains charger so it will have to do with the little charge it gets and from the solar which is working well …

The whole point of my solar and the charger and new battery is so I don’t ever want to plug in…

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[Just smiffy]

At what voltage? Is the voltage the same as the solar controller reads?

Not sure what info you need..

 

[Lenny HB]

As you have Solar you need to use the D+ to switch the B2B and turn the Engine shutdown detection off, it will never work reliably without using the D+.

 

[Just smiffy]

As you have Solar you need to use the D+ to switch the B2B and turn the Engine shutdown detection off, it will never work reliably without using the D+.

But it did before Lenny….

 

[MichaelT]

Not sure but the user defined engine shutdown detection looks odd. Try the standard Victron regular alternator setting. With a Fogstar mine is start 14.0v, delayed start 13.8v, delay 120s, shutdown 13.5v. Seems to work well, although rarely get 50A as the fridge and stuff pulls a bit.

Oh and check your firmware is current on the Orion. See the cog settings and product info in the right 3 dot drop down.

Yes mine had an update today to v 1.08

 

[Just smiffy]

Yes mine had an update today to v 1.08

Mine too I have version 1.08..

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[Ditcha]

Yes I thought that, I don’t want to buy a lithium mains charger so it will have to do with the little charge it gets and from the solar which is working well …

The whole point of my solar and the charger and new battery is so I don’t ever want to plug in…

Do a little test turn your solar off then run the battery down day 20% then start the van and see if you get a full charge rate if it does all works well turn you solar back on and let the Bluetooth app readout catch up after a few charge discharges.

 

[Just smiffy]

As you have Solar you need to use the D+ to switch the B2B and turn the Engine shutdown detection off, it will never work reliably without using the D+.

I know your probably right Lenny but why does it have this function if it doesn’t work properly…

As you know I can’t find a d+ on my van and if I have to wire it directly from the alternator to the b2b and it still don’t work…. I’ll come up there and run over your best dancing shoes…

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Could try it in the dark?

 

[Just smiffy]

Try sticking some loads on like your fridge etc and see if the b2b output climes

Do a little test turn your solar off then run the battery down day 20% then start the van and see if you get a full charge rate if it does all works well turn you solar back on and let the Bluetooth app readout catch up after a few charge discharges.

I’m going to have to try this and let it run for a while and see what it does, my arms are dead from lifting out 2 gels and manoeuvring the new bigger lithium in and all the other bits I did including some re-wire and putting in bus bars because I had Lenny buzzing away at the back of my mind and he would approve…

Put the kettle on and nearly a 1000w coming out and didn’t do nothing…. Good to test though, a full kettle took ages and nothing from the wiring got remotely warm….

 

[Just smiffy]

Turning the solar off makes no difference….

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[Ditcha]

Turning the solar off makes no difference….

No I know but it will help discharge the battery quicker so you can do the test.

 

[Raul]

Not sure what info you need..

View attachment 1050647View attachment 1050648

That voltage, atleast is reading the same as the solar, 13.5v.
As Ditcha says, try run tbe battery down a bit without the solar, no need to discharge 20%, 1-2% is enough just to bring tne battery voltage down under the float threshold, so it foces to drop in bulk again.

 

[Ditcha]

Garry have a look at this you can see where you can pick up a D+ page 86.

 

[Solly24]

Have you disabled the switch charge relay?

 

[Just smiffy]

My van conversion was done by an unknown company and the charge relay I think has never worked, I’ve looked for it everywhere and never found it, practically pulled the van apart…

Leisure Batteries have never had any vehicle charging only solar… solar and b2b are completely standalone units and independent from any van wiring.

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[Just smiffy]

I’ve had enough of it now I’m knackered, I’ll let it charge up to 100% on the solar and then turn the solar off and run it down and go from there…

Electrics do my head in.. give me something to hit with a hammer or spanner any day…

 

[Pausim]

If you have a smart alternator then the problem is probably your Alternator Settings. The 12.8V shut down voltage is too high for a smart alternator which is trying to keep the engine battery at about 12.3V. The shut down voltage is there to make sure the engine battery is not over discharged but it needs to be much lower for a smart alternator.

I know this because even with D+ activation my Victron OrionXS didn’t work all the time. It was fine if the van had been on EHU which raised the Volts above the 12.5V mine had been set to by the installer but at other times it simply did not work. I spent an hour checking voltages fuses and D+ signals before stopping to have a good think and go through all the settings. I dropped the input voltage lockout to 12.0V and the restart value to 12.3V and “hooray” it switched on and started charging at about 48A. I will have to try it on a few runs to be sure I have got this sorted but it all seems to working and it makes sense that the cut out was to blame because it overrides all the other activation procedures.

 

[Lenny HB]

It's a standard alternator

 

[Just smiffy]

As stated on my original first post I have a regular alternator…

The b2b is working as it should on engine recognition exactly as it’s should and designed for…. Its working, it’s just not pumping out the amps/watts that it should be..

 

[Ian_H]

If post 11 shows the b2b with the engine running, the starter battery is only on 12.8V, the same as the engine shutdown voltage setting on the b2b. Would this cause problems? Does Garry just need to put a foot on the throttle ??

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