Blue Sea Dual Battery System (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Threads
10
Messages
98
Location
Ely NV
Recently purchased a new-to-me rig that has a dual battery system with an Optima Red Top and Blue Top. After some poking around and testing, the Blue Top was dead. After some intensive care of trying to revive it, it was a no-go so a new one was purchased.

Anyway I don't want this to be a bash on Optima thread... I just want to make sure I am using my system properly so both batteries get recharged when driving normally.

the system the rig has is this:

http://www.waytekwire.com/item/78004/AUTOMATIC-CHARGING-RELAY-ARC/

Anyway the black box has three positions. switch to the right (disable), switch to the left (enable) and switch to the left with the center pushed down (enable and on).

Red switch has on, off and auto.

So far I have been running with the switch on the black box to the left and button pushed in which is "enable and on". The red switch has been on "Auto".

So far I think I am completely over thinking this... but I really don't understand it. With each switch having three positions... That gives me 9 different combos and I don't know which is the best for:

normal driving
winching situations
batteries are a bit weak and I need full juice to start the engine
storage or when the vehicle sits for any period of time
camping when I may want to use some accessories, use the (blue top and leave the red alone).

Thanks in advance.
 
So far I have been running with the switch on the black box to the left and button pushed in which is "enable and on". The red switch has been on "Auto".

Well, from a quick read of the instruction manual, "enable and on" is NOT what you want for the manual switch on the box, that would imply that the two batteries are ALWAYS connected. I think you want the button NOT pressed down (but in the left position). Then you run your remote switch in the Auto position. That configuration should connect the two batteries while the car is running and alternator putting out enough charging voltage for the ACR to join combine batteries.

For jump start or winching or any situation where you want both batteries combined (i.e. you want to manually force them to be in parallel) then flick the remote switch to ON.

To force the batteries to be separate regardless of whether the engine is running/charging set the remote switch to OFF.

Anyhow, that's my take on the instruction manual.

Oh, any yes, optima batteries suck.

cheers,
george.
 
I've been running the Blue Sea ACR for about a year and a half and love it. Run the remote switch in auto and forget about it if you dont plan to read all the features. The yellow knob is just a manual switch. If you manually isolate using the yellow knob, you cannot overide this with the switch in the cab.

Turn the yellow switch to remote and use the red switch to control it. Auto will combine the batteries for charging both once the starting battery hits about 13.4 volts after startup. It isolates when voltage of the starting battery drops below about 13.4 volts.
 
^^^ He's right...
I got the same set up and run the remote on auto any difference/drop on charge regardless of engine running or not and the remote switch (if set on auto) will click and separate/isolate the batteries...

I used this drawing to wire my set up.
It may help you understand how it all works..

acr7622b-jpg.647936
 
So the PO was running with the black box/yellow switch to the left with the middle section pushed in. Could that have led to the premature death of the Blue Top?

What is the advantage it pushing the middle section in when to the left?

Thanks for the diagram Manuchao, but I don't understand it. :-( I think I had about 2 weeks of electrical study in a physics class about 20+ years ago but I don't remember much.
 
As I wrote in my first post, if you PUSH in the button on the manual switch while it is in the LEFT position the batteries will ALWAYS be combined/in parallel - the manual clearly explains its function, might pay for you to re-read it a few times. This means if you run loads with the engine off on your 2nd battery it will of course ALSO draw down the first battery. This is particularly bad with two different chemistry/purpose batteries such as a Red and Blue.

You would push in the button for combining and doing a self jump start. Maybe the PO had a flat on the primary and had to jump start and forgot to then reset the button. Maybe he knew the batteries where a bit weak and wanted them in parallel. Maybe he didn't know how the ACR system worked. If you still have his contact info, ask him...

Also, and again, Optima batteries Suck. They do die a LOT earlier than their b/s literature claim - PLENTY of folk with that experience. I had 2 red tops die within 2 - 3 years in normal use as primary batteries. With a $40 kirkland battery I'm just at 3 years and it is still going strong in the same vehicle and same usage mode. Optima sucks.

cheers,
george.
 
Thanks foe the clarification George.

Normal Driving- Yellow switch to the LEFT and red switch on AUTO and enjoy the scenery!!

When stopped and camping for extended periods and only want to run on blue top, yellow switch to the RIGHT or red switch to OFF

If the starting battery won't turn the engine over or for a super long pull with the winch, red switch to ON and yellow switch to the LEFT and push the middle button in.

Thanks again for the clarification. :)
 
Marc
If the remote switch was done properly you should not have to touch the yellow knob at all, unless it is to do maintenance on the system itself.. With your rig idling and the remote switch on off, once you turn it to the auto mode you should hear and see the yellow switch click and turn (some 30 seconds later) this should tell you both batts are being charged.... Once you turn the rig off with the remote on auto mode.. If your aux batt sees a drop on voltage the system will separate the batteries, and again a click will be heard...and the yellow switch will go down (and turn, but can't remember 100%)...
 
Marc-I think we met in Ely last year.

That Blue Sea system that came with your truck is excellent-that was fortuitous. It is a smart relay in that it senses charging voltages and closes the relay charging both batteries. The yellow switch with the button down can force closure of the relay to combine the batteries regardless of voltage which is useful for winching or self jumpstarting.

The interior switch can do the same-force closure, force opening or let the relay decide. You should leave it on auto unless your engine battery is dead, and needs a jump. Then close the relay, start your truck, and set the switch back to auto.

Here is a useful document:
http://assets.bluesea.com/files/resources/instructions/990180180.pdf


Another thumbs down here on Optima batteries. I've been through 4 of them. One gave very good service (Grp 31 blue top) all the rest have been one or two year wonders. Choices may be limited in Ely, but I have found Costco batteries a good value. Not the best battery, but inexpensive and decent. The Grp 27 Marine/Starting battery is my default house battery in 3 trucks.
 
I have the same ACR on my 100 series, installed a couple years ago. One thing that hasn't been mentioned above (I don't think) is that the remote switch is optional. I didn't feel like in cabin control was needed, so taped off the wires to that switch, set the yellow manual switch on the ACR itself to auto, and haven't touched it since.
 
I have the same ACR on my 100 series, installed a couple years ago. One thing that hasn't been mentioned above (I don't think) is that the remote switch is optional. I didn't feel like in cabin control was needed, so taped off the wires to that switch, set the yellow manual switch on the ACR itself to auto, and haven't touched it since.

^
Same here. when I installed mine I called Blue Sea's tech people and they told me that switch is really for vessels with sensitive electronics like radar that cannot take any kind of spike. For automotive use he told me it was not needed.
 
I'm running the same setup. if your aux battery was dead I would put a voltmeter on the ACR leads and with the button depressed you should read the same voltage as your alternator output. I had the same issue with by aux battery going dead. The ACR was engaging but there was no voltage present to charge the aux. it fried shortly after installing the 150amp sequoia alternator "duhh" so I had to upgrade to the ML series.
 
I've been running a Blue Sea ACR in my 100 for several years now with out a hitch. It has worked flawlessly. 100% Dependable. Can't say enough about them. Plus.. check out the amperage ratings in the specs....nothing out there can beat that.
As far as the lighted dash switch goes..... it alerted me that one of my batteries was on it's way out when it started blinking because it wouldn't connect the two because one had voltage below the threshold. I'm glad I installed it. Mine came with the switch, by the way.
 
Thread revive! And apologies for this long post.

After reading through this, I think I know what I'm dealing with, but hoping someone can verify, or confirm otherwise.

Like the OP, I have a (semi at this point) new to me 97 LX450 with the same blue sea ACR dual battery system installed. This is the first rig I've had with dual batteries, so go easy on my naivety of how it all works, I wasn't given a manual.

It appears that since I bought the truck, my ACR has been in the left ON position with the button pushed in, combining both batteries this whole time. The PO must have set it this way, and assuming he knew what he was doing, I never messed with it, and left the cabin switch on auto all the time.

Fast forward to today, when I went to start her up for the first time since December (weekend rig and busy schedule has left it parked - a mistake I wont make again) and nothing. Not a click, not a sound. Totally dead. So I grabbed the jumpers, hooked them up to the Honda, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Luckily after a handful of failed attempts, it finally had enough juice to turn over, and I took it for a good 45 minute drive to try to recharge the system.

What I noticed, and what confused me at first, was that the cabin switch showed no LED indicators, and it always had in the past. I was also getting no sound from my aftermarket stereo, which led me to assume that the battery I hadnt jumped was still dead, and all of my aux functions were running from it. So I did a little research and found this thread. I popped the hood and found the button pushed in on the ACR, so I turned it to the right, then back to the left, and did not push the button back in. Reading the manual from the link posted above, the lack of LEDs would seem to indicate the batteries were isolated, and further reading made me realize that for the past few months of driving it, the LEDs were blinking during most trips, indicating that one or both batteries were below or above the required voltage.

So my guess at this point is that one or both batteries were already on their way out, but most likely the aux battery, and because the ACR button had been pushed in - combining both batteries; parking it in the dead of winter caused both to drain out completely. Jumping the one battery got the truck started but essentially left the batteries "isolated" because the other remained dead.
 
I have found that my system drains a bit because of a blue led on my rocker panel. If you dont run the truck for a longer period of time then you’ll lose at least your second battery. If its deep cycle they are an SOB to charge back up. Really these old trucks are like old people, you have to keep them moving. I dont drive mine much in the in the winter but I do fire it up and let it run. My 37q Domtic will wear down my size 31 dep cycle in 3 days or so at 35degrees. I have a NOCO trickle charger and external port that I will eventually install. It will plug in just like a boat or RV.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom