As some of you know, I've had some issues with batteries and charger system. As it turns out the new batteries are installed and although I've ran some tests I'm not sure how to know if infact the progressive unit with the charging wizard is doing anything at all.
I'll list my current electrical readings and if any of you have other suggestions that I'm missing please let me know.
After installing a 3 year old 8D (that sat disconnected for the last several months) to the start cables with brand new clamps & installed 2 brand new 8d house batteries also with new clamps, the start battery tested at 12.55 and both house batteries showed 12.74.
All testing done with a digital Greenlee (?) tester.
Still not having been started, while facing the isolator its readings are as follows..
With a good ground the left post is 12.74, the middle post is 1.86-2.03 and the far right post shows 12.56.
Once started the start battery reads 14.28 and the house batteries are 14.24-5
Also while started the isolator reads left post 14.30, middle post 15.10 and right post is 14.28
During the engine running time I checked the alternator and with black on the ground post for all therr check points it read as follows. Positive post 15.21, ignition 14.32 and remote sense 14.31
With the coach engine off and now connected to wall plug with heavy plug cord and I believe 20 or 30 amp.....what ever regular electric power my barn is wired for, the start battery shows 14.12 while the house batteries are 14.54
At the same time while on shore power the isolator left post shows 14.55, middle shows 1.15 and the right is at 14.14.
I didnt have access to the instruction pamphlet that shows the different settings for the "smart wizard" added feature I purchased for the Progressive Charger.....but I did see the light lit up.
Question...Did any of the things I tested indicate that the Progressive unit is in fact working?
In general do all my numbers look like everything is working properly?
If I did not test the Progressive Charger (lack of knowledge) would someone please explain the process?
Lastly...during all this the light on my Trik-l-start was either showing "maintaining" or there was nothing lit at all. Of course all the batteries appear to be fully charged so im not sure that it should have shown different.
I unplugged from shore power when closing up the barn for the simple fact that I could hear the batteries bubbling for the fisrt few minutes of shore connection and I didnt feel it was necessary with the batteries being new or at leadt fully charged.
I mentio the Trik-l-start becauce in around January it was thought to have failed and or was not needed "if" the Progressive Charger was actually "smart".
Please share what your take is on my battery output, alt output, isolator output and IF I have done the right thing to test to see if the Progressive Charger IS working or not.....and is the Trik-l-start worth having or not.
My available time for working on the coach is very limited with this being my busy work season.
I just bought a 97 Wrangler that I need to get a tow unit for and my generator is not firing up at all. So I've got to make the very best use of time that I can with every move I make. Plus I've got to do an oil & filter change on the coach. Its hectic right now.
Please advise and as always....thanks in advance.
Whew! Lots of numbers there.
First of all, the Progressive charger/converter will not be charging the start batteries at all unless either the "boost" switch is on or you have jumpered the system to connect all three batteries. The alternator, however, DOES charge both start and house batteries when the engine is running. And somewhere around 14.8vdc seems to be pretty typical for engine-driven alternators. It seems high to me (especially over a long drive) but I haven't yet addressed that on my coach. It would be nice to get other ideas.
Even if the shore power is connected, the engine-driven alternator - with its typically much-higher charge voltage - will be higher than the "turn-on" point of the Pregressive Electronics charger so it will idle and not contribute anything to the system.
Engine-driven alternators are not considered to be "smart chargers" (despite the "sense" wire). But I am pretty sure this can be fixed by adding a charge controller to that system. I just have not (yet) looked at this very hard.
So... with the engine running all of those voltages look correct. The isolator - which is made up of diodes - reduces voltage by about .6 volts (typically) in the direction it passes current (and blocks it in the other direction - which is how it performs its "isolation" function).
Also... when you turned the engine off the voltages you saw were "surface charge" voltages and not representative of the actual state of charge for any batteries. The surface charge is temporary but it will exist for a period of time after you shut down the engine (or any charging device). You will have to wait until this surface charge is fully dissipated before you can get an accurate idea of how the battery banks are doing. Overnight is good.
Since you have disconnected shore power you can now go in and get the state of charge for the system with minimal loads (just clocks, sensors, etc) on. You don't have to go back to the engine bay, just get that DVM onto the batteries. (I have a Bogart Engineering Trimetric 2025 which measures the house bank - 2 8Ds - and the start batteries - 2 red tops in parallel - separately. However the start batteries only get measured for voltage while the house bank gets a lot more detailed.) Leave shore power off (and engine off) for these tests.
Somewhere around 12.6 to 12.8 would be considered "full charge" on both banks.
The PE charger (I have one, too) will detect the state-of-charge of the HOUSE BANK only (unless you have the boost switch on or have jumpered both start and house together) and will determine what type of voltage/current to provide. It should be "float" (for fully charged) and about 13.1vdc; or higher for a de-sulfating cycle (with the Wizard) or "bulk" or "absorption" which would be higher... around 14.5vdc.
I don't think you can tell exactly which cycle the PE is in (unlike the Midnite Solar Classic 150 which gives a nice report of everything it does) but you can guess at it using the DVM. At any rate, my PE generally floats the house bank at 13.1vdc. (The solar system - and the Classic 150 - floats that bank at 13.7 just FYI... and is fully adjustable... I'm still trying to determine which is best for wet cells.)
So, now you have a good idea of the state-of-charge of your battery banks with the surface charge dissipated and the batteries under minimal load. You can check the start bank by turning the headlights on and checking the voltage on that bank (only) with the DVM. That voltage should not be less than 12.5vdc. If it is then that bank could be suspect (depending upon what ran all night with no charging).
Load up the house batteries by turning on the interior lights (all of them) and measuring that bank only. That voltage should also not drop much below 12.5vdc. (although that's a guess since I have no idea what sort of lighting system you have in your coach... if it's all LEDs then the drop will not be that much).
In both cases, if the voltage on a bank does not drop at all under a good load, then that indicates that the batteries are in pretty good shape.
Now you should have some idea of the two banks.
Now connect shore power. This will energize the PE charger/converter and you can determine whether it's working or not.
Check the house batteries with the DVM (and boost switch OFF). They should be reading something above 13vdc (13.1 if the PE is floating them, somewhere above 13.8vdc if it's desulfating or bulk or absorption cycle). If the batteries measure the same as before you connected shore power, then the PE unit is not working. Check circuit breakers first. (Back at the bed on my U225.)
There are some differences of opinion about just what the maximum charge voltage should be on a wet cell (lead acid) system. Just remember that the voltage while charging does not necessarily represent the actual state-of-charge for any battery bank; it's just what the charging system thinks it should apply. How fast that bank declines to 12.2vdc is what determines the bank's real ability to keep you in power over a period of time. That also is determined by the amount of load (all the things you have turned on).
Lots of other people on the forum know more about this than I do... but I have the PE and wet cell 8Ds so I thought I'd post some of the stuff I've learned over the past couple of years.
Craig
The 14 volt plus sounds like the charger is in "bulk" mode. Check voltage again now that it has had a chance to bring the batteries up to full charge. "Float" or maintenance voltage should be in the low to mid 13 volt range. Go online to the manufacturer of your batteries and see what they recommend for float voltage. Too high voltage will shorten the life of the batteries. On our U300, plugging in to shore power only charges the house batteries. I installed a HF high frequency trickle charger at the bus panel so on shore power, the conventional engine batteries stay at about 13.5 volts. A 14V plus float voltage is too high. Read the instructions for the charger on how to change charge voltages. I don't recommend keeping the boost switch on. It draws quite a bit of juice while in operation. The HF trickle charger is only a little over $20.
An easy way to check is to purchase a couple of cigar lighter digital voltmeters. Only $3 each delivered off ebay or cheap at HF. When you want to check voltages, just plug one into the lower lighter plug down on the wall by your left leg. This will read house voltage. The dash lighter plug reads engine battery voltage.
When the shore power is unplugged, it takes a couple of hours for the battery voltage to give an accurate reading. Otherwise, it will be a little high.
What is wrong with your generator? Check to see if you have at least one quarter tank of fuel. If it is a diesel, change filters, open the little "T" handle valve, hold glow plug switch in the glow position and listen for the electric fuel pump, let pump run for about a minute and close the T handled valve and let go of the glow switch, loosen one injector fitting at the injector a turn and try to start the generator. As soon as it starts, shut down and tighten the injector fitting.
If it won't start, follow the procedure to check the glow plugs. In warm weather, the generator will start with one bad plug.
Pierce