Automatic Charging relay Installation

[Jrmorgan]

Hey guys, I found this relay at West Marine. I think its the smiplist way to charge a "House battery". This relay is made by Blue Sea Systems its called a 7610-SI-Series Automatic Charging Relay. The drawing makes it look easy, course I have one question that maybe one of you know the answer. In the diagram there is a plug on the relay called the SI the wire goes to the engine. Can any one identify what this wire attaches to? Is it the engine relay?


Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[mean_in_green]

I'd quite like to do this too JR, so interested to see replies.

Good choice of vehicle by the way - not many five cylinder duallies around here!

Simon

 

[bikerjoe]

Hey guys, I found this relay at West Marine. I think its the smiplist way to charge a "House battery".

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

What is it, EXACTLY, that you are trying to do? This seems like a lot of extra work for nothing. A simple starter relay that is energized by your ignition system and connects your AUX battery to your HOUSE battery while the engine is running is all you really need.

 

[sikwan]

SI stands for Start Isolation.

From what I can see in the schematic, the 7610 provides a path for charging the starter battery when the house batteries are being charged. The SI line needs to be connected to the starter line. When the starter line is energized, the 7610 opens, and the engine starts.

It can be the engine (starter) relay contacts, but the instructions specifically say from the ignition to the starter relay, which is on the coil side.

 

[Jrmorgan]

What is it, EXACTLY, that you are trying to do? This seems like a lot of extra work for nothing. A simple starter relay that is energized by your ignition system and connects your AUX battery to your HOUSE battery while the engine is running is all you really need.

What I'm trying to do is have both main starter battery and a house battery charged by the alternator. With this system I can tap into the house battery to run overhead lights in the cargo area and if I wanted to, drain the house battery down with out effecting the main starter battery. A one way charge if you will.

 

[Jrmorgan]

Update.... I just had a long talk with Blue Sea Systems about this relay. Come to find out if one were to install this, you end up with one using the house battery and the Main starter battery. When this relay senses voltage getting too low it cuts off the power coming from the main battery and you still deplete the house battery. This won't do. I don't want to use any power from the main battery.

So now my research has dug up Battery isolators that are built with Diodes made by SurePower. This system trade off is that is does use a little juice. But seems to protect the batteries from surging.

I've looked at Solenoid switches, but these cause problems for the house battery and shortens its life. Seems if the main is full up and the house down a lot, the power from the main rushes into the house so that both become equal. This surging is the main problem.

Course now I'm looking at AEC engine battery charger that would charge both batteries while I'm on shore power 120 Vac.

The trick now is to see if I can set up the truck with both the charger and isolator.

 

[sikwan]

What I'm trying to do is have both main starter battery and a house battery charged by the alternator. With this system I can tap into the house battery to run overhead lights in the cargo area and if I wanted to, drain the house battery down with out effecting the main starter battery. A one way charge if you will.

If this is the case and you're not using any shore power to charge the two batteries (house and main), all you really need is a simple relay (what bikerjoe stated) and to locate that J19 line...

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2993&highlight=acc+relay

The relay should only be energized (closed) when the engine/alterator is running. No need for diodes or any special electronics. It comes like this from the factory to charge the aux battery.