New Batteries Not Charging

[bozworth]

Hi all, first time post and recent Alliance owner. We got our 310RL this summer and I finally had a chance to swap out the batteries to two 100Ah Battleborns (which fit perfectly in the tray, btw). I took the opportunity to also put in our Victron battery monitor. I flipped the converter over to Lithium, turned everything on, and tested the inverter just fine. But I noticed that I was getting zero charge out of the converter. It's a Progressive Dynamics converter (and separate inverter), but I don't know the exact model. Pictures attached. From other posts I assumed that I would be fine with 12v 200Ah in parallel. I still believe that to be the case, but if I have to, I'll figure out the model and call Progressive Dynamics for verification.

Before I begin to reverse all of my work to attempt to narrow down the issue, I'm hoping someone here can tell me what I did wrong, if anything. I've attached a bunch of pictures to help describe the situation. I'll also say that everything else works fine: All 12v systems, fuses are good (including the reverse polarity), inverter as I mentioned, and I'm confident that the solar charge controller will keep the batteries charged. And yes, I've read the manuals on the Alliance site and tested both the Lithium and Lead Acid settings on the converter.

(I also switched the dealer-installed (per factory instructions) Renogy solar charge controller to my Victron, and added the TPMS range extender, but I can't imagine any of those additions affecting the ability of the converter to charge the batteries.)

Thanks in advance!

Adam

 

[Jim Beletti]

@bozworth - Congrats on the 310 and welcome to the forum.

With regard to this issue, a couple of questions:

To be 100% certain that your converter is not outputting any DC power, consider testing as follows:
- Drop the positive off the battery (tape the end up)
- Plug into AC shore power
- Do you have 12v lights that work (or check for DC power on the DC bus near the fuses in the breaker panel)? If you have lights and DC power at the DC bus, then your converter is working

With regard to your Victron MPPT, did you configure it (via rotary dial or via Connect app) to a LiFePO4 charge profile? If not, do that to optimize solar charging, though this is not connected to your issue of no DC output from the converter.

While not contributory to the current issue, you may want to take a look at the wire gauge you used for your battery connections and to and from the shunt. I can't read the gauge from the pictures but I do see they look smaller that what Alliance used for the inverter input for example. Generally speaking, you'd want a heavy gauge wire connected to your Inverter's DC power source (batteries/shunt). Personally, with I'd likely use 2/0 for that 2000 watt inverter.

 

[bozworth]

Thanks Jim. I was hoping you'd reply and upgrading the negative wire gauge is next on my todo list. Certainly before boondocking season starts. And yes, everything is configured and optimized for lithium.

I think my assumption that the batteries were not charging was wrong. After I had a chance to think about it some more, I realized that I ignored one important fact: my voltage didn't drop. I was too focused on that charge value and the fact that the app only ever showed a draw. But sure enough, when I walked out to tinker with it last night, the app showed 100% charged and it happened immediately after I stopped working on it the day before. It went from 77% to 100% with no delay.

So either there's a bug in my battery monitor or (more likely) I installed it wrong somehow. The thing is, it's not complicated. There are only two lines connected to the negative terminal, one to the battery monitor, and one grounded to the RV. Which leaves the small gauge positive wire that runs the battery monitor. According to the instructions, you're supposed to connect it to the positive battery terminal, but I connected it to a bus, which is how I did it in my last trailer and never had any problems. But I "assumed" that line only powered the device and didn't provide any sensor value.

 

[Jim Beletti]

@bozworth - From what I saw in your photos, the shunt looks to be correctly wired. What is your shunt communicating with (Cerbo, BMV-712, other)?

When you are certain your batteries are at 100% SOC, I suggest you use the synchronize feature of your monitor to lock that point at 100%.

 

[bozworth]

I'm just using the Bluetooth connection and app for both the battery monitor and charge controller. I did sync and the past couple of days have been at a consistent 100% charge while plugged in. Today will be the first real test but not expecting any issues.

Still baffled by the whole thing.