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WildRoving · 26-09-2020, 11:43

Hello,

So the charger is receiving AC and the Ready light is lit up, and that's it.

The unit is also receiving the battery voltage but even when batteries are drained it's not going into charge mode on either of the two banks.

I've tried moving the switches around and I've disconnected and will reconnect the unit as suggested by Xantrax in order to "reboot".

Also opened up the unit and the fuses are fine.

Any ideas why it's not going into charge mode?

Thanks!

WR

**tkeithlu** · 26-09-2020, 12:41

Can't say with certainty, but one place to look is the residual voltage in the battery being charged. Plenty of automatic chargers won't charge if they don't sense 6 volts or more.

WildRoving · 26-09-2020, 12:54

Both banks are reading around 12.5 at the charger. The banks are being maintained by solar at the moment.

jstevens · 26-09-2020, 13:08

I had an issue with my 40+ not charging when off shore power, using my generator. Turns out the True Charge will not provide a charge if it detects any other charge source on any of the connected batteries. My generator has a small alternator to charge the generator start battery, which was also connected to one of the outputs of the 40+. As long as that alternator was outputting, the 40+ would not provide a charge current to any of the other batter banks. Once the generator start battery was fully charged via the alternator, the 40+ would start charging the other banks. Problem solved by disconnecting the generator start battery from the 40+.
I realize this does not sound like your situation, but offer it just in case it might apply.

John

WildRoving · 26-09-2020, 15:16

Thanks John, I had a similar thought and did turn off the solar to see if that would solve the issue. I will try this again when I wire the unit up again and perhaps just go straight from the charger to the battery bypassing the bar for the chargers.

sv_pelagia · 26-09-2020, 15:18

Are you getting the flahing yellow error?

As already noted, there can't be any other charging sources (solar?) present/active. I often forget and see the flashing error.

Also, it won't charge if battery voltages are high. I often have to draw down the batteries a bit to get mine to work (after having had the solars charging).

Probably you already know the above, but just in case....

WildRoving · 26-09-2020, 16:12

No flashing error that I've seen but just picked the boat up several weeks ago. I originally noticed the problem when I left the for several days and the batteries were drawn down to 50% by the refrigerator. The solar was on but couldn't keep up.

I will test that when I reconnect the unit, run the batteries down a bit with the solar and wind gen off - good info, thank you.

smac999 · 26-09-2020, 17:14

The thing is 10 years old and probably dead. I threw one out last week.

No problem charging with multiple charge sources Do it all the time

Just don’t buy a truecharge 2. They are junk. They last about a year.

jstevens · 26-09-2020, 17:29

"They last about a year."
Guess mine is not up to specs, it still working after almost 20 years. No fan of Xantrax, but not everything is junk.

John

smac999 · 26-09-2020, 21:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by jstevens

"They last about a year."
Guess mine is not up to specs, it still working after almost 20 years. No fan of Xantrax, but not everything is junk.

John

the true charge 2 came out about 5-7 years ago. you must have a time machine.

I have replaced a lot of them.

the older stuff is better.

mitiempo · 27-09-2020, 12:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by smac999

the true charge 2 came out about 5-7 years ago. you must have a time machine.

I have replaced a lot of them.

the older stuff is better.

I agree and have also replaced many.

Much better charger is the Promariner PronauticP

WildRoving · 27-09-2020, 13:22

Yeah I've read good things about the PronauticP not so much about the Truecharge 2.

I'll give the old unit one more chance later this week, reconnect it see if it starts behaving without the other chargers, then likely pick up a Pronautic 1220 if it doesn't work.

Don't understand why the solar charger would prevent it from charging though especially at night with the batteries down to 50%. Seems to me the only thing the charger would see is the low voltage with no indication of another charger.

But we'll see in a couple days when I make it down to the boat and hook it back up.

mitiempo · 27-09-2020, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildRoving

Don't understand why the solar charger would prevent it from charging though especially at night with the batteries down to 50%. Seems to me the only thing the charger would see is the low voltage with no indication of another charger.

As smac999 posted multiple charge sources are not a problem. All the charger sees is voltage.