Optima D34 Yellow top or SSB DryCell HVT-50D AGM

**W&KO** · 5th December 2024, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by Victim;[emoji[emoji[emoji638

Optima D34 Yellow top or SSB DryCell HVT-50D AGM

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]]]], running Traxide system. Plenty of driving time most days, but system is topped up with C-Tek charger every couple of weeks (or couple of nights if I'm not driving as much). [emoji[emoji

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]]lt fridge lives in the back and has been running non-stop since [emoji

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]]]]]]. Primary battery (Varta) was replaced a few months ago.

I got [emoji[emoji

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]]]] years out of my first Yellowtop, and replaced it with an SSB HVT-[emoji[emoji

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]]LD in September [emoji

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]]]. This is now nearing the end of it's life, down to [emoji[emoji

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]]CCA (from rated [emoji[emoji

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]]CCA) after just [emoji[emoji

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]]]] hours without driving (or after fully charging at home).

I've regularly carried out the "reconditioning" process of overnight charging to float every night for a week or more, but it hasn't helped. Once the Primary voltage drops enough to disconnect the Traxide, I only get a few hours out of the SSB on its own before the AGB-[emoji

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]]]]]Ah Yellowtop - I used to comfortably get [emoji

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]]]] days running the fridge with the Yellowtop when it was new.

I'm on the fence about going the simple option of replacing it with another identical SSB, or if it's time to start looking into the minefield of the Lithium & DC-DC charger route.

Are the SSB's still the current "go-to" option for running with the Traxide kit? Has anyone running an SSB auxiliary battery under the hood had a more positive result? Maybe my SSB was just not right from the start.

Switching to lithium isn’t really a minefield…..just hurts the hip pocket.

Pretty much replace VSR with DC-DC, find new location for battery as I’m not convinced in the engine bay is a good thing.

**drivesafe** · 5th December 2024, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by W&KO

Switching to lithium isn’t really a minefield…..just hurts the hip pocket.

Pretty much replace VSR with DC-DC, find new location for battery as I’m not convinced in the engine bay is a good thing.

Just out of curiosity, how does this resolve his problem.

There is a problem in Victim’s D4 and that needs to be addressed first.

My money is on a software issue with the D4’s BMS.

The SSB batteries are in use in hundreds of Traxide systems with very few problems occurring.

There are around 5,000 D3s, D4s, RRSs and L322s fitted with Traxide isolators, both here and around the world, and there are no such problems showing up.

So just spending heaps of money on a DC/DC device and a lithium battery could well be a very expensive fix that doesn’t fix anything and may well make the problem worse, particularly in relation to the cranking battery.

The problem needs to be sorted first, and if Victim still wants to charge to a lithium setup, so be it!

**DiscoJeffster** · 5th December 2024, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Victim

Background - 2014 D4, running Traxide system. Plenty of driving time most days, but system is topped up with C-Tek charger every couple of weeks (or couple of nights if I'm not driving as much). 60lt fridge lives in the back and has been running non-stop since 2017. Primary battery (Varta) was replaced a few months ago.

I got 4 years out of my first Yellowtop, and replaced it with an SSB HVT-70LD in September 2021. This is now nearing the end of it's life, down to 350CCA (from rated 620CCA) after just 3 years and my fridge cuts out after around 24 hours without driving (or after fully charging at home).

I've regularly carried out the "reconditioning" process of overnight charging to float every night for a week or more, but it hasn't helped. Once the Primary voltage drops enough to disconnect the Traxide, I only get a few hours out of the SSB on its own before the AGB-25 switches off the fridge. Even when new, I didn't feel the 85Ah SSB gave me any more noticeable capacity than the 55Ah Yellowtop - I used to comfortably get 2 - 3 days running the fridge with the Yellowtop when it was new.

I'm on the fence about going the simple option of replacing it with another identical SSB, or if it's time to start looking into the minefield of the Lithium & DC-DC charger route.

Are the SSB's still the current "go-to" option for running with the Traxide kit? Has anyone running an SSB auxiliary battery under the hood had a more positive result? Maybe my SSB was just not right from the start.

I’ve not been very impressed with the SSB batteries. They don’t have the life of better brands. After two years I have seen a decent decline in their capacity. Sure, it’s not dead, but it’s only half as useful. That said, it’s not like you get long out of batteries in a Disco.

**Victim** · 5th December 2024, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Victim, how long does the system work with both batteries powering the fridge before the Traxide separates the cranking and auxiliary batteries?

Around 20 - 22 hours.

**drivesafe** · 5th December 2024, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Victim

Around 20 - 22 hours.

Hi Victim and that shows a major problem with both batteries.

If the BOTH batteries are fully charged then you should get at least 2 days.

This does not rule out a problem with the SSB, which could be pulling both batteries down.

It could also be a case that your alternator is not fully charging the batteries.

You don't by any chance have a BM@ Bluetooth Monitor fitted to either of the batteries?

There is a simple test if you want to go further and see if we can rule the batteries in or out as the problem.

Next time you have the batteries in a fully charged state, disconnect the Negative ( - ) lead from the AUXILIARY battery and see how long the fridge runs for before shutting down.

**drivesafe** · 5th December 2024, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster

I’ve not been very impressed with the SSB batteries. They don’t have the life of better brands. After two years I have seen a decent decline in their capacity. Sure, it’s not dead, but it’s only half as useful. That said, it’s not like you get long out of batteries in a Disco.

How often do you use your disco?

And when you do, how long do you drive for?

**DiscoJeffster** · 6th December 2024, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by drivesafe

How often do you use your disco?

And when you do, how long do you drive for?

On weekdays my journeys are typically an hour and done three times a day. Definitely enough charge time. I have since switched back to a Varta AGM as my main battery. My last one got me five years before it tired out. I still have the 70 SSB as my aux. I’m not camping as much these days so the aux is really just there for looks. Hoping to fix that this coming year

**veebs** · 6th December 2024, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Victim

Around 20 - 22 hours.

Which Isolator do you have?

My USI160 unit used to get very very hot, became deformed, and the whole system only ever seemed to last 36-40 or so hours without the engine running and a 35L fridge on - including with two brand new batteries. The isolator eventually failed on a trip, and I ended up bush-fixing by bypassing it altogether (just ran the two batteries in permanent parallel).

I haven't found a reason to replace it to be honest - everything is working just fine, fridge seems to last longer, though I haven't tested in controlled conditions. The camper charges just fine. The AGB is still installed to provide some protection for low voltage. Maybe I'm missing something?

**drivesafe** · 6th December 2024, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by veebs

Which Isolator do you have?

My USI160 unit used to get very very hot, became deformed, and the whole system only ever seemed to last 36-40 or so hours without the engine running and a 35L fridge on - including with two brand new batteries. The isolator eventually failed on a trip, and I ended up bush-fixing by bypassing it altogether (just ran the two batteries in permanent parallel).

I haven't found a reason to replace it to be honest - everything is working just fine, fridge seems to last longer, though I haven't tested in controlled conditions. The camper charges just fine. The AGB is still installed to provide some protection for low voltage. Maybe I'm missing something?

Hi veeps and sorry mate, we had a batch of the USI-160s where the cases would melt.

It took a long time to find out why.

There was no change to the hardware or the software and the original units ( up to 13 years old ) were not melting, so I was stumped for quite some time.

Then by accident, I had an older unit on my workbench and when I sat it next to a new case I noticed a difference in the appearance.

These cases are made in Germany, and the originals were fairly heat tolerant, but they changed the plastic being used and you see the result.

While I fixed the problem and upgraded the software, they just became to time consuming and far more expensive to produce, so I stopped making them.

There is a workaround, and if you are interested PM or phone me.

**Victim** · 10th December 2024, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Victim and that shows a major problem with both batteries.

If the BOTH batteries are fully charged then you should get at least 2 days.

This does not rule out a problem with the SSB, which could be pulling both batteries down.

It could also be a case that your alternator is not fully charging the batteries.

You don't by any chance have a BM@ Bluetooth Monitor fitted to either of the batteries?

There is a simple test if you want to go further and see if we can rule the batteries in or out as the problem.

Next time you have the batteries in a fully charged state, disconnect the Negative ( - ) lead from the AUXILIARY battery and see how long the fridge runs for before shutting down.

Thanks for the input, I will give this a try when I can. The vehicle is generally driven multiple times every day, so it could be a while before I can confirm results.

FYI - Traxide isolator is the SC-80. Both batteries have Bluetooth monitors fitted.

I posted about this issue due to a recent interstate overnight work trip - as a precaution, I had charged both batteries to float overnight the previous evening, then double locked my car at the airport carpark at 7am on a Monday. I left the fridge running, as I was due to return the following afternoon around 2pm. On my return, I could see the fridge had already turned off. I downloaded the Bluetooth battery history before unlocking the car, and could see that the Traxide had disconnected the main battery around 7am Tuesday (24hrs after fully charged at home). The fridge only managed 1x full compressor cycle on the Aux battery after this, then it cut out during the next cycle 1.5hrs later. Both batteries had settled at around 12.2V for the next 5 hours before I returned to the vehicle. I could see that once the main battery had disconnected, the Aux battery voltage dips much lower when the fridge compressor runs and it appears to have dipped far enough to trigger the 11.6V cutout of the ABG-25 low voltage cut-out module and turned off the fridge.

As a test, is it safe to just disconnect the negative lead from the Auxiliary battery and still drive the car as usual during the day, or do I need to completely disconnect the SC-80 as well? This way I could compare the drain from just the main battery running the fridge overnight compared to running both batteries via the Bluetooth history.

Thread: Optima D34 Yellow top or SSB DryCell HVT-50D AGM

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