Wrinkledpants
2017 144WB 4x4
We have a 200Ah Victron lithium, 280A alternator with Balmar regulator, and 300A fuses on our 4/0 cable runs. At the alternator post we have a strand of battery cable going to a switch, and then to the positive post of the starter alternator. The switch is activated by a momentary switch that allows lithium voltage to travel to the positive post of the starter alternator, and then to the starter battery. This was all installed by Tourig and we're currently on a trip.
I've tested this when everything off and can see the starter battery voltage rise when the switch is pressed. The other day, I tested it by actually starting the van with the button pressed. I saw amps flow from the lithium (by looking at the BMV on my phone) to the starter battery that surpassed 200A before I released the button. The fuse blew on the positive output from the Nations alternator, and I had to swap that fuse for the one on the switch (which was not blown) so that we could continue to get charge back to the lithiums. From that point, the alternator wasn't quite right. In the ramp phase, it would not push out any current and then all of a sudden 100a starts flowing and it continues to ramp up to 200a. That worked for a few weeks, but now we don't have any current from the alternator. Balmar works fine and shows 86% output (I have it throttled down), which should be around 200a at higher RPMs, but the voltage at the positive output on the alternator is just lithium battery voltage.
Questions:
1. Did I somehow break the alternator with this setup? Should I have kept the Nations alternator off before doing this jump start?
2. If I hold this button down, can the reverse happen which is the starter battery can charge the lithium in a pinch? I'm fearful of cooking the starter alternator but presume the ECU can read the alternator temp and throttle back if it needs to?
I've tested this when everything off and can see the starter battery voltage rise when the switch is pressed. The other day, I tested it by actually starting the van with the button pressed. I saw amps flow from the lithium (by looking at the BMV on my phone) to the starter battery that surpassed 200A before I released the button. The fuse blew on the positive output from the Nations alternator, and I had to swap that fuse for the one on the switch (which was not blown) so that we could continue to get charge back to the lithiums. From that point, the alternator wasn't quite right. In the ramp phase, it would not push out any current and then all of a sudden 100a starts flowing and it continues to ramp up to 200a. That worked for a few weeks, but now we don't have any current from the alternator. Balmar works fine and shows 86% output (I have it throttled down), which should be around 200a at higher RPMs, but the voltage at the positive output on the alternator is just lithium battery voltage.
Questions:
1. Did I somehow break the alternator with this setup? Should I have kept the Nations alternator off before doing this jump start?
2. If I hold this button down, can the reverse happen which is the starter battery can charge the lithium in a pinch? I'm fearful of cooking the starter alternator but presume the ECU can read the alternator temp and throttle back if it needs to?