Victron Battery Monitor Troubleshooting

[Blitz]

As part of my rewiring project this winter most of the primary battery wires to the batteries were changed in addition to installing the replacement charger. I'm also finally getting around to installing a Victron Battery monitor (BMV-602S) that I purchased almost two years ago but never installed until now since I was waiting to do it all at once.

Unfortunately, it appears I'm getting no response from the unit at all. I installed all the items per the instructions and there is power to both fused leads (each battery bank) going to the shunt. The monitor shows no power at all (no lights, no readout) and was wondering if there are any troubleshooting tips I could get or any tests I can do with a simple multi meter to test the display monitor or the shunt. Since it all wired up and installed, pulling it all apart would be fustrating to do over and I'm hoping there are some simple tests I could do to correct it.

Some things I've checked so far are:
1 - Positive power is definitely going from the batteries to the shunt (+B1 & +B2)
2 - The negative cable has been set up correctly and have good grounds.
3 - battery charger works, as well as loading through house bank to main distribution panel.
4 - all connections are tight.
5 - I checked multiple 6 pin Cables for the UTP cable with no difference.

I have a email into Victron, and any information I might receive I'll share with the forum.

Thanks - Neal

 

[Stu Jackson]

Neil, your photo looks like you installed it correctly. Have you checked the fuses?

 

[Don12364]

1 - Positive power is definitely going from the batteries to the shunt (+B1 & +B2)

Presumably only via the Positive Supply cable.

I note from the diagram in the "Quick Install guide":- http://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Quick install guide - BMV602 - rev 00 website - EN.pdf
that the shunt is in the negative side of the system so your connections look okay.

The unit should come on as soon as +12V is applied and if your connections are good, and they can hardly be anything else, - then either the fuseholder is bad or the fuse is blown - or missing?
However; it might run from either positive battery cable but if you only have one battery then make sure it is plugged into the "B1" socket and you are using the "Pos Supply Cable #1".

And let us know please for the benefit of others.
Rgds.

 

[Blitz]

Yes, I checked the fuses visually and with an ohm meter. I also disconnected the little red leads into the shunt to prove there was power. Thinking either the circuit board on the shunt is bad, or the monitor is bad. Don't know why or how though.

 

[Fred Villiard]

The shunt should be in the negative not the positive

Fred

 

[Fred Villiard]

Sorry the pics show it right but in your text you said it was in the positive

Fred

 

[mitiempo]

Victron's shunt is unique - it monitors the negative cable but also has positive connections as shown below.

 

[Mike B]

The shunt also has a polarity to it. Something I missed when I installed my BMV600. Although it still showed data the values were negative. Not sure if it could cause your problem but may be worth checking.

 

[Blitz]

The shunt also has a polarity to it. Something I missed when I installed my BMV600. Although it still showed data the values were negative. Not sure if it could cause your problem but may be worth checking.

Yes, as you can see from the installation instructions, the UTP cable is closest to the neg bolt terminal on the shunt that goes to the the house battery, or battery #1. This is the same as my pdf. I double checked this also and thought this was the problem and delayed my post till I had a chance to check it in person and take/label my pdf.

Victron responded that they are going to get back to me but their quick review was that it was wired correctly. Hope to hear more tomorrow.

 

[Maine Sail]

Yes, as you can see from the installation instructions, the UTP cable is closest to the neg bolt terminal on the shunt that goes to the the house battery, or battery #1. This is the same as my pdf. I double checked this also and thought this was the problem and delayed my post till I had a chance to check it in person and take/label my pdf.

Victron responded that they are going to get back to me but their quick review was that it was wired correctly. Hope to hear more tomorrow.

Neal,

I have had a bad power wire from Victron before. I REALLY dislike those cheap fuse holders they ship so I snip it off and insert an ATC or ATM holder..

If you ARE getting power at the shunt end then your shunt PC board is bad or the gauge is likely bad. Have not seen either one though and I have gone through and sold a LOT of these..

Note the ATM fuse holder..

 

[Bill Roosa]

I'm assuming you only intended to monitor the house bank as the reserve bypasses the shunt.
Nice install and craftsman ship on the cables and labling, don't see that much in boats.

I'd try wiggling the power connectors, perhaps the unit has some oxide on the terminals after storage for so long.

 

[Maine Sail]

I'm assuming you only intended to monitor the house bank as the reserve bypasses the shunt.
Nice install and craftsman ship on the cables and labling, don't see that much in boats.

I'd try wiggling the power connectors, perhaps the unit has some oxide on the terminals after storage for so long.

The BMV-602 only monitors the voltage of a second bank. In order to monitor a second bank for current the battery monitor would need two shunts.

The reserve battery is supposed to be on the load side of the shunt to accurately measure what is going into or out of the house bank. If not wired on the load side the monitor can get out of whack when the BOTH setting or a VSR is used...

 

[Blitz]

I'm assuming you only intended to monitor the house bank as the reserve bypasses the shunt.
Nice install and craftsman ship on the cables and labling, don't see that much in boats.

I'd try wiggling the power connectors, perhaps the unit has some oxide on the terminals after storage for so long.

Yes - I'm only monitoring the house bank for amps, but with the BMV-602S it also monitors the reserve bank for volts (not much use but better than nothing).

I tried wiggling the connections to the shunt and the fuse themselves in frustration -with no change.

I'll recheck the power at the shunt end for those leads when I get back to the boat, but I did check the ohms through these tiny leads with fuses before installing. I didn't really like those tiny leads and fuse holders either but went with them for simplicity since the ends on them fit at the shunt. I'm guessing they are like #22 wire or smaller, kind of hard to pair up with a nomal size ATC/ATM fuse holder although it seems MaineSail has done it.

 

[Maine Sail]

I'm guessing they are like #22 wire or smaller, kind of hard to pair up with a nomal size ATC/ATM fuse holder although it seems MaineSail has done it.

Step down butt connectors blue to red work well. I forget if I double over the Victron wire or not...... If it fits loose in the red end of a blue/red step down butt strip the red wire longer and fold it over.

 

[Ron20324]

Neal, I installed the 600 back in the spring. If you can, you might move the reserve cable over to the buss bar, off the shunt. The buss is more robust. Same reason that you should avoid more than one large cable on a bettery lug.

 

[Gary_H]

One of the cables coming from the buss bar grounds on the engine ...right?

All that matters for it to work is that you complete the circuit with the battery..

 

[Blitz]

One of the cables coming from the buss bar grounds on the engine ...right?

Yes, it's a good ground 1/0 to engine. Just at boat and the ground checks good.

Think Maine Sail is onto something; using multi meter tested voltage at battery terminals - 12.19 volts. This was consistent voltage reading anywhere in system using multi ground points (shunt lugs, neg bus bar, engine, etc) and multiple positive points (at 1-2 both switch, on battery terminal, etc).

The only exception was those tiny positive leads at the shunt which measured only 10.91 volts! Those leads are not very good if there is that much resistance on them (Maine Sail pointed out he replaces them). Oh and I wiggled these leads throughout their length and the voltage of 10.91 didn't change.

Think proves that these tiny positive leads to the shunt need replacing but thought it should still fire up even at reduced voltage. Any thoughts?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Thoughts on voltage: 12.2V? Are you on a mooring?

10.9 V to the unit would most likely not turn it on, although you'd have to read the specs on the unit to find the range of voltages it requires.

Wiggling wires usually does nothing helpful, other than sometimes identifying a loose connection, or creating sparks!

I'd do two things: charge your house bank up to full for 12.7V (although you'd see the same voltage drop proportionally - but you may just may get the monitor to light), and replace the small power red + wiring, including those fuseholders that MS mentioned and carefully reconnect from the wires to those plugs into the shunt. Cut pretty far back from the plugs in case you have to do it over, you don't wanna run out of wire to those special plugs.

That's what I'd do if it was my boat.

Good luck.

Nice wiring job, BTW.

 

[feltensteingw]

Try replacing the fuses. I had the exact same problem out of the box and discovered that the product shipped with some weird type of fuse that was clearly incorrect and was causing the voltage to drop to 10.2v, which would not get the unit going. I was confused because I was getting a connection and voltage and assumed I was good. Just before sending the thing back, I replaced with 1amp fuses and it worked. Weird, hu?

 

[Ron20324]

You probably moved that coil of wire, but might it be too close to those high-current cables? I put all my excess at the display end.