Traxide Issue? or DC/DC charger Issue or D4 problem

[Briar]

I'm travelling with the van at present. I have a Traxide system (optima battery), to anderson plug to charge van's batteries. In 2021 replaced Optima battery and D4 main battery. Also, got new alternator installed last year at Timing belt service. Also changed van's batteries from AGM to Lithium and added a DC/DC charger to correctly charge Lithium batteries. Work done by auto sparky.

Last two days of travelling, the DC/DC charger (Victron Orion 12/12-30) does not seem to be charging vans batteries.

Looking at bluetooth readout on Orion smart charger, the input voltage starts high and Bulk charges vans batteries, after 20 secs or so, input voltage from D4 drops to around 10 volts and Orion unit thinks it's an engine shutdown, so switches Orion unit off, input voltage rises after a while and Orion unit activates charging again. Seems to be in a never ending cycle.

Yes I have Solar on van, but winter sun is not great. I could go to van park and use 240v power or run gennie to run 240v van charger but not being able to charge vans batteries properly when driving via DC/DC charger is annoying.

Any suggestions?

Is this D4 alternator/ charging issue, A problem with Traxide isolator/ battery or an issue with Orion unit.

Thanks

3 pics. Orion unit showing input and charging, 2) Battery voltage from Car dropping 3) Orion unit thinks car has shutdown. Cycle then repeats.

Orion 1.jpgOrion 2.jpgOrion 3.jpg

[DiscoJeffster]

I suspect you have a bad connection, maybe at the Andersen plug or a bad earth? The voltage drop is likely a result of higher resistance though a connection somewhere, assuming all cable runs are of sufficient gauge etc. This also assumes you have checked the vehicle voltage at the same time and it’s higher.

[drivesafe]

Hi Briar, do you have a digital volt meter available as there needs to be some testing do to better understand what the problem may be.

Also, is the DC/DC device set to VOLTAGE sense or IGNITION sense.

With a D4 it MUST be set to IGNITION sense.

[Briar]

Thanks Tim. I’ll give the Anderson plug connections a good clean, so hopefully as simple as that. I do have a digital multimeter but left it at home (blast). Reminder to self to always bring. Won’t get one in Hay today but will get one in Broken Hill in a few days if terminal cleaning doesn’t work.

[drivesafe]

Hi again Briar, also check ALL your connection in both the caravan and your D4, especially negative terminals and connections.

Something like a loose nut or bolt can cause similar conditions.

Enjoy your holiday.

[Briar]

Been experimenting with settings. I'm leaning towards suspecting the Victron Orion DC/DC unit has an issue. Have sent email to supplier to follow up on that end. The Orion unit has a low voltage- engine detection cutout setting, to ensure that the van battery does not suck-dry the car (Traxide) battery.

With engine cutout detection enabled, the Orion unit records a variable Input voltage (from car) of between 14v and 9.6 v and continually is switching on and off to supposedly protect the car battery. However, when I disable the low voltage engine detection cutout setting, (which means the Orion unit will charge the vans batteries whenever it's plugged into the car via the Anderson plug, the Orion unit runs perfectly continuously with an input voltage reading from the D4 of 13.2-13.3 volts very steady. It then DOES charge up the vans batteries ok. Clearly, I have to resolve this as this is not ideal, but I can get by by plugging in and out the anderson plug whenever I've stopped for a while.

Anyway will keep on investigating. Thanks for advice.

[Tombie]

Been experimenting with settings. I'm leaning towards suspecting the Victron Orion DC/DC unit has an issue. Have sent email to supplier to follow up on that end. The Orion unit has a low voltage- engine detection cutout setting, to ensure that the van battery does not suck-dry the car (Traxide) battery.

With engine cutout detection enabled, the Orion unit records a variable Input voltage (from car) of between 14v and 9.6 v and continually is switching on and off to supposedly protect the car battery. However, when I disable the low voltage engine detection cutout setting, (which means the Orion unit will charge the vans batteries whenever it's plugged into the car via the Anderson plug, the Orion unit runs perfectly continuously with an input voltage reading from the D4 of 13.2-13.3 volts very steady. It then DOES charge up the vans batteries ok. Clearly, I have to resolve this as this is not ideal, but I can get by by plugging in and out the anderson plug whenever I've stopped for a while.

Anyway will keep on investigating. Thanks for advice.

Change the cut out voltage for ignition sense... You ARE picking the trigger up for the ignition sense from the 12S plug right? Not from the power feed to the unti for charging?

If you ARE using the switched power feed on the 12S, set the ignition detect voltage to 9-10v and you'll be sorted.

[Briar]

Change the cut out voltage for ignition sense... You ARE picking the trigger up for the ignition sense from the 12S plug right? Not from the power feed to the unti for charging?

If you ARE using the switched power feed on the 12S, set the ignition detect voltage to 9-10v and you'll be sorted.

No. The Victron Orion unit is only receiving it's power from the Anderson Plug which runs directly back to the Optima Yellow Top as part of the Traxide installation. It is not connected in any way to 12S or 12N plugs. The voltage "sensing" that the Orion unit does is automatic based on whatever the voltage it is fed. It is a non-isolated unit so it shares a common earth with the vehicle and van. This is why I wasn't sure if the Orion unit has some kind of faulty gremlin or whether the Traxide system varies the voltage in some way (unlikely) or whether the D4 has some kind of smart alternator that varies the voltage. That being said, for todays travel I set the Orion for engine cutout detection, but I set the cutout voltage to be 8 volts. When I stopped for coffee I checked what was happening and the unit had "disconnected" but was quite warm indicating that it had been functioning and the vans lithium batteries had increased in Ah.

Not sure why this is happening, but will get by for the while. Thanks

[josh.huber]

Cheap multimeter,
check the voltage at idle, on the crank battery, the aux then the Anderson plug with nothing connected.
Then plug in the unit and van. Re check the aux and the rear plug. Should be within 0.5 volt of each other.

Check the input of the unit. Should match up exactly with the read out, plus minus 0.2v.

What I used to see allot was undersized or incorrect techniques that were fine to run a 5amp fridge.. But once you get to 40amp the voltage drop is so severe that it causes your issues, then the other issues that something worked loose or wasn't up for 40amp in the first place.. painted stud etc.

[David2ayo]

Suggestion for trouble shooting things like this - always refer back to the car battery negative terminal. I use a loooong multimeter lead, hook it onto the 'house' battery negative, and check all voltages reference to that lead. It doesn't have to be jumper cable, because the meter takes so little current there is insignificant voltage drop along the lead. 10 metres of jaycar WH3046 or similar, which is black 0.75mm wire, put a 4mm plug on one end and a small alligator clip on the other, but don't leave it at home! It is surprising how high the 'earth' voltage can get.