No AC, no tachometer, no speedometer, alternator isn't charging. From what I've been reading, these are the symptoms of either the ECM or the engine speed sensor.
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twelve volt converter question
- Thread starter surfbeetle
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Haven't checked yet. I don't have my shop manual with me. It's a 95 so no ODB2. If it does give me a code, then I could assume that the ecm is ok and maybe it's the engine speed sensor. if the ecm was bad then I wouldn't get any codes right?
No, I do not believe that they can be swapped. I think there is only the crank position sensor. The crank position sensor is about $70 so I'm starting there.
One of the best mods i have done on my airstream is getting rid of the oem convertor.I went with a progressive dynamics also and my batt life has been greatly increased.I went one step further and improved the dealer installed solar also. Now I am comfortable with the batt life and boondocking is less stressfull.
Not yet, I'll do that so I can have the digital with me on my phone. I have the original Dodge service manual at home.
Bob the solar upgrade is on my list as well. I read a thread on a forum where this guy outlines his solar system. Some good reading here http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com
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Deleted because it was a Duplicate post to the one right above.
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The Charge Wizard has four modes of operation each designed to solve battery recharging and maintenance problems. The Boost Mode increases converter voltage to 14.4 volts and provides rapid battery recharge up to 90% of full charge level. The Charge Wizard then automatically selects Normal Mode, which reduces the voltage to 13.6 volts and safely completes the charge. Once the battery has reached full charge and remains unused for 30 hours, the Charge Wizard selects Storage Mode and further reduces the charging voltage down to 13.2 volts. This lower voltage maintains full charge status of the battery and reduces gassing and water loss. The fourth mode of operation is the Equalization Mode. Equalization Mode is automatically selected every 21 hours when in Storage Mode of operation. Equalize Mode increases the converter voltage from 13.2 volts to 14.4 volts to eliminate battery sulfation and stratification…the leading cause of battery failure[/QUOTE
The Charge Wizard runs at 14.4V until the battery reaches 90%. Is that last 10% that important to you? Maybe you need more batteries.
Newt
AH64ID
TDR MEMBER
The Charge Wizard runs at 14.4V until the battery reaches 90%. Is that last 10% that important to you? Maybe you need more batteries.
Newt
I have a pair of 300AH 6V's, and it take less battery to go into boost mode every time.
Yes it will hold Boost, 14.4V, until 90%.. IF it goes into boost mode, the converter doesn't always start in boost mode. The starting mode depends completely on the SOC going into the charge cycle. One thing I like about the PD converters is they monitor the battery voltage on 12V, not 110V like some do. So the charge mode is determined prior to charging.
I'm not talking about the last 10%. I am talking about the 60-90% where the converter would be at 13.6V and not 14.4V.
It's how they work, if you don't trust me call PD and ask what charge mode the converter will be in when you start the generator. They will tell you what I have told you, it depends on the batter voltage prior to charging, unless you press the button to force boost mode.
SnoKing
TDR MEMBER
The Charge Wizard constantly monitors battery voltage and battery usage then selects one of the following four operating modes to properly charge and maintain the battery.
BOOST Mode 14.4 Volts - Rapidly brings the RV battery up to 90% of full charge.
NORMAL Mode 13.6 Volts - Safely completes the charge.
STORAGE Mode 13.2 Volts - Maintains charge with minimal gassing or water loss.
EQUALIZATION Mode 14.4 Volts - Every 21 hours for a period of 15 minutes prevents battery stratification & sulfation - the leading cause of battery failure.
Here is some back ground:
#ad
AC Current should say DC current in the above drawing!
This RV converter charge wizard does not follow the standard second phase when the voltage should stay at 14.4 and taper off current as the battery is accepting less and less current. Completing this phase at the lower 13.6 volts is a compromise, and it will take much longer to complete this phase. So charging via a generator would indicate that one should forget this last 10 or 15% and work their batteries between 50 to 85-90% and size the battery bank to this reality. Industry info indicates that bulk charge ends around 85% not 90%.
For good life batteries should not be discharged beyound 50% So one needs an Amp Hour Meter. When lights are going dim you are way below 50%!
Snoking
BOOST Mode 14.4 Volts - Rapidly brings the RV battery up to 90% of full charge.
NORMAL Mode 13.6 Volts - Safely completes the charge.
STORAGE Mode 13.2 Volts - Maintains charge with minimal gassing or water loss.
EQUALIZATION Mode 14.4 Volts - Every 21 hours for a period of 15 minutes prevents battery stratification & sulfation - the leading cause of battery failure.
Here is some back ground:
#adAC Current should say DC current in the above drawing!
This RV converter charge wizard does not follow the standard second phase when the voltage should stay at 14.4 and taper off current as the battery is accepting less and less current. Completing this phase at the lower 13.6 volts is a compromise, and it will take much longer to complete this phase. So charging via a generator would indicate that one should forget this last 10 or 15% and work their batteries between 50 to 85-90% and size the battery bank to this reality. Industry info indicates that bulk charge ends around 85% not 90%.
For good life batteries should not be discharged beyound 50% So one needs an Amp Hour Meter. When lights are going dim you are way below 50%!
Snoking
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SnoKing
TDR MEMBER
This is how my PD4655 works from a 50% SOC.
#ad
The taper off of current from 105-235 minutes is really extending your charge time. You put about 90 amp hours back in just under two hours, then it took you over two hours to put in about 70 amp hours. This indicates a bulk charger that is not that efficient. Snoking
AH64ID
TDR MEMBER
One of two things has to happen, the voltage has to go above 14.5 or the amperage has to taper. You cannot maintain full amperage and full voltage in defiantly, it just doesn't work that way. Once the converter is able to hit full voltage it will hold the set voltage by tapering the amperage.
Not sure what you have for a charger, but unless it maintains a constant amperage irregardless of voltage it will taper as soon as the set voltage is hit. Personally I don't want that, the voltage needs to stay reasonable for normal charges.
A good charger will not taper the amperage until the set voltage is obtained. Many converters will taper amperage before the set voltage is reached and as you can see this one does not. The PD46xx is actually a very effecient converter.
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SnoKing
TDR MEMBER
I was comparing to a good charge like in my Heart inverters. They will maintain their current level up to 85% charged and then taper current while maintaining Voltage. I have a Freedom 10 in the trailer and an Amp Hour meter. Charger is 50 amp four stage. Boat has a Westmarine/Heart 15 with 75 amp charger. Boat has 780 amp hour house battery bank. We are out anchored in the boat right now. Use 80 to 100 amp hours a day anchored. 12v custom refer/freezer 5.7/1.5 cu ft is the big draw.
Boat 260 amp hour 6V's last 9-10 years. Next time I am going to install 8 instead of 6 for 1080 amp hours. One engine has a 140 alternator with smart regulator that does similar three stage charging.
Snoking
Boat 260 amp hour 6V's last 9-10 years. Next time I am going to install 8 instead of 6 for 1080 amp hours. One engine has a 140 alternator with smart regulator that does similar three stage charging.
Snoking
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SnoKing
TDR MEMBER
In the basic amps-voltage world yes that is true. When my batteries are down voltage will slowly raise to the set point. They start doing smart electronics type things. From Heart.
Battery Charging Completely recharging wet cell deepcycle batteries requires the battery voltage to be raised beyond what is known as the gassing point. This is the voltage at which the battery begins to bubble and gas is given off. If charging stops short of this point, sulfate is left on the plates and deterioration of the battery begins. The gassing point will vary with battery temperature. At 77 degrees F, the gassing point of a 12 Volt battery is about 14.0 Volts.
Battery charging without excessive gassing of the batteries is accomplished with three-stage chargers. The Freedom Inverter/Charger utilizes this technique. Gel cell batteries must not be charged to their gassing point. In fact, high voltage charging which gasses these batteries is harmful to them. They typically require a lower bulk charge voltage and a higher float voltage than wet cell batteries. Consult the battery manufacturer for specifications. Conventional Battery Chargers Most conventional battery chargers are single-stage constant voltage chargers. They must stop short of the gassing point or they will overcharge the battery bank.
Most 12 Volt battery chargers bring the battery voltage up to about 13.8 Volts.
This presents two problems. First, since the battery voltage does not reach the gassing point, sulfate is left on the plates. Second, 13.8 Volts is close enough to the gassing point that some gas will escape, and the wet cell battery will need to be frequently topped off with distilled water. Conventional battery chargers also suffer from another inherent characteristic of design, which is a tapering effect. While they will deliver their rated current into a deeply discharged battery, as the battery voltage rises, the output current of the charger tapers down. This taper continues as the battery is charged, taking a very long time to reach an acceptable recharge level.
Freedom Battery Chargers Freedom battery chargers are designed to overcome the limitations of conventional chargers by utilizing 3 distinct stages, each designed for optimal recharging of both wet cell and gel cell deep-cycle batteries. Battery type selection is only available through the Freedom Remote Control Panel or a Link Instrument. Refer to the Freedom Remote Control Panel Addendum, pages 28-34, or a Link Owner’s ManualThe battery charger stages are:
Stage 1 - Bulk Charge During the bulk charge stage most of the charge is delivered to the battery bank. This phase is engaged as soon as the battery charger is activated. Full rated charger current is delivered to the battery bank until the bulk charge voltage limit is reached. This results in a relatively rapid recharge. Generally, a wet cell battery bank should not be charged up to the gassing point at a rate which exceeds 25% of its capacity. Example, a 12 Volt battery bank of 520 Amp-hours should not be charged at over 130 Amps.
Gel cell and Advanced AGM batteries can accept a higher rate of charge. Consult the manufacturer for specifications.
Stage 2 - Acceptance Charge The acceptance stage immediately follows the bulk charge stage. During this stage the battery voltage is held constant at the bulk charge voltage limit and the current gradually ramps down. During this stage the battery is accepting its final amount of charge current and the last of the sulfate on the plates is removed. The acceptance stage lasts until the charge current reaches the transition point in Amps. A timer will terminate the acceptance stage if this current level is not reached. The time is automatically set when the dip switches for battery type are set on the Freedom Remote Control Panel. Maximum acceptance time is 1 hour for wet cells and 3 hours for gel cells. Gel cell acceptance time can be longer because they are less likely to gas. Expect wet cell batteries to gas somewhat during acceptance, this is a necessary part of the charging process. NOTE: Acceptance timers are not used when Link Instruments control the charger. Refer to the Link Owner’s Manual.
Stage 3 - Float Charge When the acceptance stage is terminated, either because the charge current ramped down to the transition point or the timer engaged, charge current will shut off. The unit monitors the battery voltage while it drifts down from the bulk charge voltage limit. When it reaches the float voltage set point, the float charge stage is engaged. 14 The float charge stage holds the battery voltage at a lower level, where it is safe for long term battery maintenance. During the float charge stage, the full output current of the battery charger is available to operate any DC appliances that may be on the system, while constantly maintaining the float charge voltage. The battery charger remains in the float charge stage indefinitely until the charger is disconnected from incoming AC power or turned OFF with the Freedom Remote Control Panel or Link Instrument. ACCEPTANCE TO FLOAT TRANSITION POINTS Freedom 10-12V Freedom 10-24V Freedom 15-12V Freedom 20-12V Freedom 20-24V Freedom 20-32V Freedom 25-12V Freedom 25-24V 5 Amps DC 2.5 Amps DC 10 Amps DC 15 Amps DC 7.5 Amps DC 6 Amps DC 21 Amps DC 10 Amps DC
Stage 4 - Equalizing Charge This is the only battery charger stage which is not engaged automatically. It must be manually initiated each time it is necessary to equalize using a dip switch on the back of the Freedom Remote Control or the front panel on the Link Instrumentation. Applying an equalizing charge is not possible without the use of a Freedom Remote Panel or Link Instrument. Periodic equalizing is recommended by most wet cell deep-cycle battery manufacturers. There are no firm rules for how often an equalizing charge should be applied, but once a month is a good rule of thumb for batteries which are regularly cycled, less often f
Battery Charging Completely recharging wet cell deepcycle batteries requires the battery voltage to be raised beyond what is known as the gassing point. This is the voltage at which the battery begins to bubble and gas is given off. If charging stops short of this point, sulfate is left on the plates and deterioration of the battery begins. The gassing point will vary with battery temperature. At 77 degrees F, the gassing point of a 12 Volt battery is about 14.0 Volts.
Battery charging without excessive gassing of the batteries is accomplished with three-stage chargers. The Freedom Inverter/Charger utilizes this technique. Gel cell batteries must not be charged to their gassing point. In fact, high voltage charging which gasses these batteries is harmful to them. They typically require a lower bulk charge voltage and a higher float voltage than wet cell batteries. Consult the battery manufacturer for specifications. Conventional Battery Chargers Most conventional battery chargers are single-stage constant voltage chargers. They must stop short of the gassing point or they will overcharge the battery bank.
Most 12 Volt battery chargers bring the battery voltage up to about 13.8 Volts.
This presents two problems. First, since the battery voltage does not reach the gassing point, sulfate is left on the plates. Second, 13.8 Volts is close enough to the gassing point that some gas will escape, and the wet cell battery will need to be frequently topped off with distilled water. Conventional battery chargers also suffer from another inherent characteristic of design, which is a tapering effect. While they will deliver their rated current into a deeply discharged battery, as the battery voltage rises, the output current of the charger tapers down. This taper continues as the battery is charged, taking a very long time to reach an acceptable recharge level.
Freedom Battery Chargers Freedom battery chargers are designed to overcome the limitations of conventional chargers by utilizing 3 distinct stages, each designed for optimal recharging of both wet cell and gel cell deep-cycle batteries. Battery type selection is only available through the Freedom Remote Control Panel or a Link Instrument. Refer to the Freedom Remote Control Panel Addendum, pages 28-34, or a Link Owner’s ManualThe battery charger stages are:
Stage 1 - Bulk Charge During the bulk charge stage most of the charge is delivered to the battery bank. This phase is engaged as soon as the battery charger is activated. Full rated charger current is delivered to the battery bank until the bulk charge voltage limit is reached. This results in a relatively rapid recharge. Generally, a wet cell battery bank should not be charged up to the gassing point at a rate which exceeds 25% of its capacity. Example, a 12 Volt battery bank of 520 Amp-hours should not be charged at over 130 Amps.
Gel cell and Advanced AGM batteries can accept a higher rate of charge. Consult the manufacturer for specifications.
Stage 2 - Acceptance Charge The acceptance stage immediately follows the bulk charge stage. During this stage the battery voltage is held constant at the bulk charge voltage limit and the current gradually ramps down. During this stage the battery is accepting its final amount of charge current and the last of the sulfate on the plates is removed. The acceptance stage lasts until the charge current reaches the transition point in Amps. A timer will terminate the acceptance stage if this current level is not reached. The time is automatically set when the dip switches for battery type are set on the Freedom Remote Control Panel. Maximum acceptance time is 1 hour for wet cells and 3 hours for gel cells. Gel cell acceptance time can be longer because they are less likely to gas. Expect wet cell batteries to gas somewhat during acceptance, this is a necessary part of the charging process. NOTE: Acceptance timers are not used when Link Instruments control the charger. Refer to the Link Owner’s Manual.
Stage 3 - Float Charge When the acceptance stage is terminated, either because the charge current ramped down to the transition point or the timer engaged, charge current will shut off. The unit monitors the battery voltage while it drifts down from the bulk charge voltage limit. When it reaches the float voltage set point, the float charge stage is engaged. 14 The float charge stage holds the battery voltage at a lower level, where it is safe for long term battery maintenance. During the float charge stage, the full output current of the battery charger is available to operate any DC appliances that may be on the system, while constantly maintaining the float charge voltage. The battery charger remains in the float charge stage indefinitely until the charger is disconnected from incoming AC power or turned OFF with the Freedom Remote Control Panel or Link Instrument. ACCEPTANCE TO FLOAT TRANSITION POINTS Freedom 10-12V Freedom 10-24V Freedom 15-12V Freedom 20-12V Freedom 20-24V Freedom 20-32V Freedom 25-12V Freedom 25-24V 5 Amps DC 2.5 Amps DC 10 Amps DC 15 Amps DC 7.5 Amps DC 6 Amps DC 21 Amps DC 10 Amps DC
Stage 4 - Equalizing Charge This is the only battery charger stage which is not engaged automatically. It must be manually initiated each time it is necessary to equalize using a dip switch on the back of the Freedom Remote Control or the front panel on the Link Instrumentation. Applying an equalizing charge is not possible without the use of a Freedom Remote Panel or Link Instrument. Periodic equalizing is recommended by most wet cell deep-cycle battery manufacturers. There are no firm rules for how often an equalizing charge should be applied, but once a month is a good rule of thumb for batteries which are regularly cycled, less often f
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AH64ID
TDR MEMBER
Pretty much what I have been saying. That charger works the same as my PD4655.
The bulk charge only holds until the set voltage is reached, and no longer. The SOC at that point will be determined by temp, bank size, and wiring.
The only difference I see between that charger and mine is that the Heart always starts in bulk mode where the PD4655 start voltage is determined by the battery voltage prior to starting. I will see full amperage at 13.6V so that's good.
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Issue 128 – Digital Version
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FREE!
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Renew
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
Back Issues
Subscription Status
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Ram Diagnostic Trouble Codes
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Product Showcase
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