20' Series Has my Setec Failed?

[MickGibson]

Hi Folks,

I have a 2014 Jayco Expanda (the model with a slide-out) and I'm having some trouble I'm hoping to get some advice on.

I plugged in the 240v today and flipped on the battery switch - my question is: unless I'm mistaken, I'm pretty sure both the Mains and Battery light is supposed to be 'on' on the Setec ST35-111. Is that correct? From memory, I think I'm supposed to hear a click when I turn on the battery switch - is that right?

When the 240v is plugged in, all the 12v lights seem to be working, but the Slide-out isn't.

When the 240v is unplugged, nothing seems to be working.

Is the Setec stuffed? Or perhaps the battery is under-voltage (I might have left it too long between charges) - would I see similar behaviour is the battery is really low?

Anyway, I'm leaving to plugged in to 240v, but I'm worried the Setec is not working and the battery isn't being charged anyway.

Any advice?

Regards
Mick

 

[Drover]

If its been awhile since battery has been charged then yes its probably flat especially as you have nothing when mains off ... I wont go into a long winded explanation of the whys as that's not the question.
The remedy or at least first check is disconnect battery and hook it up to a decent charger that will do AGMs, leave it overnight in the morning it should be charged up so you can hook it up again and everything should work....leaving you van plugged in to 240 while not in use will keep the battery happy..... Far better than no charge.

Okay one Why? The setek will shut off when the battery gets below a certain level and ignores the battery until its charged.... MOst BMS systems operate the same way, so battery will require a bench charge then the BMS will see it thats why its best to leave plugged in to mains to keep the battery charged up.

 

[MickGibson]

Thanks @Drover , much appreciated. Let's hope that's all it is.

It just concerned me that the Battery light wasn't illuminating, so I though perhaps the Setec unit wasn't charging the battery at all. But I guess it makes sense that the battery light isn't on because the low voltage shut-off would prevent it from feeding any load.

 

[Drover]

Its a place to start before going overboard on theory....

 

[mikerezny]

Hi,
the Setec series III will ALWAYS charge at a maximum of 0.8A regradless of whether the LVD has been activated OR whether the battery switch is on or off:

Excerpt from the series III manual:

Trickle Charge to the battery is always present. When the battery voltage is below the LVD (Low voltage disconnect) re-connect voltage (<10V and the mains power or auxiliary power is available, the battery will be charging at 0.8A. When the battery voltage is sufficient (>10.5V for first power up, 11.5V and 11.7V for subsequent reconnection with and without mains respectively) the LVD will connect the battery and allow float charging at 10A/15A (ST20-II/ST35-II). The Trickle Charge feature is provided to allow “very” flat batteries to be charged at a rate, which will extend their life.

What is the voltage at the battery terminals with the 240V switched off AND the battery switch in the off position?

On my reading and understanding of the Setec manual, the relay clicking in is an indication that the battery voltage is high enough to connect to the loads and thus illuminate the yellow/orange LED on the front panel.

take care
Mike

 

[MickGibson]

I finally remembered to post an update for anyone interested.

I replaced the battery and everything is fine, which confirms (at least for my setup) that a battery seems necessary for the slide-out to work and as others have confirmed, for the battery light and relay to kick in.

Thanks to all that assisted.

Oh, I used a fancy charger with recovery mode to charge the battery and got it to 100%, but it's not keeping charge. I've been checking it every day and the voltage is dropping, even when connected to nothing.

Mick

 

[Boots in Action]

I finally remembered to post an update for anyone interested.

I replaced the battery and everything is fine, which confirms (at least for my setup) that a battery seems necessary for the slide-out to work and as others have confirmed, for the battery light and relay to kick in.

Thanks to all that assisted.

Oh, I used a fancy charger with recovery mode to charge the battery and got it to 100%, but it's not keeping charge. I've been checking it every day and the voltage is dropping, even when connected to nothing.

Mick

Hi @MickGibson and I am sure all members who contribute to queries from others really appreciate feedback as it helps all of us confirm our own theories on what is/ was wrong. It does confirm that what @Drover said in the first place was on the mark. Batteries are a bit like motor car engines - they may idle okay without load (show acceptable voltage?) , but when you put on a reasonable load or give it some work to do - in your case try to use slider -the engine shows its true colours and condition and stalls - no guts!! A good lesson for all. Always test battery under a good load and if voltage does not hold, or slowly gets lower and lower, then it is a fair indication that all is not well. The modern "smart" chargers do a great job in correctly charging all types of battery types but once battery has been left partially/fully discharged for a period of time , full recovery for proper operation is most unlikely. Also , although you can bring a battery up to speed overnight, for the battery to absorb a full charge and complete the maximum absorption process, it is preferable to leave on a "smart" charger for at least 48 hours for best results. "Smart" chargers will not overcharge battery like the old linear types. The attached is more info for you to absorb, so keep battery fully charged. Happy New Year.

 

[MickGibson]

Hi @MickGibson and I am sure all members who contribute to queries from others really appreciate feedback as it helps all of us confirm our own theories on what is/ was wrong. It does confirm that what @Drover said in the first place was on the mark. Batteries are a bit like motor car engines - they may idle okay without load (show acceptable voltage?) , but when you put on a reasonable load or give it some work to do - in your case try to use slider -the engine shows its true colours and condition and stalls - no guts!! A good lesson for all. Always test battery under a good load and if voltage does not hold, or slowly gets lower and lower, then it is a fair indication that all is not well. The modern "smart" chargers do a great job in correctly charging all types of battery types but once battery has been left partially/fully discharged for a period of time , full recovery for proper operation is most unlikely. Also , although you can bring a battery up to speed overnight, for the battery to absorb a full charge and complete the maximum absorption process, it is preferable to leave on a "smart" charger for at least 48 hours for best results. "Smart" chargers will not overcharge battery like the old linear types. The attached is more info for you to absorb, so keep battery fully charged. Happy New Year.

Brilliant!
Thanks Boots.