Split Charge Relay Help

[P4dstar]

How did you manage to get wires from inside the cab into the engine? I was going to wire directly to the van battery rather than the cigar lighter when I first started rigging the van out but I couldn't find a way of getting from cab to engine. What split charge relay have you got Paddy?

This is the one mate;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5mtr-Professional-Split-Charge-Kit-HC-Cargo-12v-140amp-VSR-Voltage-Sense-Relay/253615942631?hash=item3b0cb02be7:g:kVQAAOSw4GVYHGpN:rk:1f:0

We poked around for ages looking for a gap through but ended up drilling a small hole and bringing it in just below the glove compartment. If you look at the back of the engine bay there is something that looks like a fan (I am assured it isn't a fan but can't remember what it actually is) Just above that a load of wires enter the cab through a grommet. It is too tight to pi55 around with so just put one hole there and through into the cab. The trim all comes of nice and easy, even the bits that are screwed in are only small star socket screws.

5M is plenty enough and would get you into the back where you have your battery now if you wanted. The chap fitting it for me took a good chunk of wire off so it wasn't coiled up under the seat.

 

[Tuffers]

This is the one mate;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5mtr-Professional-Split-Charge-Kit-HC-Cargo-12v-140amp-VSR-Voltage-Sense-Relay/253615942631?hash=item3b0cb02be7:g:kVQAAOSw4GVYHGpN:rk:1f:0

We poked around for ages looking for a gap through but ended up drilling a small hole and bringing it in just below the glove compartment. If you look at the back of the engine bay there is something that looks like a fan (I am assured it isn't a fan but can't remember what it actually is) Just above that a load of wires enter the cab through a grommet. It is too tight to pi55 around with so just put one hole there and through into the cab. The trim all comes of nice and easy, even the bits that are screwed in are only small star socket screws.

5M is plenty enough and would get you into the back where you have your battery now if you wanted. The chap fitting it for me took a good chunk of wire off so it wasn't coiled up under the seat.

Itll be interesting to see how you get on with it. It says in the listing that it's not suitable for brake regenerative vans like ours.

 

[P4dstar]

Itll be interesting to see how you get on with it. It says in the listing that it's not suitable for brake regenerative vans like ours.

To be fair that wasn't the exact listing, I bought mine in 2017. Are there none that are suitable for regenerative vans? 

 

[Billy pajak]

Having issues with my split charge relay kit. Everything is new, just been fit, been at work for a week and my flow controller is reading 7.00 volts therefore will no longer pump water out, my van battery should be charging my leisure battery but with the seems of things it’s not doing so, can anyone help? Thankyou 

 

[Iron Giant]

Having issues with my split charge relay kit. Everything is new, just been fit, been at work for a week and my flow controller is reading 7.00 volts therefore will no longer pump water out, my van battery should be charging my leisure battery but with the seems of things it’s not doing so, can anyone help? Thankyou 

If you ain't doing the miles, you'll be running your system battery flat with daily use, you'll need to bench charge your battery

 

[Dave B]

Have you got a transit custom with the smart alternator?

My mates will only charge when it senses a current draw i.e: sidelights on etc.

 

[dazmond]

Having issues with my split charge relay kit. Everything is new, just been fit, been at work for a week and my flow controller is reading 7.00 volts therefore will no longer pump water out, my van battery should be charging my leisure battery but with the seems of things it’s not doing so, can anyone help? Thankyou 

Have you not been charging your battery up overnight every night?

Have you got a powered reel?2 pumps?diesel heater?

You battery most probably will be knackered now...you could try a reconditioning setting if you have a C-tec charger but most probably you ll need a new battery!

 

[Billy pajak]

Have you not been charging your battery up overnight every night?

Have you got a powered reel?2 pumps?diesel heater?

You battery most probably will be knackered now...you could try a reconditioning setting if you have a C-tec charger but most probably you ll need a new battery!

No, just one pump to one reel. And it’s not electric no, not sure what the problem is but I’ve had to buy a charger and take it out to charge it, shouldn’t have to do that though in my eyes. Spoken to other window cleaners and they say they barely do any miles at work and their leisure battery never loses power 

If you ain't doing the miles, you'll be running your system battery flat with daily use, you'll need to bench charge your battery

Yeah I have put it on charge but I’m getting this same answer “if I ain’t doing the miles etc” but other lads have said they barely do more than ten miles a day and they’ve never had a problem 

 

[Pjj]

No, just one pump to one reel. And it’s not electric no, not sure what the problem is but I’ve had to buy a charger and take it out to charge it, shouldn’t have to do that though in my eyes. Spoken to other window cleaners and they say they barely do any miles at work and their leisure battery never loses power 

Unless you are doing a lot of miles it will need mains charging with a decent charger every other  day ,to keep it topped up properly.

 

[dazmond]

What's the voltage showing with the van running?if its still low then your split charge relay isn't working...mine shows 14.0 with engine running 

 

[Billy pajak]

Unless you are doing a lot of miles it will need mains charging with a decent charger every other  day ,to keep it topped up properly.

Ok mate thanks for your help 

Ok mate thanks for your help 

Yeah mate so it got down to 7.00 and I’d try Leave engine running to do some work and it would just stay the same, do you reckon it’s the split charge relay then that’s knackered? Thanks 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

No, just one pump to one reel. And it’s not electric no, not sure what the problem is but I’ve had to buy a charger and take it out to charge it, shouldn’t have to do that though in my eyes. Spoken to other window cleaners and they say they barely do any miles at work and their leisure battery never loses power 

Yeah I have put it on charge but I’m getting this same answer “if I ain’t doing the miles etc” but other lads have said they barely do more than ten miles a day and they’ve never had a problem 

Some VSR's such as my Own personal durite requires the van to cover a fair journey and distance before it makes any impact on the battery charge status.

Start stop local commuting will not effectively charge a battery

You also ideally need a leisure battery specific charger to balance float and maintain a battery where standard battery chargers and most of amazon and eBays will actually kill your battery 

I have a hook up cable to which I plug into my van at night which supplies a small consumer unit and powers a 15 amp Numax charger 

 

[Iron Giant]

Yeah I have put it on charge but I’m getting this same answer “if I ain’t doing the miles etc” but other lads have said they barely do more than ten miles a day and they’ve never had a problem

Some people are full of ? though they might just be getting away with it, but the battery will not last and end up knackered and quite possibly their van battery as well, you are far better of charging your system battery every night even if you only do a half day get it on charge as soon as you get home, 

Slightly off topic my van battery died in August 2019 thankfully I lived opposite a car parts shop and they changed the battery for me but only had in stock one of the same size 50 or 60ah I think it was I needed to work so had no choice, my van wouldn't start today after doing some jobs so I had to bump start it I had charged every once in while over the last 2 years or so, today I had to buy a brand new battery again but they had a bigger battery to fit for me today, not a cheapo battery either as the last one was a Banner battery as is the one I had fitted today thankfully only £90 
 

 

[Jango]

@Billy pajak it’s been covered really. When I had my split charge relay fitted, I though I would not have to bench charge, I was told the same. 
but like @Apw1210 and the others have commented if you don’t do the miles it won’t charge. I quickly learned this from the guys on here before I damaged my battery. So in summer I charge it every other night in Winter every night. When we set off in winter in our vans we have lights on, heater etc, so all these use more power, long before any spare can go in the leisure battery to keep it topped up. 

 

[Billy pajak]

@Billy pajak it’s been covered really. When I had my split charge relay fitted, I though I would not have to bench charge, I was told the same. 
but like @Apw1210 and the others have commented if you don’t do the miles it won’t charge. I quickly learned this from the guys on here before I damaged my battery. So in summer I charge it every other night in Winter every night. When we set off in winter in our vans we have lights on, heater etc, so all these use more power, long before any spare can go in the leisure battery to keep it topped up. 

Ok mate yeah makes perfect sense thanks for the help all of you! 

 

[Davy G]

Ok mate thanks for your help 

Yeah mate so it got down to 7.00 and I’d try Leave engine running to do some work and it would just stay the same, do you reckon it’s the split charge relay then that’s knackered? Thanks 

It sounds to me like an SCR system problem as the voltage doesn't improve with the engine running. Could be something small but not necessarily easy to trace : A blown, corroded or loose fuse, a broken or corroded wire or connection, a failed earth. I do fairly low mileage and never need to bench charge (two pumps, manual reels). Two 120AH Numax leisure batteries. My voltage averages around 12.2~12.4 but will approach 14v with the engine running. These figures have been the same for the last seven years with only one battery replaced so far. I would recommend a Durite SCR that is suitable for your vehicle and go very heavy duty and Numax by brand with leisure battery or batteries. No other brand of SCR or Battery is acceptable to me for my vehicle.

Good luck

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Unless you are doing a lot of miles it will need mains charging with a decent charger every other  day ,to keep it topped up properly.

I made the mistake by failing to charge my batteries and both died on me. With my new batteries I charge every night and will probably buy another charger just in case.

 

[ched999uk]

I made the mistake by failing to charge my batteries and both died on me. With my new batteries I charge every night and will probably buy another charger just in case.

I wouldn't buy a spare especially if I had a big power bank like you. I would just get a 240vac to 12v dc 15 amp converter. Then if your battery dies you can swap it out and run of your power bank!!!! OK so you wouldn't be able to run your diesel heater but you could finish your work.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I wouldn't buy a spare especially if I had a big power bank like you. I would just get a 240vac to 12v dc 15 amp converter. Then if your battery dies you can swap it out and run of your power bank!!!! OK so you wouldn't be able to run your diesel heater but you could finish your work.

I'm going to get them to test it. After I charge it and it cools down it goes down to 80% charged. At the beginning it would fully charge so not sure what's up with it.

 

[ched999uk]

I'm going to get them to test it. After I charge it and it cools down it goes down to 80% charged. At the beginning it would fully charge so not sure what's up with it.

That's a bit worrying!

 

[scottish cleaning service]

That's a bit worrying!

Been using it nearly everyday since August so maybe not been tested that way. Anyhow will wait for a free spell because it will need to go down south for at least a week and don't think I will get a replacement. It's Festool which has one of the best aftersales I have noticed.