SAR malfunctions after new batteries installed

[HansR]

Hi,
I think I have a problem with my SAR/Emon set up.
I have a SAR V3, Emon H1, house batteries and starter battery. And a 140A Balmar Alternator. I have 375W worth of solar panels with the load of the fridges on them (about 9.6A). The panels have their own controller but the excess amps go into the batteries. I also have a wind generator, but there is no wind here.
I used to have 600Ah in house batteries from 3 AGM batteries and all systems worked ok and have for the last 7 years.
I now replaced the AGMs with 6 nos 6V Trojan flooded LA batteries, Total 780AH.

Problem: The Emon gives the wrong readings. The Emon only shows a drain of some 2A after sunset, when there should be nearly 10A. When the engine runs the Emon shows 18A input, but the current produced by the alternator is 115A as measured with a clamp meter.
The batteries drain overnight from 12.8v to 12.25v having only a load of approx 10A. We charged the batteries fully (we think, as we cannot really be sure, taking the voltage drop on the engine volt meter as a guide). In fact the voltage remained at 13.4v or so for most of the time and only towards the end of the 2.5 hour charge run jumped to 14.1v before reducing to 13.3v or so.
The batteries appear ok, specific gravity wise versus voltage. These amps are approximately, but not completely spread equally over the 3 battery banks (3 x 2 6V batteries).
Charger settings are as follows:
Gas? 13.80V
Absorb? 14.40V
Float? 13.60V
Equalize? 16.20V
Amps? 239.9
Minutes? 200

B1 Settings:
Hi Alarm? 15.75V
Lo Alarm? 10.50V
End PCR? 30%
B1C Lo? 70%
Hi Amps? 300A
Tmp Lim? 51C
Size? 780Ah
Peukert? 1.120
Effic? 85%
Full V? 14.20V
Full A? 39.0A

I have the following readings all taken at about the same time.
TB1-01 NC
TB1-02 NC
TB1-03 12.59v
TB1-04 NC
TB1-05 NC
TB1-06 3.02v
TB1-07 12.21v
TB1-08 0.00v
TB1-09 0.00v
TB1-10 0.00v
TB1-11 12.21
TB1-12 0.00v
TB1-13 0.00v
TB1-14 0.00v
TB1-15 0.00v
TB1-16 0.00v
TB2-01 to TB1-6 NC
Battery voltage on the emon 12.21V, Amps -0.9A
These measurements were taken with the Temp sensor disconnected.
Solar regulator 12.3V, 7.4A in, 9.2A out.

I reset the Emon to factory settings and then entered the user settings. S1 – S3 are all on OFF.

Can you advise please as soon as convenient.

Many thanks,
Hans Rijsdijk

[Coulomb]

Check the shunt wiring and what's connected to the battery negative. ONLY the Emon shunt via a fuse should be on battery negative.

[HansR]

Coulomb, Thanks for your fast reply.
The shunt you talk about is the one between the battery neg and the battery neg (at least in my case).Each end of the shunt is connected to an emon terminal, one called T1-11 (pos) and T1-14 (neg). Neither one is fused.
Should the pos one be disconnected? and what size fuse should be used on the neg?

DFo I understand this correct?

Hans

Correction: The wires at each side of the shunt are connected to T1-14 shunt pos and T1-08 shunt neg.A third wire going to T1-11 is fused (2A), but connected via another 2A fuse to T1-07 and to the battery selector switch.

sorry for the error.

Hans

[Coulomb]

If you bypass the shunt, you'll get erroneous current readings.

Check out the wiring diagram here:
www.amplepower.com/wire/emon_2001/index.html

The terminal numbers you quote are not correct.

NOTHING but the wire going to the shunt is to be connected to house battery negative..........

[HansR]

Thanks for your prompt help. I've sorted it out. I had connected both ends of the shunt back to the battery terminals.

Now my Bat2 shows 0.00V on the emon. Clearly a wiring issue.
Where should I look?

Hans

[HansR]

Dear Coulomb,
I have found the problem with the B2 battery voltage.

I have one general question on the system.

It seems to me that one has a starter battery to start the engine abd for little else (maybe the anchor which). I would expect that when I start the engine the controller switches the the contacts to B2 and when the engine runs back to B1. However that doesn't seem the case in my set up.
I cannot use the selector switch setting it to B2 and when the engine runs back to B1. I'd blow my alternator diodes.

So how is this suppose to work? Could you advise.

Thanks

Hans