Sterling b2b connections

Pachapep

New member
Hi all,

I’m trying to connect the Sterling B2B charger on a 2020 Sprinter and would love some pics.
I’m unsure wether to connect it directly to the car battery or under the driver seats through other connectors.

thanks for your help!
 

Pachapep

New member
Search can be your friend.


Jack
thanks Jack.

if i understand correctly, this is to tap into the aux battery. But will this work for a B2B charger, i.e. can I charge my leisure battery while driving? Still a bit unclear to me.
Thanks for any clarification!
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
If you have the MB auxiliary battery, then connecting the BtoB to its fuse block (F150/5) will be seeing the alternator's output when you're driving.
If you're not driving the BtoB would be seeing the MB-installed Aux battery as a power source.
Most BtoBs have either a wire to attach to a signal like the Sprinter's "D+" terminal on the EK1 strip (which tells it when the alternator is operating) *or* they have the smarts to NOT draw from the input source when it's below some threshold (say, 12.9 or 13.2) voltage.

If you DON'T have the MB-supplied auxiliary battery, then tell us and we'll adjust our suggestions.
(and you'll be introduced to the "pre-fuse" block called F150/1 in your Fuse Allocation booklet.)

--dick
 

Pachapep

New member
If you have the MB auxiliary battery, then connecting the BtoB to its fuse block (F150/5) will be seeing the alternator's output when you're driving.
If you're not driving the BtoB would be seeing the MB-installed Aux battery as a power source.
Most BtoBs have either a wire to attach to a signal like the Sprinter's "D+" terminal on the EK1 strip (which tells it when the alternator is operating) *or* they have the smarts to NOT draw from the input source when it's below some threshold (say, 12.9 or 13.2) voltage.

If you DON'T have the MB-supplied auxiliary battery, then tell us and we'll adjust our suggestions.
(and you'll be introduced to the "pre-fuse" block called F150/1 in your Fuse Allocation booklet.)

--dick
Thanks, I’ll have a look tomorrow and follow up.
Cheers!
 

Pachapep

New member
If you have the MB auxiliary battery, then connecting the BtoB to its fuse block (F150/5) will be seeing the alternator's output when you're driving.
If you're not driving the BtoB would be seeing the MB-installed Aux battery as a power source.
Most BtoBs have either a wire to attach to a signal like the Sprinter's "D+" terminal on the EK1 strip (which tells it when the alternator is operating) *or* they have the smarts to NOT draw from the input source when it's below some threshold (say, 12.9 or 13.2) voltage.

If you DON'T have the MB-supplied auxiliary battery, then tell us and we'll adjust our suggestions.
(and you'll be introduced to the "pre-fuse" block called F150/1 in your Fuse Allocation booklet.)

--dick
Ok, so it would seem like I dont have the aux battery. Here is what my setup looks like.
any help would be much appreciated.
thanks a ton!
 

Attachments

hoosierrun

Active member
You want it to go through the fuse block next to the battery for safety reasons. If your B to B battery line were to short out, you could overheat the wire and cause a fire if you connect directly to the battery post. An inline fuse should always be used.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Well, here's what a VS30's pre-fuse block (F150/1) looks like:
First, where to find it (tucked in beside the starter battery ... on the right edge of this photo):
BatteryBox-Labeled.jpg

Here's what it looks like if/when you extract it:

150_1a.jpg

What at least one forum member has done is to bridge the circled "here?" with a metal bar, then place a fuse between that and the empty post (labeled "2"). The result looks like this:

BusBarAdded.jpeg

The "new fuse" in that photo is 150 amps.
-------------------
Another approach is to attach your cable to the bolt (stud) that's just to the right of the word "Varta" on the battery photo above. The disadvantage of that is that it's NOT fused ... so you would want to put a (in-line?) fuse in that cable.
But it's a lot easier to access....

--dick
 
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Pachapep

New member
That sound
Well, here's what a VS30's pre-fuse block (F150/1) looks like:
First, where to find it (tucked in beside the starter battery ... on the right edge of this photo):
View attachment 156845

Here's what it looks lie if/when you extract it:

View attachment 156842

What at least one forum member has done is to bridge the circled "here?" with a metal bar, then place a fuse between that and the empty post (labeled "2"). The result looks like this:

View attachment 156844

The "new fuse" in that photo is 150 amps.
-------------------
Another approach is to attach your cable to the bolt (stud) that's just to the right of the word "Varta" on the battery photo above. The disadvantage of that is that it's NOT fused ... so you would want to put a (in-line?) fuse in that cable.
But it's a lot easier to access....

--dick
That sounds awesome Dick, but there must have been a problem with the uploads of the pictures. Any chance you can try to upload them again?
Thanks mate!
 

Cheyenne

UK 2004 T1N 313CDi
That sound

That sounds awesome Dick, but there must have been a problem with the uploads of the pictures. Any chance you can try to upload them again?
Thanks mate!
I can see all Dick's photos so you must have a setting wrong in your control panel.

Keith.
 

kper

Member
This may be a dumb question but I'll ask it anyway -- I do not have an auxiliary battery (on a VS30). Do you need to connect to the f150 block on the main battery? Or can you connect to the positive bus bar under the driver's seat? Any reason the latter wouldn't work? There is a thread where someone did this instead, but if there is some reason tapping power there is an inferior choice, it would be great to benefit from the knowledge here.

thank you
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
That sounds awesome Dick, but there must have been a problem with the uploads of the pictures. Any chance you can try to upload them again?
Thanks mate!
As Cheyenne wrote, you want to tweak your User settings to show attachments (and signature blocks!)
Until you do that, just click the "show attachment" line that's in the message.

--dick
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
This may be a dumb question but I'll ask it anyway -- I do not have an auxiliary battery (on a VS30). Do you need to connect to the f150 block on the main battery? Or can you connect to the positive bus bar under the driver's seat? Any reason the latter wouldn't work? There is a thread where someone did this instead, but if there is some reason tapping power there is an inferior choice, it would be great to benefit from the knowledge here.
My most recent post-with-photos is for the "no Aux battery" case .. you're tapping the starter battery's pre-fuse block.

The "bus bar" you're asking about comes to this block (i think): F150/4.

wiring-F150_4 diagram.jpg

I have to admit that i don't "push" that as a solution merely due to not knowing enough about it.
If you have a fuse position for electric steering, that might be a valid spot to use.
I assume position (5) is coming from the Pre-fuse block, and i have no idea what (4) is.

Please feel encouraged to attack it with a voltmeter and careful thought and see if it's a good choice.
--dick
 

kper

Member
My most recent post-with-photos is for the "no Aux battery" case .. you're tapping the starter battery's pre-fuse block.

The "bus bar" you're asking about comes to this block (i think): F150/4.

View attachment 156914

I have to admit that i don't "push" that as a solution merely due to not knowing enough about it.
If you have a fuse position for electric steering, that might be a valid spot to use.
I assume position (5) is coming from the Pre-fuse block, and i have no idea what (4) is.

Please feel encouraged to attack it with a voltmeter and careful thought and see if it's a good choice.
--dick
Makes sense, thank you. My thought from looking at it was the #4 was bringing power in from the battery and the other slots are for whatever they are powering. Along those lines, the idea was to add a jumper to one of the empty slots and use it to power the BB1260. But wasn't sure if someone knew why this might be a poor or suboptimal choice relative to just tapping into the power distribution block that is generally recommended.

The reason I like this location if it works, is that you can run a cable to a fuse and then easily exit the driver's seat to run back to the rear of the van where my house battery setup will be.
 
Also installing a Sterling BB1260 and last weekend was running 4 gauge wire pair from the driver's side rear "garage" area to the driver seat pedestal, so I had the seat removed and was looking at both the Power Distribution Box in the battery compartment as well as the power block under the seat shown in the photo above. Position #6 was empty (Position #7 is not empty in my van) so I came to the same conclusion that it was easier to tie in there than navigate the wire through the floor channel to the PDB in the battery compartment. My only concern is how/where to mount the fuse so that it has proper strain relief. Would be interested to know why folks seem to choose the battery compartment PDB over this more easily accessible spot.
 
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wquek

Work in progress
Also installing a Sterling BB1260 and last weekend was running 4 gauge wire pair from the driver's side rear "garage" area to the driver seat pedestal, so I had the seat removed and was looking at both the Power Distribution Box in the battery compartment as well as the power block under the seat shown in the photo above. Position #6 was empty (Position #7 is not empty in my van) so I came to the same conclusion that it was easier to tie in there than navigate the wire through the floor channel to the PDB in the battery compartment. My only concern is how/where to mount the fuse so that it has proper strain relief. Would be interested to know why folks seem to choose the battery compartment PDB over this more easily accessible spot.
Just tie into the F150/5 fuse block. There is a spot for a MIDI fuse there with proper strain relief. If that isn't possible, just get an inline midi fuse holder for your 4ga wire similar to this.

 

Pachapep

New member
My most recent post-with-photos is for the "no Aux battery" case .. you're tapping the starter battery's pre-fuse block.

The "bus bar" you're asking about comes to this block (i think): F150/4.

View attachment 156914

I have to admit that i don't "push" that as a solution merely due to not knowing enough about it.
If you have a fuse position for electric steering, that might be a valid spot to use.
I assume position (5) is coming from the Pre-fuse block, and i have no idea what (4) is.

Please feel encouraged to attack it with a voltmeter and careful thought and see if it's a good choice.
--dick
Hi Dick,

this is my current setup. I have my positive going directly to the van’s battery, and the positive going to the bar, with a150A fuse just before.
Any thoughts? Still get the error message/warning from the car’s dashboard though ?
Thanks!
 

Attachments

autostaretx

Erratic Member
this is my current setup. I have my positive going directly to the van’s battery, and the positive going to the bar, with a150A fuse just before.
Any thoughts? Still get the error message/warning from the car’s dashboard though ?
Ummm... what country are you in? (triggered by the "Thanks, mate!")
My photos are all US-configured Sprinters, which don't have the smaller starting battery.
Back in the T1N days, the UK Sprinters didn't have the US's (or any) PDC hanging on the starter battery.
The US starting battery does not have that plastic (monstrosity?) on top of the battery:

BatteryBox-Labeled.jpg

And this is the first time you've mentioned an error/warning message ...
What, pray tell, is it saying (or indicating)??

--dick
 

Pachapep

New member
I bought the van in Switzerland. The error message is the little red battery light on the dashboard. I thought it Would fix itself with the new setup.
 

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