T6.1 Leisure batteries not charging on EHU

[sewb]

Looks like you need some sort of reset eh? 12.7v is fully charged, so normal behavior from the panel at that stage is to show the ">60 hrs" . You could ignore it, if everything is behaving as it, should but it would worry me too. Have you tried leaving it on EHU for 24hrs+ to see if some re-calibration happens?

Thanks for the prompt reply! We have tried resetting it to factory settings but that didn't work. We will put in on EHU for 24 hours to try that... Do you know whether it might be a fuse issue?

 

[Stu@rt]

Thanks for the prompt reply! We have tried resetting it to factory settings but that didn't work. We will put in on EHU for 24 hours to try that... Do you know whether it might be a fuse issue?

I am no expert. Only know what I have read on here. Other 6.1 owners that have had the cube fuse blow have seen the red warning triangle on the "battery bank" image, so maybe / maybe not. I do know that the "hours left" indicator does do some funny things. Especially when the ignition is on, or when on EHU. Sometimes I see just 6hrs left when it has been on charge for a day. Then when you disconnect and leave for an hour, you see the >60hrs come back. The voltage that you are seeing suggests a fully charged battery, but not necessarily that both are working.

The image that you posted? Is that with the ignition switched on, or off?

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

We are having issues with the leisure battery display on our Ocean 6.1. It is fully charged and runs the fridge etc no problem, but the display shows 0h as shown on the photo below - this is obviously just an error, but does anyone know a quick fix for this? ThanksView attachment 87858

Never had 0h showing @sewb but on our 6.1 the display can go from >60h down to i.e. 7h and then back to >60h in a few minutes. I think it depends on what ‘consumables’ are switched on/being used at any given time. The monitoring system is perhaps less than precise but definitely dynamically adjusts. Have you driven the van for a few miles to see if it resets?

 

[sewb]

Thanks both - the 'hours left' indicator has been working fine all year and only started showing 0h yesterday - we have tried all combinations of reset including driving/charging/resetting/turning off and on all appliances - still 0h!
The photo was taken with ignition off, but it doesn't make any difference if we turn the ignition on...

 

[Stu@rt]

And when you pop it on EHU, you can see voltage going in ok? You get the Amber connection symbol lit up and you see a positive figure going in ok? Think I would pop it on charge for 24hrs or so and see what happens.

 

[yossarian]

The display appears to show battery capacity x 0.5 x soh x soc / draw.

Soh state of health
Soc state of charge (indicating close to 100%)
Capacity usually 150ah

The most likely error is soh. This is held in the sensor on each battery negative. Unplug and replug the two wire sensor plug on each sensor to reset them.

Module 3d appears to hold the battery capacity and chemistry. That might be your next port of call.

 

[sewb]

Wow - thank you. I will try this as it seems a relatively non-invasive action which I can't (?) mess up! Will feed back on result as the info will be useful to anyone else who has the same issue

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Wow - thank you. I will try this as it seems a relatively non-invasive action which I can't (?) mess up! Will feed back on result as the info will be useful to anyone else who has the same issue

@sewb did you resolve this January issue?

 

[Californication69]

@sewb did you resolve this January issue?

@sewb I wonder what you did to fix the issue?
I’m reading up on the California electrical system so as I understand how it all functions.
I am also wondering if I am chasing a ghost in the system.
I hear reports my solar system should keep my batteries topped up whilst it’s sat on the drive.
But after 3 days I see my Epever showing my Lesuire battery’s as 13.2v
But my control panel is showing 12.5v
My fridge is on setting 4, so maybe I could drop that down to 3 or 2 and see if that keeps the Solar on top of charging the batteries.

 

[sewb]

@sewb I wonder what you did to fix the issue?
I’m reading up on the California electrical system so as I understand how it all functions.
I am also wondering if I am chasing a ghost in the system.
I hear reports my solar system should keep my batteries topped up whilst it’s sat on the drive.
But after 3 days I see my Epever showing my Lesuire battery’s as 13.2v
But my control panel is showing 12.5v
My fridge is on setting 4, so maybe I could drop that down to 3 or 2 and see if that keeps the Solar on top of charging the batteries.

Hi - we ended up having a cable/wire replaced - one which connected the rear leisure battery to the control panel. This solved the issue with the 0h reading. The cables run behind the kitchen cupboards in the California, but VW (after A LOT of time and searching) did the job for us under warranty. We don't have solar panels though, so I am not sure whether your issue is related to a faulty cable or the solar panel connection?

 

[sewb]

@sewb did you resolve this January issue?

Sorry GG - I have only just seen this post - yes, thank you, we did eventually resolve the issue and it has worked well ever since (see post above for solution).

 

[WelshGas]

@sewb I wonder what you did to fix the issue?
I’m reading up on the California electrical system so as I understand how it all functions.
I am also wondering if I am chasing a ghost in the system.
I hear reports my solar system should keep my batteries topped up whilst it’s sat on the drive.
But after 3 days I see my Epever showing my Lesuire battery’s as 13.2v
But my control panel is showing 12.5v
My fridge is on setting 4, so maybe I could drop that down to 3 or 2 and see if that keeps the Solar on top of charging the batteries.

The Control Panel should be showing the same Voltage as the output voltage on your Solar controller.
Check the voltage on each Leisure Battery, they should be the same.
How is the solar panel wired to the rear leisure battery. On the T6.1 the negative lead from the solar panel controller should be connected to the Battery clamp bolt or some other chassis earthing point NOT the leisure battery negative pole.
Lastly, check the Cube Fuse on the positive pole of the rear leisure battery. If it fails, and they are fragile, then you are charging the rear battery via the solar panel but the fridge is taking power only from the front Leisure battery which will only be charged on EHU or by driving.

I have 1 x 100w solar panel and it manages to keep the leisure batteries fully charged with the fridge on. Voltage drops to 12.6/12.5 overnight but fully charged by lunchtime at the latest and thereafter on float charge .

 

[Californication69]

The Control Panel should be showing the same Voltage as the output voltage on your Solar controller.
Check the voltage on each Leisure Battery, they should be the same.
How is the solar panel wired to the rear leisure battery. On the T6.1 the negative lead from the solar panel controller should be connected to the Battery clamp bolt or some other chassis earthing point NOT the leisure battery negative pole.
Lastly, check the Cube Fuse on the positive pole of the rear leisure battery. If it fails, and they are fragile, then you are charging the rear battery via the solar panel but the fridge is taking power only from the front Leisure battery which will only be charged on EHU or by driving.

I have 1 x 100w solar panel and it manages to keep the leisure batteries fully charged with the fridge on. Voltage drops to 12.6/12.5 overnight but fully charged by lunchtime at the latest and thereafter on float charge .

Hi @WelshGas
I have rogers setup. (Cables & panel)
Epever Duoracer (from Epever in China) with 1 cable to split relay under front seat (right hand terminal, when sat on the floor behind passenger seat) to trickle starter.
1 100w panel, connected to the rear battery.
Negative to rear battery clamp.
What # do you have fridge on ?
I use #4
What V would you say is fully charged ?
12.8v ?
Not sure why it thinks my starter is on 11.9
Yet my global tracker says it’s 12.5v

I need to do some more research.

 

[yossarian]

Don't speculate: use a multimeter to read the voltage on all three batteries, record what your epever thinks they are. From there proper troubleshooting is possible.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi @WelshGas
I have rogers setup. (Cables & panel)
Epever Duoracer (from Epever in China) with 1 cable to split relay under front seat (right hand terminal, when sat on the floor behind passenger seat) to trickle starter.
1 100w panel, connected to the rear battery.
Negative to rear battery clamp.
What # do you have fridge on ?
I use #4
What V would you say is fully charged ?
12.8v ?
Not sure why it thinks my starter is on 11.9
Yet my global tracker says it’s 12.5v

I need to do some more research.
View attachment 109891View attachment 109892View attachment 109893View attachment 109894

I have 1 x 100w panel with the MPPT connected to the rear battery. I have a digital display for the MPPT.
The California Control Panel follows the MPPT output voltage exactly.
I run the fridge on 4.
With NO Solar input, ie Dark, the Control panel will show 12.7/8v and 100%. This will drop overnight to 12.6v and as soon as the sun comes up and the panel starts working the voltage jumps to 14.4v and by midday or so has dropped back to 13.4v or so and stays there until sun goes down when it is showing 12.7v or so.

 

[Californication69]

I have 1 x 100w panel with the MPPT connected to the rear battery. I have a digital display for the MPPT.
The California Control Panel follows the MPPT output voltage exactly.
I run the fridge on 4.
With NO Solar input, ie Dark, the Control panel will show 12.7/8v and 100%. This will drop overnight to 12.6v and as soon as the sun comes up and the panel starts working the voltage jumps to 14.4v and by midday or so has dropped back to 13.4v or so and stays there until sun goes down when it is showing 12.7v or so.

Thanks @WelshGas looks like I have an issue then, as the fridge is on 4 (around 5 degrees inside around midway)
And I have MPPT saying I have 40 to 58 watts of power and 17.8v and 3 amps going into battery’s. I haven’t driven the California for 4 weeks now. (Fractured T12)
Control panel gets switched on with ignition.
And shows 12.7v
Had fridge switched off since yesterday lunchtime.
Just noticed the arrows (on MPPT) were only pointing to the Lesuire battery’s.
Pressed the menu and set buttons and now shows two arrows so charge going to both Lesuire and starter.
I don’t get why my 100w Solar isn’t keeping my Lesuire and starter fully charged.
California goes away tomorrow for 10 days for new lacquer coating all over so solar panel off today.
When she’s back I’ll have to remove sliding tray and remove rear battery and passenger seat and check all connections are tight.
No blown fuses, and posts are tight.
Without tightening the cube fuse too much.
(Might just be a bad panel from Roger, )
What watts do you normally get midday in sun, around 40 to 58 sound about right ?

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks @WelshGas looks like I have an issue then, as the fridge is on 4 (around 5 degrees inside around midway)
And I have MPPT saying I have 40 to 58 watts of power and 17.8v and 3 amps going into battery’s. I haven’t driven the California for 4 weeks now. (Fractured T12)
Control panel gets switched on with ignition.
And shows 12.7v
Had fridge switched off since yesterday lunchtime.
Just noticed the arrows (on MPPT) were only pointing to the Lesuire battery’s.
Pressed the menu and set buttons and now shows two arrows so charge going to both Lesuire and starter.
I don’t get why my 100w Solar isn’t keeping my Lesuire and starter fully charged.
California goes away tomorrow for 10 days for new lacquer coating all over so solar panel off today.
When she’s back I’ll have to remove sliding tray and remove rear battery and passenger seat and check all connections are tight.
No blown fuses, and posts are tight.
Without tightening the cube fuse too much.
(Might just be a bad panel from Roger, )
What watts do you normally get midday in sun, around 40 to 58 sound about right ?

Heavily overcast here, fridge not on at present.
My MPPT shows output voltage of 13.8v and Control Panel 13.7v, allowing for wiring run and the fact both units are measuring at different points I'm happy.


When you connect 2 leisure batteries in parallel they equilibrate and you get the voltage of the combined 150 amp battery. It is treated as one big battery.
When you connect your Solar Pannel MPPT in parallel you are in fact creating a larger battery composed of the 2 leisure batteries + the Solar panel and so the voltage measured should be the same as the 2 batteries equilibrate with the Solar output.
I think you have a fault.
The solar output is equilibrating with a battery, But the battery voltage measured by the Control panel, normally the front battery is not.

 

[Californication69]

Heavily overcast here, fridge not on at present.
My MPPT shows output voltage of 13.8v and Control Panel 13.7v, allowing for wiring run and the fact both units are measuring at different points I'm happy.
View attachment 109903View attachment 109904

When you connect 2 leisure batteries in parallel they equilibrate and you get the voltage of the combined 150 amp battery. It is treated as one big battery.
When you connect your Solar Pannel MPPT in parallel you are in fact creating a larger battery composed of the 2 leisure batteries + the Solar panel and so the voltage measured should be the same as the 2 batteries equilibrate with the Solar output.
I think you have a fault.
The solar output is equilibrating with a battery, But the battery voltage measured by the Control panel, normally the front battery is not.

Thanks @WelshGas
Just removing Solar and thought I’d check voltage coming direct from Solar and there is nearly 22 v from the panel.

But the Epever is stating 14.2v ?

I’ve physically checked the voltage on starter battery with my fluke and it’s 11.9v
(Epever is reporting the same)
This was 11.9v last night at 22:21

Starter was 12.4v on Friday.
So no idea where starter has lost 0.5v from.
No dashcam installed. Nothing running from starter at all.
And why Epever hasn’t trickle charged starter?
And I checked voltage on Lesuire under Pass Seat and it’s 13.8v
Lesuire was 13.1v on Friday.
So lesuire is getting charged.
On panel it says 13.8v and nearly all blue bars. Apart from 1.
Cable is attached to split charge relay under passenger seat ok.
It’s like the Epever charges the starter when it feels like it. And not at the same time as the lesuire.

 

[Californication69]

Don't speculate: use a multimeter to read the voltage on all three batteries, record what your epever thinks they are. From there proper troubleshooting is possible.

Thanks @yossarian
How’s best to measure the voltage on the Lesuire batteries separately. How do I disconnect them from each other ?
Remove the rear battery, pull the cube fuse off, then read the battery voltage ?

 

[yossarian]

Thanks @yossarian
How’s best to measure the voltage on the Lesuire batteries separately. How do I disconnect them from each other ?
Remove the rear battery, pull the cube fuse off, then read the battery voltage ?

Pop out the back one and measure above and below the cube fuse

 

[yossarian]

Below is the rear battery, above is the leisure bus ( should correspond to the front battery). Look out for loose connections and check negative to earth resistance along the way. No need to disconnect anything.