I am less than enthused with my IBS battery management system

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Blasst

Blasst

Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Threads
73
Messages
728
Location
on the road again....
Sometimes I have let my cruiser sit for a long time when I am gone. Of course all those computers we have on a 200 drain the main battery after a while. Then it drains the auxiliary battery. I guess I didn't do my research very well. I would have gotten a system that senses voltage and shuts off and does not completely drain the auxiliary also. I kinda thought that was one of the main purposes in having a good management system. It is a fairly easy fix I think to put a sensor and cut off on to protect the battery from being drained....but it kinda pissed me off. Luckily I always carry a lithium jumper. I have been stranded twice.

My IBS system has completely stopped working now. I have heard the solenoid on top goes out sometimes. But I'm pulling mine out and removing the secondary battery. I bought the biggest Genesis they make. I will go with that for now. I seldom use a fridge and when I do I will make some changes.

In the mean time I will see what battery management systems I like
 
I don't know the specifics of your battery system other than the IBS, so I apologize if I make any wrong assumptions.

The IBS system is at its core a heavy duty relay to link the two battery banks. This strategy doesn't work on a modern smart alternator based vehicle as they don't produce excess charge current, always leaving one of the two batteries undercharged. Each battery needs its own charge controller - alternator for starting battery, dc-dc charger for aux battery.

That said, I don't believe in the added overhead and complexities of a separate dc-dc charger, unless its to support more exotic chemistries like lithium. The goal in my mind of dual batts is to actually expand battery capacity for all functions. Having two batteries serve different purposes, still only gives one batteries worth of capacity to any specific function.

I'd recommend the following which is to join both batteries in a single bank. Ultimately simpler, better performing, and more reliable. Functionally - you'll actually get double the reserve time for long periods of time when the car is not in use. Or double the run-time for a fridge. Modern cars and devices almost all have low voltage disconnects to generally protect the single bank, so IMO there's less reason again to go with two banks.

forum.ih8mud.com

KISS Dual Battery Upgrade

There’s been a lot of discussion on batteries and battery systems. Here’s my attempt to offer an easy button. The task of a battery first and foremost is to offer power and reserve capacity. There’s many battery setups and systems talked about. But perhaps some of those are solving a problem...
forum.ih8mud.com forum.ih8mud.com
 
@TeCKis300 If the system as installed now doesn't protect his starting battery (with some sort of low voltage disconnect) how would adding another battery linked to the first help (except to take longer for parasitic drain to kill both batteries)?

I leave a trickle charger on the vehicles I use infrequently. If you can't/don't want to do that, what about installing a battery disconnect? Disconnect the battery when in long term storage.

I have a Redarc BCDC and it has a built in low voltage disconnect, and while I can't show objective proof that it works, my understanding is that is what it is supposed to do. I have a solenoid wired for a self jump setup, so I can jump start myself if the starting battery dies.
 
CharlieS said:
@TeCKis300 If the system as installed now doesn't protect his starting battery (with some sort of low voltage disconnect) how would adding another battery linked to the first help (except to take longer for parasitic drain to kill both batteries)?

I leave a trickle charger on the vehicles I use infrequently. If you can't/don't want to do that, what about installing a battery disconnect? Disconnect the battery when in long term storage.

I have a Redarc BCDC and it has a built in low voltage disconnect, and while I can't show objective proof that it works, my understanding is that is what it is supposed to do. I have a solenoid wired for a self jump setup, so I can jump start myself if the starting battery dies.
Click to expand...

i've been running 2 yellow tops in KISS method for 8 months now - no parasitic drain. Think of it as one large battery. The ground is moved over to the passenger side and I have 4/0 cables running between the yellows.
 
TeCKis300 said:
I'd recommend the following which is to join both batteries in a single bank.
Click to expand...

I can't for the life of me figure out why you would recommend this, for this situation. It won't solve his problem, in fact it might make it WORSE. Maybe I'm missing something.

Go off and leave the truck unattended with nothing to recharge the batteries. Come back later to BOTH batteries dead.

I have the Blue Sea ML-ACR solenoid isolator, and when the engine is not running, I can hear it THUNK and disconnect the batteries. I can also manually force them to be disconnected by the switch on the dash. This leave the aux house battery isolated, and if there is no load, it will be the "backup" battery that can be bridged (again, using the switch) to start the truck if the primary starting battery goes dead.

The Redarc system is also very nice, I believe has similar protection system and ability (with an add-on relay) to bridge the batteries for starting. I went with the Blue Sea because it was a lot less money, but if I was gonna do it again, I might go with the Redarc.
 
CharlieS said:
@TeCKis300 If the system as installed now doesn't protect his starting battery (with some sort of low voltage disconnect) how would adding another battery linked to the first help (except to take longer for parasitic drain to kill both batteries)?

I leave a trickle charger on the vehicles I use infrequently. If you can't/don't want to do that, what about installing a battery disconnect? Disconnect the battery when in long term storage.

I have a Redarc BCDC and it has a built in low voltage disconnect, and while I can't show objective proof that it works, my understanding is that is what it is supposed to do. I have a solenoid wired for a self jump setup, so I can jump start myself if the starting battery dies.
Click to expand...

^Good question. Short answer, is that given enough time, it will still drain.

What I'm getting at is if there's a charging problem, then no protection from drain will matter. His system is not working well because it's always undercharged in some way. To add insult to injury, because the batts have been systemically undercharged, the batts are also prematurely degrading to the point of failure. Just about the worse thing that can be done to flooded lead acids (FLA) of any type, is to undercharge them as they will sulfate and go down the slippery slope of permanently losing capacity.

Your Redarc BCDC system is different and can be setup to work well. It just won't have the same benefits of a single bank with its doubled reserve capacity for everything. The KISS method also likely charges faster as its direct from alternator.
 
I guess that I read this "Sometimes I have let my cruiser sit for a long time when I am gone. Of course all those computers we have on a 200 drain the main battery after a while. Then it drains the auxiliary battery." and assumed that the primary issue is discharge while sitting due to parasitic loads from factory loads. That may have been a set of bad assumptions?
 
@TeCKis300 I love you brother but your views on this topic have always been very biased. Why build a system, any system, that would allow you to kill both batteries at once, every time you run it down past what... 50%? Kill one, keep the other (starter - the actual important one) healthy. Then, based on what you have to charge - alternator, AC, solar, etc... connect them and charge them back up. You can easily "maintain" a battery when you get home to fully charge. And if you need more power, add lithium, once giant battery bank w/ two different size batteries is KISS but also lazy.

The parasitic draw of the IBS systems is a known issue. Blue Sea ACR all the way.
 
Different strokes for different folks. You guys are potentially solving a different problem. Perhaps one not as significant as you make it out to be. I use my vehicle camping just as you all. My battery does not go dead.

If we assume a standard car can sit for at most 2 moths before going dead... A dual bank setup will still only sit for, 2 mths. A combined single bank will do it for 4 mths. That fridge of yours will go for twice as long (isn't that the real goal? Or maybe I'm the one that still doesn't get it). Batts should never be allowed to go dead. Because that will damage your battery anyways.

If there were a situation, or parasitic draw that really depletes a battery fully dead (provided that charging actually works), what you need is
1) More reserve (see KISS)
2) Low voltage disconnect
3) A charge source like solar or float charger for really extended periods
4) Lithium jumper is probably always good to have

None of the above is solved by a dual bank, other than you have recourse. But so is #4, for far cheaper.

Understand I'm not suggesting what I recommend without consideration. I don't shy away from challenging classic notions of what something should be, especially marketing spiel. I get paid to design complicated systems for a living. Complexity should be rooted in value/benefit/use case. It's just my .02 cents anyways.
 
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RET2 said:
I'll take door #4 for the win Alex. You'd have to be old to undrstand.
Click to expand...

OK, but what is costume did you wear that got you picked by Monty Hall? 😬
 
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Blasst said:
Sometimes I have let my cruiser sit for a long time when I am gone. Of course all those computers we have on a 200 drain the main battery after a while. Then it drains the auxiliary battery.
Click to expand...

Unless installed incorrectly this can not happen. The solenoid disconnects the batteries from each other. If you have a parasitic drain on the main battery it can not drain the 2nd battery when the solenoid is disconnected. The only way this can happen if there is also a parasitic drain on the 2nd battery.
 
RET2 said:
A little birdy whispered NOCO in my ear.:grinpimp:
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Oops! See corrected typos above... :)

And ya... Big Noco for the backup win. I can’t remember the last time I charged it...and after multiple jumps for others, the thing still sits at 100% after many months in truck.
 
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