What Went Wrong With My Traxide Battery System? One for Tim!

[gavinwibrow]

What Went Wrong With My Traxide Battery System?

My recently acquired MY10/11 D4 2.7L was fitted with a Traxide system prior to purchase, and including a yellow top for the 2nd under bonnet battery. I’m pretty sure it was all fitted within the last couple of years.
I’m not a fan of under bonnet auxiliary batteries, but that is another story.

I have since replaced the starter battery with a new VARTA AGM, even though this horseless carriage is not one of the later stop/start versions.

On our current trip across the middle/north of AU and return to WA, we had an issue with our first night free camping.

We were towing our caravan fitted with 2 x 100A AGM batteries. Quite apart from forgetting to change the van fridge over to gas for the night, we left all of the electrics between car and van connected, safe in the knowledge that at worst, the Traxide would protect the starter battery voltage – WRONG!!

In the morning the two car batteries were flat – BUT the two van batteries were not.

Not an outcome I would have expected from the Traxide system normally preserving the starter battery.
I’m since wondering if the installation was faulty, or ???

By disconnecting and lugging out one of the van AGMs and connecting it to the starter battery with jumper leads – yes and following LR instructions to connect the black cable to the car chassis – and then waiting about 20 minutes, I was able to start the car. Was somewhat relieved as we were somewhere off the road between Tennant Creek and the Barkey Roadhouse/ Homestead to the right of the Stuart Highway en route to Queensland – not the best populated part of the country.

When disconnected from the van, the Traxide beautifully controls the mini Bushman fridge in the car, with never a suggestion of a low voltage starter battery.

So Tim – any idea how this happened? When I was in the Sunshine Coast, I tried to contact your office, but no joy.
I know from past experience you are very busy and can be difficult to contact, hence I’m now following your recommended procedure of a post here, in the knowledge that you will respond ASAP.

[Tombie]

Check where the previous owner has taken the feed for the Van from.

Is it a full Traxide kit? Or a bit of a hybrid?

[gavinwibrow]

1 - Check where the previous owner has taken the feed for the Van from,

2 - Is it a full Traxide kit? Or a bit of a hybrid?

Hi Mike. Not smart enough to ID point 1 and will have to wait until my auto elec in Freo can check it out properly, although looks like could be via the ABG-25 to the grey Anderson plug near the trailer hitch.

PO is pretty switched on (almost finished tertiary electronics quals I think) and pretty sure he bought direct from Tim/not a hybrid.

The bits I've found so far are a Traxide ABG-25 Guard in the back RHS wing and a Traxide USI-160 in front of the Yellowtop under the bonnet.

[drivesafe]

Hi Gavin and nothing surprises me about not reaching me by phone.

I am here most of the time yet people constantly say they can not get me when they phone.

All this since the NBN was forced on us.

Anyway, try phoning me tomorrow or when it suits you and we can do some tests while you are on the phone.

[gavinwibrow]

Hi Gavin and nothing surprises me about not reaching me by phone.

I am here most of the time yet people constantly say they can not get me when they phone.

All this since the NBN was forced on us.

Anyway, try phoning me tomorrow or when it suits you and we can do some tests while you are on the phone.


Hi Tim, and thanks for your usual prompt response. Won't call until mid next month after we get home, I talk to my auto elec, and I can get the multimeter out. Cheers

[drivesafe]

I would start with the trailer plug, especially the “BATTERY” and “FRIDGE” circuits.

The “BATTERY” circuit is live at all times, and if a 3 way fridge is connected to this circuit, it will very quickly flatten the cranking battery.

This type of erroneous setup should NOT flatten the auxiliary battery!

So some checking of all your connections needs to be done, but while on your trip, don’t forget to switch the 3 way fridge over to GAS or AC when you stop.

NOTE, the “FRIDGE” circuit is ideal for running a SMALL to MEDIAM 3 way fridge as this circuit is only on when the MOTOR is running ( not with the ignition on )

[Russrobe]

Hey Gav,

From memory the original owner had run a cable directly from the main battery to the trailer plug before I installed the traxide kit (pop the battery cover and you'll see the 5ish mm cable running with a mini solenoid).

I never towed with it, so didn't rewire it, although it should be as simple as re-routing that cable from the main battery to the auxillary if you want to keep using that solution.

You also have the anderson plug mounted at the rear which is wired as per Tim's drawings, directly from the Aux battery. Although, you'd still need to fix/remove that trailer plug feed...

It's the D4-5U 2016 model btw Tim.

Edit: Just noticed the dates, hope it wasn't too difficult to sort!

Russ

[Geedublya]

NOTE, the “FRIDGE” circuit is ideal for running a SMALL to MEDIAM 3 way fridge as this circuit is only on when the MOTOR is running ( not with the ignition on )

I prefer to use the "Fridge" circuit to drive a relay that switches power to the fridge. It means I can use the heavier cable for the fridge and get less voltage drop. My fridge gets very cold on 12v DC.

[drivesafe]

When I set up someone who is going to change to lithium house batteries and using one of our Sterling Battery to Battery charges, the “Fridge” circuit is the ideal control for the Ignition sense on the Sterling ( or any other ) DC/DC units.

Note, this is the perfect way to control the Ignition sense from any make of vehicle equipped with a STOP/START function.

[gavinwibrow]

Hi Russ. Thanks for reply. Still a work in progress cos car ended up back with Dazza for the last couple of weeks re ABS connector plug issue, and I've yet to co-ordinate Tim/Drivesafe and my normal auto elec to do Tim's suggested "audit".

As an aside it appears that unlike the 7 round pin plug wiring, there is a bit of leeway with the way the "spare" connectors on a flat 12 pin plug are allocated - and I suspect that therein may be the issue starting from the car side. Time will tell, and I'll report back.



Hey Gav,

From memory the original owner had run a cable directly from the main battery to the trailer plug before I installed the traxide kit (pop the battery cover and you'll see the 5ish mm cable running with a mini solenoid).

I never towed with it, so didn't rewire it, although it should be as simple as re-routing that cable from the main battery to the auxillary if you want to keep using that solution.

You also have the anderson plug mounted at the rear which is wired as per Tim's drawings, directly from the Aux battery. Although, you'd still need to fix/remove that trailer plug feed...

It's the D4-5U 2016 model btw Tim.

Edit: Just noticed the dates, hope it wasn't too difficult to sort!

Russ

[Russrobe]

Ah, that's not fun. Don't forget you have 2 spare ABS sensora in the box of spares one front and one rear i think (or L/R, one of the two).

[gavinwibrow]

Ah, that's not fun. Don't forget you have 2 spare ABS sensora in the box of spares one front and one rear i think (or L/R, one of the two).

Cheers. just to clarify, it was the ABS block under the bonnet with about 30 connector pins that was the issue.