Victron Smart Shunt - where to install?

[Big Ted]

I’ve searched, but not sure I’ve found any definitive answer.
2008 Cali SE. 2 leisure batteries.

I’ve managed to come across a Victron Cerbo unit, which is now installed. This connects to my Victron MPPT solar controller & onward to my VictronBattery sense device to.
With this new Cerbo unit I can access the data remotely when the Cali is in range of a known Wi-Fi network. (I don’t need this, but it’s nice to have)

I’m now thinking I’d like to install the Victron smartshunt, again I don’t need it, I’d just like to complete the family!! But the question is where/how?
Has anyone done this on an SE?

From what I see the newer Cali’s may have 2 existing VW shunts, I believe I only have one on the rear battery.

Victron documentation suggests the shunt should be connected directly to the ‘-‘ battery on one side of the shunt and all the connections which were on the battery should be connected to the other side of the shunt.
Other posts on this forum suggest putting additional (non Victron) shunt in series with the existing one.

Has anyone installed one and if so, how?



(I’ll post a review of the Cerbo unit later, as it’s also paired up to some Bluetooth temperature sensors and soon to a replacement fresh water tank sensor)

 

[wildslammer22]

I’ve searched, but not sure I’ve found any definitive answer.
2008 Cali SE. 2 leisure batteries.

I’ve managed to come across a Victron Cerbo unit, which is now installed. This connects to my Victron MPPT solar controller & onward to my VictronBattery sense device to.
With this new Cerbo unit I can access the data remotely when the Cali is in range of a known Wi-Fi network. (I don’t need this, but it’s nice to have)

I’m now thinking I’d like to install the Victron smartshunt, again I don’t need it, I’d just like to complete the family!! But the question is where/how?
Has anyone done this on an SE?

From what I see the newer Cali’s may have 2 existing VW shunts, I believe I only have one on the rear battery.

Victron documentation suggests the shunt should be connected directly to the ‘-‘ battery on one side of the shunt and all the connections which were on the battery should be connected to the other side of the shunt.
Other posts on this forum suggest putting additional (non Victron) shunt in series with the existing one.

Has anyone installed one and if so, how?



(I’ll post a review of the Cerbo unit later, as it’s also paired up to some Bluetooth temperature sensors and soon to a replacement fresh water tank sensor)

Hi, did you get anywhere with this as I’m considering installing a SmartShunt too.

 

[Glen M]

I would be interested as well. I have a mppt smart solar controller and 200w solar panel so this would help with the battery % instead of voltage.

 

[wildslammer22]

I would be interested as well. I have a mppt smart solar controller and 200w solar panel so this would help with the battery % instead of voltage.

My understanding is the MPPT is what adds complexity to installing a smart shunt if you have a dual battery set up ie an Ocean/Coast. If you have a single battery ie a Beach then I think it’s pretty straightforward. I have an Ocean with a Victron MPPT connected to the rear battery and I can’t find a definitive answer as to if the SmartShunt will work ie record the solar and split charge (or in my case DC-DC charger). inputs to both batteries

 

[Big Ted]

I installed a smartshunt and connected this to the Cerbo unit.
I was getting mixed results. I tried to have the shunt in series and in parallel with the existing one, but regardless of what I tried it never really reported what I expected on the display of the Cerbo.
I then found the Cerbo wouldn’t reliability reconnect to my home WiFi after being away from home, so decided it wasn’t for me.
I returned all the items and now just have the MPPT which in reality is more than enough for my needs.

Good luck if you choose to get one, it would be interesting to see the results.

 

[ChrisN]

The Victron shunt can monitor a second battery - see attached. You can download the relevant manual from the Victron website.

 

[wildslammer22]

The Victron shunt can monitor a second battery - see attached. You can download the relevant manual from the Victron website.

View attachment 129770

My understanding is this is really so you can monitor the starter battery as well as the leisure battery(s)? A nice to have feature for sure but I’m still not sure I can make it work for me with MPPT connected to the rear battery.

 

[wildslammer22]

I installed a smartshunt and connected this to the Cerbo unit.
I was getting mixed results. I tried to have the shunt in series and in parallel with the existing one, but regardless of what I tried it never really reported what I expected on the display of the Cerbo.
I then found the Cerbo wouldn’t reliability reconnect to my home WiFi after being away from home, so decided it wasn’t for me.
I returned all the items and now just have the MPPT which in reality is more than enough for my needs.

Good luck if you choose to get one, it would be interesting to see the results.

Have you left the Victron battery sensors on? If so do they measure current as well as battery temp?

Thanks

 

[ChrisN]

My understanding is this is really so you can monitor the starter battery as well as the leisure battery(s)? A nice to have feature for sure but I’m still not sure I can make it work for me with MPPT connected to the rear battery.

If you lend me your T6 Ocean I can test it for you.

 

[wildslammer22]

If you lend me your T6 Ocean I can test it for you.

I’m on my way, I may be some time…

 

[owen_h]

I think for the shunt to measure consumption (Amps) you have to treat the 2 leisure batteries as a single unit or 'battery bank'. Part of shunt setup on the app is to input your battery capacity so say each leisure battery is 80Ah you would enter 160Ah.
How in the Ocean are the 2 leisure batteries connected? (I have installed a shunt but in my Beach with only 1 leisure battery). Specifically are the -ve terminals connected via a dedicated twin cable between the 2 batteries (option a) or does it use the vehicle body as a common earth (option b). If (b) then the likely difficulty is that you cant ensure all the loads and chargers all go through the shunt to the 'battery bank' -ve terminal.
If its (a) then you should be ok to install the shunt under the passenger seat, but ensure that the -ve side of the solar charge (MPPT) connection into your battery bank is also via the shunt. i.e it may currently be a direct connection to the -ve post of the rear leisure battery. If its not via the shunt then it wont know when power is flowing in via the solar.