New converter PD4655 doesn't go into boost mode Part 2

[RobertL0]

I have copied my initial complaint below regarding my installation. Amended to that, is what I observed 2 days ago when I brought my batteries down to 45% per the TM-2030 battery monitor

""""I replaced the WFCO converter in my 2015 class C with a Progressive Dynamics PD4655, since we boondock and would like to charge my 2 house batteries quicker when using the onboard generator. I also installed a TM-2030 battery monitor. The two house batteries are 24DC-4, which have a reserve capacity of 130 min each Last week, while boondocking, I observed the TM-2030 showing a 55% battery charge remaining and fired up the generator. I saw the green light lit steady on the converter circuit board stating that we were in "boost mode". But according to the TM-2030, the volts going into the battery was showing 13.6, not the 14.4 boost mode should provide. I hit the Charge Wizard button to cycle through the 3 modes, but still it only showed 13.6 volts in "Boost Mode". I have the wiring schematics for the coach and they used 2 gauge cables in all battery connections. I did not run the generator too long that morning so I never timed how long or how many amps was put back into the battery. My question is, why did the converter NOT go into "boost mode" """

AMENDED:

With the batteries drawn down to 45% per the TM-2030 battery monitor, I started the onboard generator and observed the following on the TM-2030:

Minutes- Amps going back to batteries
1........... 26.2
2........... 19.8
3........... 19.4
4............ 18.9
5............ 18.7
6............ 18.1
7............ 17.6
8............. 16.9
9............. 16.4
10............ 16.2
11............ 15.8
12............ 15.5
13............ 15.3
……
20............ 12.8 Battery 48% recharged per TM-2030
….
29............ 11.3
….
37............. 10.0 Battery 52% recharged per TM-2030


What happened to the boost mode?

[MrWizard]

you have a long way to go
batteries will be fully charged when charging at 1-amp at 14.4v

10 amps into that pair of 6v, you have some ways too go
the only way to get an idea of SOC is an SG reading of all 6 cells

10 amps at 13.8v from a pd 45 is not an indicator of bad PD

if you get to 1 amp at 13.8v with solid green led
then the PD is malfunctioning or there is too much resistance in the charge path

[RobertL0]

MrWizard wrote:
What was the amps at 13.8v when you shut it off


Two hours might get you 80 percent charged
If your down to 45 percent you have to return about 140 amp hrs to the batteries that's not going to happen in two hrs
Not even with my 70 amp PD
Not saying your PD is working correctly,
Just saying your not providing all the info we ask for to say what wrong

I ended that charging at 10.0 amps at 37 minutes, due to noise restrictions at the campground

[MrWizard]

What was the amps at 13.8v when you shut it off
Two hours might get you 80 percent charged
If your down to 45 percent you have to return about 140 amp hrs to the batteries that's not going to happen in two hrs
Not even with my 70 amp PD
Not saying your PD is working correctly,
Just saying your not providing all the info we ask for to say what wrong

[SCClockDr]

RobertL0 wrote:
Voltage remained at 13.8 throughout the 40 minute recharge.
The amps going into the battery did not change as I went from a blinking light, hit the button, to the solid light, No change at all

Just the fact of the amps dropping off so fast on these depleted batteries, give a clue of a defective unit?

Regards

When the PD converter is pushing maximum amps @ 13.6 going to 14.2 will change nothing amperage wise.
When the converter initially comes online it will put in a high amperage as the battery accepts a "surface charge" this amperage will decrease rather rapidly till the battery starts accepting its stable chargeing current. This current will decrease at a far slower rate as the charge progresses.
Even a fully charged battery that is allowed to dissipate its surface charge and has returned to 12.5VDC will initially accept a large amperage that will drop quickly.

[wa8yxm]

One thing that can affect boost is the connection between converter and battery.. Now actually on the PD's Boost and absorption are basically the same (Boost is current limited, Absorption voltage limited but as I recall (Can look up) same voltage) so your Tri-metric may not show the BOOST mode properly.

ALso, line resistance (Wire and connections between converter and battery) may limit your current and knock any converter out of "Boost".

From the manual (PD 9105)
Lignt on steady 14.4 volts
Light blinks once or more per second 13.6 Volts
Light blinks every 6-8 Seconds 13.2 volts

They call it Boost, Normal and Storage.

[RobertL0]

Voltage remained at 13.8 throughout the 40 minute recharge.
The amps going into the battery did not change as I went from a blinking light, hit the button, to the solid light, No change at all

Just the fact of the amps dropping off so fast on these depleted batteries, give a clue of a defective unit?

Regards

MrWizard wrote:

RobertL0 wrote:
I appreciate all the reply, thanks guys!

I do not have the pendant, I manually push the button on the board.

During my charge, either 10 seconds or 5 minutes into into the cycle, when I push the button, the LED light will change from steady green to blinking green, but the voltage and amps does NOT change as reported on the TriMetric..

You just turned boost OFF

Solid green light is boost mode indicator
Blinking light is normal absorb mode

It may not be working when it is supposed too
But but you turned it off, so no way to know

Leave it on solid green and give us volts to go with the amps
Volts should be rising but it could take awhile to see the rise depending on battery condition
TriMetric are nice, but at this point it is possibly out of calibration
Batteries should be charged until totally full this is going to be hours and hours then calibrate the TriMetric

[MrWizard]

RobertL0 wrote:
I appreciate all the reply, thanks guys!

I do not have the pendant, I manually push the button on the board.

During my charge, either 10 seconds or 5 minutes into into the cycle, when I push the button, the LED light will change from steady green to blinking green, but the voltage and amps does NOT change as reported on the TriMetric..

You just turned boost OFF

Solid green light is boost mode indicator
Blinking light is normal absorb mode

It may not be working when it is supposed too
But but you turned it off, so no way to know

Leave it on solid green and give us volts to go with the amps
Volts should be rising but it could take awhile to see the rise depending on battery condition
TriMetric are nice, but at this point it is possibly out of calibration
Batteries should be charged until totally full this is going to be hours and hours then calibrate the TriMetric

[Sam_Spade]

landyacht318 wrote:

I'd expect 2 50 percent depleted group 24's at ~8-AH capacity to be able to suck 25+ amps each initially for at least 20 minutes before battery voltage approached 14.4v and amps begin to taper.

Just guessing here but you may not OBSERVE 14.4 at the batteries while the charging rate is really high.

For your charted test run to be really meaningful you need another column showing observed voltage at each of those time marks.

And like someone else said, you need to let it run longer. The peak boost voltage may not be reached until the end of the 2 hour cycle.....or maybe even longer if they are really dead to start with.

[road-runner]

I'm assuming the battery monitor is measuring the voltage at the battery. To diagnose the converter you have to measure the voltage at the converter's DC terminals, which is the only data it uses to set the charge mode. The converter has absolutely no clue what the voltage is at the battery, or what the battery state-of-charge is. The SOC is algorithm-guessed based on the voltage at the converter.

[Old-Biscuit]

RobertL0 wrote:
I appreciate all the reply, thanks guys!

I do not have the pendant, I manually push the button on the board.

During my charge, either 10 seconds or 5 minutes into into the cycle, when I push the button, the LED light will change from steady green to blinking green, but the voltage and amps does NOT change as reported on the TriMetric..

TriMetric is probably indicating voltage correctly.
PD/Wizard is probably NOT going into BOOST

BUT verify what the DC OUTPUT is using another meter....handheld digital voltmeter and see what PD s putting out and IF it changes with different modes selected.
IF it doesn't.....boost circuit is non-functional

Easy to verify..right on front of converter

[RobertL0]

I appreciate all the reply, thanks guys!

I do not have the pendant, I manually push the button on the board.

During my charge, either 10 seconds or 5 minutes into into the cycle, when I push the button, the LED light will change from steady green to blinking green, but the voltage and amps does NOT change as reported on the TriMetric..

[Old-Biscuit]

Should go into BOOST mode until batteries reach 90% of full charge....LED Light ON

Then should go to NORMAL mode until full charge reached......LED Light Flash 2-3X per second

Then STANDBY mode .....LED Light Flash every 6-8 seconds

Need to VERIFY using another meter what DC OUTPUT Voltage is vs that monitor.
Use 'wizard bypass button' to force BOOST and check DC Output

IF it does NOT go into forced Boost.then charge wizard is not functioning.
Contact PD...2 yr. warranty from date of purchase

[RJsfishin]

Could it be a bad Pendant or PD unit itself ? Ask PD.
On 1/2 discharged batts, the voltage may not be 14+ in boost mode
Why no voltage readings along w/ amperage ?
Your charging amperages are consistant w/ not being in Boost mode.

I'm over 15 yrs w/ PD, never even a blip !

[MrWizard]

The 14.4 is what it will reach at the batteries near the end of the cycle, if you Never see that voltage then it's not working
I installed the 70 amp version
And in the morning my 5 big AGMs take any where from 40+ to 60+ amps at 13+ volts on the meter, the 14+ shows up a few hours later
These converters are chargers, Not 'constant voltage' power supplies
30 minutes is not an adequate test, you did not post voltage you only posted the amps, was the voltage rising?