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Vanner Voltages Generator On
I have always questioned the house Vanner 65-100 in the coach since after I purchased it. The voltages just do not add up. When I went out this morning thinking what project can I find today…all I have to do is look in the driveway. The coach likes attention better then my dogs. So on start up I notice the house batteries on the Marathon cockpit dash screen were showing 26 and 11 volts while plugged in and the inverters set to charge mode. I never trust this display. Which is down from last week. So I immediate shut off all circuit breakers to remove loads on to any parasitic devices.
I read voltages at top three house batteries with multimeter at the current transducers and batteries all match up . Showed 12.19 at top row and 26.0 at bottom row. I confirmed these same voltages at equalizer.
So, I turned generator on and voltages are climbing up as shown in photos attached. So we’ll let it run for 5 hours.
What should the house equalizer be reading. The chassis Vanner (same model and type) reads 13.2 on 12 vdc side and 26.6 on 24 vdc side.
Or, do I have a charger problem at inverters when I have bus plug into shore power. The meter on Trace SW4024 inverters shows 26.5 to 26.7 vdc in float mode all the time in charge mode plug into shore power. The top row of batteries has always been suspect since I purchase coach and has been replaced once already.
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12 Replies
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I believe I understand your house system to be a 12/24 volt system with six batteries cabled in series and parallel.
It is set up just like your chassis batteries, except the chassis only has four batteries.
When you measure voltages you should have a 12 volt reading that is 1/2 of the 24 volt reading, within about 1/2 volt. Based on voltages from your chassis batteries that relationship is correct and it indicates all is well.
When the house batteries are charged the same relationship should exist. If the batteries are at rest, and not being charged the relationship between the 12 and 24 volt side should be maintained as the equalizer does what it is supposed to do and maintain the relationship. When the batteries are being charged it should also be working to keep the 12 volt side exactly half of the the 24 volt side.
Since it is not, it appears to indicate the equalizer is failing. The Vanner web site as I recall has a detailed way of testing equalizers and that might be a good starting point to determine the problem.
2000 Featherlite H3-45
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Leesburg, FL -
To add to the above, the suspect voltage is the 12.19 because it is out of the 50% range by more than 1/2 volt.
If I were dealing with a reading like that relative to the 24 volt reading I would monitor it closely. But if it comes within the specified voltage range (one half of the 24 volt side within 1/2 volt) and tends to stay there all might be OK.
Think of this as two water pails, one full, the other half full. The object is to always have the half full pail hold exactly 1/2 of what is in the full pail. Draw water from the half full pail only, and always restore the amount that is in the half full pail by taking what is needed from the fuller pail to keep the less full pail at 1/2 the volume of the full one.
When you are charging, you are filling the 24 volt side, and that is what is being used to bring the 12 volt side full also.
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You mentioned that you replaced the top row of the house batteries recently. Usually, all batteries are replaced as a set. Maybe your bottom row of batteries is now not taking a charge.
You can disconnect them with the coach shut down and see if they take a charge with an external charger. Better yet, just replace the bottom row as well.
Kudos for a very clean battery compartment. Reminds me to clean mine.
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Excellent catch!
As batteries age the plates become sulfated and they could be a large percentage less capable than new ones. Always get batteries in sets and with the same date codes.
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Thanks Jon and Threegreens for replies.
I bought the coach in 2018 and it came with new Dec 2017 batteries. Last year the curbside top battery exhibited what look to be a dead cell in June 2019 when I was on the road with coach. Which is why the Marathon display in front just sucks as a state of charge meter. Its just a good indicator something is wrong.
I called Lifeline in December gave them the run down and sure enough after disconnecting all and measuring top and bottom voltages Lifeline shipped me a brand new set of top batteries under warranty. Lifeline said bottom batteries were good to go. And the voltages on those batteries was 26 VDC plus at that time. Since Marathon has the bus top in parallel and bottom bank in series I am OK with Lifeline decision shipped free and under warranty to my house can’t beat that service.
I want to put a Victron Battery Monitor 614 in the system but the way Marathon has this house battery system wired and the compartment size it’s beyond my pay grade as you can really screw something up. Going to be expensive endeavor as I need to align all positives/grounds from inverters, batteries, alternator, and chasis to Blue Sea type terminal blocks and then rewire with proper lengths and guaging so I can get a Victron 1000 AMP shunt to read the State of Charge more reliably. This will allow me to have a much better idea of battery health bluetooth to my phone. The other thing this does is sets the system up to receive lithiums in the future as a SOC meter and rewiring is a must in my opinion.
So readings now after Generator running since this morning:
At EQ 12VDC – 12.97VDC
At Transducer 12.90VDC
At all three top Batteries 12.90VDC
At EQ 24 VDC – 26.10VDC
At Transducer – 26.10 VDC
At all three Bottom Batteries 26.10VDC
I have the test procedure from Vanner Owners Manual for 65-100. Looks like new Vanner is coming.
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Ed,
Take a look at the Victron 712 shunt, it has Bluetooth.
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Will do Tom…
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New Vanner arrived from Prevost today. The replacement is Model 66-100. When I spoke with Vanner a few days ago we spoke about the unit. Old Vanner Part number was 65-100 Rev C. Prevost replacement PN 563334 and made in the USA.
Its a slightly newer Revision Level E and is more sensitive to lower voltages. Price from Prevost delivered to house $7440 include shipping.
House readings now with batteries at rest:
24VDC – 26.60 VDC +.62
12 VDC – 13.31 VDC +.32
Everything is good in Mudville now. Sent old unit back to Vanner to be bench check and bought back to factory specifications. $1000 Minimum
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Ed, are you saying for 100 Vannar repaired your unit ?
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I spoke to Vanner a couple of weeks ago for a friend, And Vanner says if 24v side is 28v the 12v side should be half 14v
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One of the things every owner should know and understand is how to interpret various information sources available to us on our coaches. With all chassis being 24/12 voltages and most conversions using 24/12 voltages those systems especially require monitoring.
The chassis is easy to monitor because there is likely a “balance” light on the dash.. The conversion may not have a warning light but it probably has gauges for the 24 and 12 volt systems.
Balance is important because the systems are set up to insure both the 24 and 12 volt portions of the battery banks are equally charged. If an equalizer fails typically the batteries on the 24 volt portion of the system are fully charged, but the 12 volt portion is not being charged. The end result is the power in the 12 volt portion drops to the point where the batteries are fully discharged and whatever requires 12 volts, such as the engine ECM shuts down. You will be able to spin the engine over, but it will not start or run.
The equalizers in rough terms maintain a relationship between the 24 and 12 volt side. The 12 volt side must be 1/2 the voltage of the 24 volt side within 1/2 volt.
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Al,
Vanner said unit was beyond repair last year. Currently 28 VDC and 14VDC are the readings I get at the Vanner and the Marathon Dash Monitor. Vanner keeps the a newer version of old unit in stock and price was good.
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