Solar controller not on bulk .

1 Cup

1 Cup

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So away soon in van and just changed setting on solar controller back to 14.2 volt .battery down to 50% because of my storage settings 13,4v.
So charged by multi at 98amp cerbo and smart shunt linked. Displayed.
Batteries 2 x12 v jk bms like to play there own game. 120amp and 100 amps the other.

but solar controller just won't go back on bulk charging
Will charge fully with b2b on drive up north
Screenshot_20231224_131623.jpg

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Screenshot_20231224_130839_BMS.jpg


if I turn one off it cuts out over voltage protection 3rd photo
Screenshot_20231224_130642_BMS.jpg




Screenshot_20231224_130824_BMS.jpg
 
been playing with the settings and set the voltages too low?

(Talking about BMS settings, not Victron ones).
 
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wildebus said:
been playing with the settings and set the voltages too low?

(Talking about BMS settings, not Victron ones).
Click to expand...

It was OK setting untill I turned fridge on on the 2nd december for work aways. Thank god I checked it to go away. Mmm nice to see the multi charge have its first work out , but at what cost ££' 4 hours at 1500ish watts per hour.

Somethings wrong as bms says both are charging one at 125 amps and the other at 95 amps but victron say total output 91 amps.

But 500ish amps for four days away. Nice if 500 Watts of solar helped out with a bit of bulk charging. .?
 
Are you able to check the ACTUAL current with DC clamp meter? If you don't own one then I seriously recommend you get one Jeff
A decent DC clamp meter will enable you to check the actual current flowing in the appropriate parts of the circuit, without one you're second guessing everything.
Here's the one I use, Worth it's weight in gold in a situation like yours.
Slightly cheaper on Ebay.
www.ebay.co.uk

UNI-T UT210E Handheld RMS AC/DC Mini Digital Clamp Meter Resistance Capacitan ⊕I | eBay

Capacitance (F). Jaw opening. AC current (A). DC current (A). Resistance (Ω). VFC, low pass filter. Auto power off, low battery indication. 39.3mm x 26.5mm.
www.ebay.co.uk
 
merl said:
Are you able to check the ACTUAL current with DC clamp meter? If you don't own one then I seriously recommend you get one Jeff
A decent DC clamp meter will enable you to check the actual current flowing in the appropriate parts of the circuit, without one you're second guessing everything.
Here's the one I use, Worth it's weight in gold in a situation like yours.
Slightly cheaper on Ebay.
www.ebay.co.uk

UNI-T UT210E Handheld RMS AC/DC Mini Digital Clamp Meter Resistance Capacitan ⊕I | eBay

Capacitance (F). Jaw opening. AC current (A). DC current (A). Resistance (Ω). VFC, low pass filter. Auto power off, low battery indication. 39.3mm x 26.5mm.
www.ebay.co.uk
Click to expand...
+1 on the Clamp Meter. (I used one just last week when checking the operation of a B2B).

But .... word of caution .... make sure the one selected includes the DC Current on the clamp. There are a lot that are AC only for that function but the description doesn't always make it clear - and being cheaper, they are more tempting to buy.

FWIW, This is the one I have - https://amzn.to/3OIOjNc . Listed on Amazon for £41.77.
Posting this one up as I bought mine back in November 2017, so over 6 years old and never had any issues with it.
 
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+2 for having a clamp essential bit of kit imho, takes seconds to use without disconnecting anything and invaluable especially when chasing parasitic loads

Mines this Kewtech

www.screwfix.com

Kewtech AC/DC Clamp Meter 400A - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Strong, robust clamp meter that measures AC and DC voltage to 600V, current to 400A and resistance to 4000Ω. With DMM functionality and 0.01A resolution. Includes continuity buzzer, sleep feature and data hold memory function. With a clamp jaw size of 33mm diameter...
www.screwfix.com www.screwfix.com
 
Still not right

Chip from air fryer 19000 w
400amp plus from a 200amp BMS lol.




Screenshot_20240214_174958_BMS.jpg
 
Jk BMS. 401 drawn amps @12.72v
This is smatt shunt. 3rd unit / one down.
Icup mppt
2cup b2b
3cup shunt.
4. On/off
Screenshot_20240214_175706.jpg
invertor on cerbo
 
clearly the battery BMS is screwed and where you need to look.

To troubleshoot, put a known load on the battery; confirm the current given by the smartshunt matches what is expected; then check the current reported by the BMS.
If that (the BMS) is wrong, it either needs sorting or just ignoring. Bad information is worse than no information.

I think you said you have two batteries? do the test with just one battery connected, and then repeat with just the other battery connected to see if problem is limited to one battery or is on both.
if the BMS is showing false data, maybe do a factory reset on the BMS to get all the settings back to default? These BMSes that people fit to DIY batteries (and even bought ones) are way too open and it is so easy to much up the settings by changing parameters and following Youtubers mucking around with the settings.
 
wildebus said:
clearly the battery BMS is screwed and where you need to look.

To troubleshoot, put a known load on the battery; confirm the current given by the smartshunt matches what is expected; then check the current reported by the BMS.
If that (the BMS) is wrong, it either needs sorting or just ignoring. Bad information is worse than no information.
Click to expand...

I've changed the batteries to 560 so dubbled from 280 amps total.

wildebus said:
clearly the battery BMS is screwed

I think you said you have two batteries? do the test with just one battery connected, and then repeat with just the other battery connected to see if problem is limited to one battery or is on both.
Click to expand...

Both

wildebus said:
if the BMS is showing false data, maybe do a factory reset on the BMS to get all the settings back to default? These BMSes that people fit to DIY batteries (and even bought ones) are way too open and it is so easy to much up the settings by changing parameters and following Youtubers mucking around with the settings.
Click to expand...

Off grid Andy gone onto server bms , so at a loss as to reset ! But if you change the tottle amps it resets the count of full charges back to 1.
 
1 Cup said:
I've changed the batteries to 560 so dubbled from 280 amps total.



Both



Off grid Andy gone onto server bms , so at a loss as to reset ! But if you change the tottle amps it resets the count of full charges back to 1.
Click to expand...
If it were my setup, I would focuss 100% on the BMS setup and get that sorted. As it stands right now, best to ignore the information. that it provides.

TBH, the problems people have with Lithium BMSes is often down to watching Youtubers who are really just playing around with settings and get blindly followed. Then when they have realised something was setup wrong, boom! Or onto some other thing (oh look! a squirrel?), the followers left in the lurch :(

I've had that situation where a very popular self-build Youtuber (who I shall not name) had thousands of people following his every move and copying his every step. His carpentry looked great; his electrics not so (IMO). Then one day he totally started the electrics again quite differently! I had a chap come up to me at a show and asked me to look at his setup as he had been replicating the YTer's build and was now in a black hole of doom after the major sudden change in direction and had no idea what to do now :(
(PS. After reading the last sentence, I bet loads of people will say "I know who he is talking about! :) ". Wrong! it is NOT Gadget John)
 
Looking as mttp it's 8amp input , BMS is constant. Input and out of bms is high.

Screenshot_20240215_102233.jpg
Screenshot_20240215_102158_BMS.jpg
 
It's entertainment at 80% .so 20% is never shown and not rebuffed. In / on van builds.

The hardest part is finding new products like this neat black Swan neck usb bed light @ £ 3,00 from local shop ( proper job)in photo.
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Yes I cherry pick, but its all pictured,
20240215_121938.jpg
first in my head. Then built on location.




Was it Greg ? We all know John is like us learning on our feet.
 

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Seems odd that both BMSs are having the same issue at the same time (if that's what's happening?)Are you sure you've not accidentally cocked something up with the settings?
Obviously not 100% sure of your setup but I recall you having an issue configuring the info from 2 x separate BMSs?
As David suggested, you need to revert to using just one battery for the moment and get that reporting correctly and then repeat again with JUST the other connected. After you've got both batteries reporting correctly on their own you can parallel them up.
No idea how to reset the BMS?? If you self built the battery packs maybe disconnecting the BMSs and re-connecting them? Depends on how the microprocessor in the BMS is configured but it could work.
 
merl said:
Seems odd that both BMSs are having the same issue at the same time (if that's what's happening?)Are you sure you've not accidentally cocked something up with the settings?
Obviously not 100% sure of your setup but I recall you having an issue configuring the info from 2 x separate BMSs?
As David suggested, you need to revert to using just one battery for the moment and get that reporting correctly and then repeat again with JUST the other connected. After you've got both batteries reporting correctly on their own you can parallel them up.
No idea how to reset the BMS?? If you self built the battery packs maybe disconnecting the BMSs and re-connecting them? Depends on how the microprocessor in the BMS is configured but it could work.
Click to expand...
I had a discussion recently with someone about Lithium BMSes and the fact that on some supplied (ready-built) batteries - and on DIY builds - they are far too open to incorrect configurations.
And then add in Youtube 'experts' and Forum 'experts' who tell you that you have to top-balance, bottom-balance, stick your left leg in and your right leg out and the chance of having a setup that is actually optimum starts getting remoter by the amp-hour. My advice would be to leave well alone!

I have a Victron BMV that monitors my Lithium Battery Bank and I have Lithium Batteries with various BMSes that report their voltage, current and state of charge. I have not made any changes to any of the BMSes on any of the batteries - one reason being they do not have that option and another being I feel no need to do so anyway - and the currents have always matched between the BMS and the BMSes added together and the Victron BMV SoC matching the average BMS SoC.
 
Yer so did mine up till December then they jump up ampage.

I'll look at victron untill a way of resetting both but still pullin 260 amps out of each so I think it a bms thing .
 
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