Blue Seas ACR failure?

[Irish Reiver]

It's not quite as simple as swapping out one solution for another. Much depends on the type of battery your second battery is (or maybe will be in the future). The alternator on the 80 series isn't particularly smart which means it is only any good at charging flooded lead/acid battery starter battery. The relatively small amount of energy that is used to start the engine is easily replaced quickly by the alternator. However if your second battery is a deep cycle marine type battery that often is used when the engine is not running it will take ages for the alternator to charge it. Flooded batteries are not efficient at absorbing charging current. That said, I used a blueseas ACR system for years which worked well as I was camping during the night and driving during the day. I was very conscious that in winter months were the driving day was shorter, the battery rarely made it through the night (mostly running a fridge).
Depending on your application, investing in a Redarc BCDC1220 would be a much better solution. It has the smarts to adjust charging to match the battery type and can also handle a solar input if you choose. It is more expensive than the ACR but no need for AWG0 cable runs between the batteries. Also switching to a AGM type battery will give significantly more available stored power. The AGM batteries have a much reduced internal resistance so they accept a higher charge more efficiently (about x5 more efficient).
Lots to think about.

 

[eric90503]

It's not quite as simple as swapping out one solution for another. Much depends on the type of battery your second battery is (or maybe will be in the future). The alternator on the 80 series isn't particularly smart which means it is only any good at charging flooded lead/acid battery starter battery. The relatively small amount of energy that is used to start the engine is easily replaced quickly by the alternator. However if your second battery is a deep cycle marine type battery that often is used when the engine is not running it will take ages for the alternator to charge it. Flooded batteries are not efficient at absorbing charging current. That said, I used a blueseas ACR system for years which worked well as I was camping during the night and driving during the day. I was very conscious that in winter months were the driving day was shorter, the battery rarely made it through the night (mostly running a fridge).
Depending on your application, investing in a Redarc BCDC1220 would be a much better solution. It has the smarts to adjust charging to match the battery type and can also handle a solar input if you choose. It is more expensive than the ACR but no need for AWG0 cable runs between the batteries. Also switching to a AGM type battery will give significantly more available stored power. The AGM batteries have a much reduced internal resistance so they accept a higher charge more efficiently (about x5 more efficient).
Lots to think about.

Much thanks for your input and caveats. Luckily I was already running (x2) group 31 AGM's. A NorthStar for the main and an Odyssey for the Aux. I feel the Nat Luna worked ok as I had nothing to compare it to, but every since I installed it, it had parasitic draw. Enough that without a trickle charger it would draw down to nothing. Plus the clicking of the solenoid was a bit annoying because it could be heard even from inside the house. I'm sure it's user error (install) but I followed the instructions per Nat Luna. I ended ripping everything out to start fresh.

Thank you for mentioning the alternator. I'm currently in the middle of installing the 150A Sequoia alt w/ Bills bracket. Just trying to figure out which system to go with. I never thought about going solar as my fridge would last about 2 days. I don't have the luxury due to work schedules to do more than 2 days, . I usually start my motor and go explore for 15-20 min. But my buddies in the end have all convinced me to go solar. I'm down with that just for the pure fact that I don't have to run a stinger to power the trickle charger!

Isn't the Redarc BCDC 1220 different than the ACR? as in different functions? My apologies 12V, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. If it is I wonder if it will integrate w/the ACR?
That was the direction I was going to go. All RedArc and pay the premium prices they were commanding. However, my buddy (another former industry guy) was talking to RedArc at SEMA and his setup which basically consists of this Amazon product ASIN B0058SGDFK and another charge controller that I can't remember. The guys at Redarc basically said it's the same idea and does the same.
Not as sexy looking but IDK.

Yes Lots to think about. But after 3yrs of having my lights and crap sitting on the shelf I need to get to it!!

 

[93yotasr5]

So I have had my dual battery set up for almost two years now.I’m running the 7610. I’ve never had an issue running the little accessories off of the auxiliary battery (CB radio, lights, aux fan). I have since wired a cig lighter socket in the rear of the truck to run my Iceco JP50 fridge. The fridge ran for a little over a day before giving me the low voltage code. I then ran the truck for about 20-30 and it charged the auxiliary battery and then ran the fridge for about a day before running low again. I then ran the truck for almost and hour and I could not get the two batteries to connect for more than 6-8 seconds. In between the solid green light I got the rapid flashing green light (one or both batteries is low). Any ideas? Could it be the ground wiring? I currently have it wired to the inner fender. Is there a better spot to ground it?

 

[BucketEighty]

So I have had my dual battery set up for almost two years now.I’m running the 7610. I’ve never had an issue running the little accessories off of the auxiliary battery (CB radio, lights, aux fan). I have since wired a cig lighter socket in the rear of the truck to run my Iceco JP50 fridge. The fridge ran for a little over a day before giving me the low voltage code. I then ran the truck for about 20-30 and it charged the auxiliary battery and then ran the fridge for about a day before running low again. I then ran the truck for almost and hour and I could not get the two batteries to connect for more than 6-8 seconds. In between the solid green light I got the rapid flashing green light (one or both batteries is low). Any ideas? Could it be the ground wiring? I currently have it wired to the inner fender. Is there a better spot to ground it?

I've been fighting latching issues with my ACR, I ended up making a new chassis ground cable for my primary battery,. The original chassis ground cable had some resistance in it (corroded 26 year old crimp connection maybe?). I have the ACR ground sharing the chassis ground bolt with the auxiliary battery (so pretty much directly to Aux battery ground) and a brand new chassis ground on the primary battery and it seems to work well now. Any voltage drop between the ground connections of the two batteries screws up the ACR, my next-level fix was going to be a big copper wire going directly between the two grounds on the two batteries.

 

[Dave 2000]

I fitted the 7622 500 amp unit many years ago, after around 7 years it packed up with no automatic action, Blue Seas replaced it FOC with no argument.

Problems I have seen apart from the one mentioned about mine are almost all down to poor installation or battery failure.

I use the battery to battery negatives connected together method and in turn both battery negatives to the body. I also use oversized cable. The most common problems though comes from the batteries. The 7622 is so reliable it is fit and forget, it does the job so well owners tend to forget about it. With modern batteries no longer testable via measuring the specific gravity volt meters have taken over however, they like the modern electronic battery are not good enough to call a battery good.

Get an old fashioned load tester which despite newer technology are still available today, I have had mine around 18...ish years? Yes it reads volts and can tell you if the alternator is giving out the correct charge, but more importantly it can mimic the load placed on the battery when cranking the engine. So if you have trouble with the Blue Seas VSR or any other VSR get the batteries test first....properly.

Regards

Dave

 

[Taylorious]

The message we are getting is the "Mechanical Failure" double blink in the instructions. The actual ACR is fine but something is up with the ground to the remote switch

I'm in this boat now, after having total discharge leaving emergency flashers on all night roadside.

So... got the ol' "ACR Mechanical Failure" double-flash.

Both batteries re-topped up, holding 12.9v at a DMM pole test.

I can cycle the ACR and the on ACR body button presses manually... but, the remote switch in cab doesn't do nothin'

Any fixes?

 

[rpegan70]

I have a strange issue happening recently, have had the current 7622 for maybe 7 years now, previous (installed 10 years ago) died because I think it got fried when I welded on the truck and only disconnected the starting battery (now I completely disconnect both terminals from both batteries), current has performed perfect until this issue a few months ago.

99 Tacoma, Cadillac alternator (popular high output option) maybe 12 years old, both Odyssey batteries are maybe 4 years old, when last tested with a voltmeter both were 12.65ish even when experiencing issues I detail below.

1-0 welding cable with copper terminal lugs between the two batteries and from the starting battery to alternator and engine ground, Noco military terminals at the batteries, solid crimps, everything secured well, inline ANL fuses between the batteries/ML-ACR

Both batteries latch/unlatch fine at both the yellow switch on the unit and the remote switch in the cab regardless of issue.

Here’s the issue-

Have a Noco 10x1 connected to the 2nd battery (installed 5 years ago) and will force latch the batteries together at the switch to charge/maintain both batteries at the same time, Noco says this is fine to do.

This isn’t consistent at this point either, just happened a couple times the charger (it’s a maintainer/desulfator) was connected to power for long periods, several days or weeks, truck often sits for extended periods.

For whatever reason the starting battery acts like it’s dead when the batteries are unlatched, like the entire vehicle is dead dead- no lights, radio, ignition, nothing, and it’s accompanied by the double blink at the switch in the neutral and force unlatched position.

All accessories are connected to the second battery- fridge, solar charge controller, several lights, have wedge camper. Everything has performed well for years through some rough use.

When experiencing the issue, if I force the batteries together everything goes active and it starts, and somehow it resets, so the issue just goes away, like turn the truck off, unlatch the batteries and the starting battery is fine again, everything operates normal.

Think I’ll check the grounding, but I wanted to verify this-

Is the suggestion the switch in the cab is grounded directly to one of the batteries? If so, is there a recommendation for which?

The unit itself is grounded to the body at the negative terminal to the body ground location of the starting battery, good contact. Is that sufficient?

The unit is getting power from the Blue Sea fuse block connected to the second battery, also where all lights, fridge power are connected.

Second battery located at passenger firewall also has a body ground.