How to test Xantrex Freedom 20 Echo Charger output - not charging aux battery

[PamlicoTraveler]

Hello electrical gurus - and of course those who aren't gurus but who have an idea for how I might resolve my issue.

I have a Freedom 20 Inverter Charger - it is working fine. We use the echo charger of the Freedom 20 to charge our V-berth battery, used primarily for a bow thruster, and it is not currently charging. There is an inline fuse on the red line which I have checked and it is fine.

My question is how do I check the output of the echo charger? I can put a multimeter on the red line, but what do I use to check the black line. Should I cut into the wire to attach the probe of the multimeter? I don't have a clamp-on multimeter and maybe I need one.

For the last month I have been using a 110v charger to keep the battery charged, but obviously that gets old and is not the way I want to charge the battery.

[Blue Stocking]

Is the voltage in the thruster battery so low that it wont "trigger" the echo-charger mode. If so, "bump" it with a good battery to initiate the charge function.

[Stu Jackson]

Just measure the voltage at the secondary bank when charging.

If the built in echo charger on the unit "seems" to not be working, either of two things are happening: the EC is dead or the battery is fully charged and its acceptance won't take any more current (although the voltage should be at charging voltage).

Since the Freedom 20 is a great unit, if the EC really doesn't work, then if it was my boat, I'd simply buy a separate EC, disconnect the one on the unit and be done with it.

BTW, I have a Freedom 15 (1998) before they built in the ECs, so I use a Yandina combiner, same secondary bank charging concept, but not current limiting, however, the secondary bank acceptance determines the charge current anyway.

Good luck.

PS - Depending on how your boat is wired, if the secondary V berth battery is on a 1-2-B switch with your house bank, to charge it just use B, and then switch it to 1 or 2 when charging is done. I've always considered B to mean two things: Both and Backup!

[CaptTom]

Same symptom on my Heart Freedom 2000 inverter/charger, circa 2001. I'd be interested in a solution, or even a diagnostic technique.

The echo charge terminal shows no voltage when the house bank is charging. And leaving it on for a few days did nothing to bring up the charge in the starting bank. I also have a 120VAC portable charger on the starting bank, and a spare smart charger I plan to install if I can't get the EC working, which would be the ideal.

[captainjay]

Inside the unit there are two 20 amp atc fuses on one of the circuit boards that feed the echo charge outputs. If you take the cover off of the charger it is very easy to trace back. They are very easy to blow. If you unhooked the echo charge output while the charger is running and ground it out they will pop. This is the most likely source of no output from them. If this doesn't fix it then you will need a new circuit board.
Jay

[djmarchand]

Jay sounds like he knows what he is talking about. But here is a diagnostic procedure:

1. With the Freedom on and in charge mode, check the voltage at its normal (not EC) output terminals. If the voltage is 13.5 or so go to the next step. If not wait until the house batteries are well charged and their voltage goes up to 13.5 or so.

2. Now put your meter on the EC terminals. It should read 13.5 or so. If it is reading in the 12s then the EC is not working.

3. If you get 13.5 in step two, measure the remote battery voltage at its terminals. If you don't get the same voltage as in 2, there is a break or open fuse in the wiring to the remote batteries.

If you do get 13.5 volts then all is working as it should.

David

[chrisjs]

Before you go any further make sure that you do not have additional fuses in your circuit. We have in-line fuses immediately before the (starter) batteries that are being charged by the Eco-charger. Recently discovered that one was blown.

[PamlicoTraveler]

Sorry guys I have been out of wifi range (in Greece now). If someone is nice enough to respond to a query I try to respond sooner than 2 days... Anyway.....

This is very helpful and all responses are appreciated. CaptainJay....I didn't know there were fuses inside the box and that is what I am going to check today. I hope that is the problem. Excellent suggestion regardless.

We have a small inline fuse outside of the box in the power hot line and it was fine. I didn't know how to check for output since the black line is covered.

Will report back soon.....

[TDC]

I know this is an older thread, but I wanted to report I had the exact same issue and it was solved with CaptainJay's advice. Hope this helps anyone who searches in the future.

Thanks!

[bobatkins]

I would like to thank captainjay for his advise regarding the fuse(s) for the echo charger.

I searched all over the place for a repair/maintenance manual but I couldn't find anything. My inverter is in a fairly tight spot and removing the cover wasn't obvious. It looked like I might have to disconnect the DC cables and possibly even have to remove the unit from where it is mounted.

I spoke with a guy who works on these and he explained that once the screws on top and the side are removed, the cover just slides back a couple of inches to clear the DC terminals on the side and then it can be lifted straight up and off the unit.

I found a 25A spade type fuse clearly visible from the top of the unit on in the Echo 1 position on an internal board. It tested bad and replaced it. Curiously there was place for a second fuse for the Echo 2 charger. Hmm, I wonder if that enables the Echo 2 charger on my Freedom 20 that is only supposed to have one Echo charger. :-)

I wanted to contribute back to this group so I made a video so that others will have a clear idea of what it takes to remove the cover and replace the fuses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE_qg-G5UDg

Fair winds.

---
Bob