| Author | Message | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 1379 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 69.97.115.194  Rating: N/A |
Very "curious " ...for me, at least. Read carefully...  As many on this forum know, I have had "battery issues" over the past few months; I purchased all new in the last month or so. 3 starts, Group 31 12 V (solar and alternator charged) and 6 house (generator and shore power charged).... Not in any way connected together, other than chassis ground....but read on...carefully . When I replaced the starts, I hooked up the solar panels (2 @ 10 watts each- one panel for each "set"); one, charge controlled, to starts.....and the other lead to the house, also charge controlled. NOW THEN...one controller blew a bit of smoke and fizzled. I do not positively remember if it was for the house set, but I think so (6 @6V golf cart parallel/series). Unfortunately, it was more expensive, more sophisticated than the other. Brand is Morningstar SunSaver-6. I need to say at this point, I was very careful to hook things up properly....each lead is properly marked and, far as I know, there had never been a problem over the years. HOWEVER...my earlier posts this year referred to how suddenly the starts went south. They were six years old, but had given good service with regular maintenance. Back to the story. So, since I now had only one controller, I elected not to hook up the house set, taped the ends of the leads and tied them back. NOW comes the delimma....when I hooked up the starts, the good(?) controller was not reading a charge....so pulled it off, cleaned the terminals and put it back on the batteries. No charge. Hmmmm, que pasa???. Checked continuity...OK...checked leads from the solar unit...and LOW and BEHOLD...they were reading backwards. Plus was now minus/minus now plus!! Huh???. how can that be? Note..the leads were checked BEFORE going to controller...as well as out of the controller. No wiring was changed at the controller itself; it is a sealed unit. Thought I had really started Alzheimers....so I fiddled around with all wires, and the "good" controller and got no change. A second, third, etc, reading got the same results. So I reversed the leads BEFORE the controller and hooray, got a good, healthy charge reading. A couple of days later, I checked the digital readout in the cabin and saw that the starts were reading awfully lo...with nothing being "on". Went back to the battery set and got the exact reverse of what I had earlier found!!! To make a looong story short, I changed everything yesterday back to original and all was working fine. BUT a check today shows no charge and an 11.9 battery reading! Good grief!!! Not desperate...but dismayed! Thanx in advance for your consideration and helpful comments. I hesitate to change anything until I can get this cotton-pickin' thing worked out !!! RCB | ||
| steve wardwell (Steve_wardwell)
Registered Member Username: Steve_wardwell Post Number: 84 Registered: 2-2010 Posted From: 75.203.92.206  Rating: N/A |
fire the guy on 3rd shift | ||
| Tom Caffrey (Pvcces)
Registered Member Username: Pvcces Post Number: 1335 Registered: 5-2001 Posted From: 65.74.67.67 Rating: N/A |
Chuck, given the size of your panels, I would be looking at hooking them up sans controller. Many people do without the controller if the output is under one amp. This is for a small bank. For the size of battery banks that you have, I don't think that you will hurt them with those panels. When we installed our first panels, we blew a controller because we accidentally grounded the negative of the panels to the bus. It turns out that current is monitored on the negative side of the controller. We got a second controller and it burned out in the first few days after it was installed. We haven't had a bit of trouble since. And we carry a spare. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher Ketchikan, Alaska | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 1380 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 69.97.115.194 Rating: N/A |
Tom...I've been considering (thinking about) that... and frankly, I may, indeed have grounded the negative....who knows, maybe the positive....but ceertainly not many times in a row....or?  But...what, then, controls the amount that goes into a system? Thanx!. RCB | ||
| ED Hackenbruch (Shadowman)
Registered Member Username: Shadowman Post Number: 307 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 72.102.74.146 Rating: N/A |
Have you found other things done or undone in the bus that you don't remember doing? Do you sleepwalk? :>) | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1293 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 99.153.142.249  Rating: N/A |
AS a start I would clean the point where the batt sets connect to the coach ground. These do corrode and give all sorts of hassles to equippment . FF | ||
| John Lacey (Junkman42)
Registered Member Username: Junkman42 Post Number: 129 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 209.105.170.95  Rating: N/A |
I agree with Steve, those people on night shift are always screwing up! If the controller senses charge across a resistor in the negative lead You may have grounded the negative lead at the controller to the bus chassis and let all the smoke out! Good luck John L | ||
| ned sanders (Uncle_ned)
Registered Member Username: Uncle_ned Post Number: 93 Registered: 5-2005 Posted From: 74.235.136.158 Rating: |
http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm here is the answer for all electrical problems. uncle ned | ||
| steve wardwell (Steve_wardwell)
Registered Member Username: Steve_wardwell Post Number: 86 Registered: 2-2010 Posted From: 75.201.110.97 Rating: N/A |
Nice one Ned, I wonder if they make a large version, big enough for the winnebago I inadvertently released the smoke from ....lol.........s........... |
