RedArc BCDC help

[IslandCruiser23]

That doesn’t seem right to me.

I’d ask the guys at Duggy’s why they did this.

The Redarc installation manual says to leave the blue wire disconnected for vehicles with voltage sensing alternators. The Land Cruiser 200 has a voltage sensing alternator.

One more thought - I’d make sure they installed your rear cigarette lighter to the auxiliary battery. That add-a-fuse could just as easily be to feed 12v power to the new rear cigarette lighter circuit, which would also explain a draw on your primary battery.

You could easily pull that add-a-fuse out, replace it with the proper amp fuse for that location and retry your lightbulb test.

1250 Manual for reference:

https://www.redarc.com.au/Content/Images/uploaded/BCDC1250D%20Instruction%20Manual.pdf

This seems much much harder that it should be..

The LC does NOT have a "variable voltage alternator". It should NOT have the blue wires connected wire connected to anything. on my LC200, I have no wires going to the engine compartment fuse box.

I would disconnect that wire from fuse box and see if the DC-DC operates correctly.

my 2ct..

 

[IslandCruiser23]

This seems much much harder that it should be..

The LC does NOT have a "variable voltage alternator". It should NOT have the blue wires connected wire connected to anything. on my LC200, I have no wires going to the engine compartment fuse box.

I would disconnect that wire from fuse box and see if the DC-DC operates correctly.

my 2ct..

It looks like that wire is tapped into IG2 Main which, when I checked the voltage on my LC, is hot when the car is off. So that would keep the DC-DC on when the car is turned off. Unplug that wire and it should work fine..

 

[TeCKis300]

@NITC has the right answer and the symptoms are consistent with the blue wire being connected.

Basically, the BCDC is continuing to charge the aux battery with the engine off (as it would down to 11.9V as per the table posted by @CharlieS above). This is also evident by the aux batt reading 13.2V+. Normally without an active charge source, it's expected that a lead acid battery would read about 12.7V or lower.

The main battery being drawn down is because it's charging the aux battery. This doesn't necessarily indicate you were drawing directly from it.

 

[duggy]

Hey Tristan, just saw this after browsing Mud today. That wire should not be hooked up, but I will chat with my tech tomorrow to see if there was a reason why this was hooked up. We can easily pull the wire and retest to confirm expected behavior. I'll give you a shout tomorrow.

 

[MCtree]

Hey Tristan, just saw this after browsing Mud today. That wire should not be hooked up, but I will chat with my tech tomorrow to see if there was a reason why this was hooked up. We can easily pull the wire and retest to confirm expected behavior. I'll give you a shout tomorrow.

Thanks, Duc. Please let me know what the technician says.
Unless something changes, my current plan is to unplug that blue wire from the fuse box this weekend and re-run the same test I describe above.

 

[MCtree]

All,
Sorry I took so long to give an update. I think it’s good to have this information out there so as to help others who might have the same issue.

But in short (no wire pun intended), unplugging that blue wire from the redarc did the trick. Now when I run a test with the engine off - plugging in a lamp to the new outlet installed in the back next to the jack - the aux battery runs down first, as one would want/expect.

 

[light1]

Hi everyone - I just received my 200 with the RedArc and 3 batteries, two in the engine bay and one Litium Ion in the trunk. The Li light keeps blinking red...I charged the main battery with an external charger and drove it.

My Spod won't turn on, the installation looks very clean. I can post a picture, any help would be appreciated.

 

[rlynch356]

So there are error codes and there are Charge Indicator codes.
That sounds like a Charge indicator code if only the LI light is illuminating (see page 4)

if all the lights blink that is an error code (page 6)

No idea is you have the BCDC 1225D for this manual but that are the 1240D are the most common...

the SPOD is probably a separate issue which will need to be traced.

 

[CharlieS]

Have any photos? Your description is pretty vague. Do you have power to the SPOD? Do all fuses check out good?

 

[light1]

The lights don’t change whether the car is on or off, the Li just keeps blinking nonstop. I

Here are some pics. Thanks for the assistance, appreciate it!

 

[light1]

Have any photos? Your description is pretty vague. Do you have power to the SPOD? Do all fuses check out good?

No power to spod, i unplugged and replugged the RJ45 looking cable from both the spod and the one under the hood.

 

[light1]

No power to spod, i unplugged and replugged the RJ45 looking cable from both the spod and the one under the hood.

It’s a 1240d. I did unplug the Li cable in the trunk, no change.

 

[FloodHopper]

Which battery is set up to get charged by the BCDC? If the Li-Ion is the only one being charged by it, is the profile wire set correctly?

 

[light1]

The AUX and the Li, I think the issue is that it was fully drained and this is a security mechanism. I need to add more juice to the aux to get it to "restart"...



I need to figure out where to plug in the external charger...don't want to blow anything up. It don't see the standard battery red/black.

 

[rlynch356]

I would put a charger on the actual Lithium battery in the back some where rather than trying to go through the charger.
Use one that has the right profile for lithium.

The Redarc will not function if the output battery is below 4v. It will just be off...
If there is a fault, it looks like either battery, Solar or all lights can indicate it (just reread the manual) - 1 Flash followed by 3.5 sec off is an internal fault which could be bc of the house battery being totally flat below 4v..

Normally the Vehicle light will flash faintly when it's in standby and the car is off... that is normal.

Redarc wiring

Red - To main battery +
Black - To chassis Ground -
Brown - Output to "House" battery (the lithium in this case)
Yellow - Solar Input (uses its own separate ground btw)
Blue (thin) - Unconnected for a LC200
Green & Orange - Connected together for Lithium profile

 

[Idaho Savage]

The Redarc will not function if the output battery is below 4v. It will just be off...
If there is a fault, it looks like either battery, Solar or all lights can indicate it (just reread the manual) - 1 Flash followed by 3.5 sec off is an internal fault which could be bc of the house battery being totally flat below 4v..

Normally the Vehicle light will flash faintly when it's in standby and the car is off... that is normal.

This.

I was chasing a weird issue and finally arrived at the fact that the house battery was simply deteriorating (then dead) and not taking a charge anymore. Occam's Razor and all that.....

 

[light1]

I got it working, spending 2 hours with RedArc didn't help. I plugged my NOCO into the Lithium Ion and put it on the Li mode, it started charging. Turned on the car and both the Redarc and the Spod is working now.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[Youngster]

Hi Guys, Mark Bruce from REDARC here. The BCDC's when wired in your LC200's need not necessarily have the blue ignition wire connected, as stated above your alternators are temperature compensating. When in standby mode, the BCDC 'A' profile light should be flashing, as our product monitors the voltage in the main battery. When we see this main battery voltage rise above 13.2V, we deem this as the engine has started and the alternator is now providing power. The BCDC turns on and the profile 'A' light is now on solid, indicating the BCDC is charging. Now whilst the main battery voltage remains above 12.7Volts, we'll continue to charge and maintain your auxiliary battery and when we sense this main battery voltage to fall below 12.7Volts, we deem this as the engine has turned off and the alternator is no longer supplying power and the BCDC will turn off. Often when you've turn your vehicle off, the BCDC will remain on continuing to maintain the auxiliary at approximately 13.3Volts however once the main battery falls below the 12.7Volts, shortly there after the BCDC will turn off, saving the start battery from over discharge. Current draw when the BCDC is idle, is very low - No Load Current <100mA and Standby Current <8mA. Thanks again guys, I hope this helps... Cheers ; )

Waking up this thread.

My question is how long is the A standby mode need, to turn solid because it’s flashing after I turned the 200 series on? My setup is basic, I just have duel batteries setup my main battery and the aux battery led acid batteries.

Thank you for all your help I also recently purchased this redarc from a mud member.

 

[light1]

Did you charge the auxiliary battery? First charge that then turn on the car . It should stop flashing and all light up

 

[Youngster]

Did you charge the auxiliary battery? First charge that then turn on the car . It should stop flashing and all light up

Okay thank you I will try that first.