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Re: Echo Charger saga

Reply #75 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67077
Funny on my Echo Charger the LED is for over temp!Mine is wired the same way and mounted on the floor of the inverter comp. Must be the 99 Era! Thanks for sharing. Ken 99 Allure 30356.

Re: Echo Charger saga

Reply #76 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67083
I assume that you were measuring the voltage between the EC wires and ground, not through the EC, and that the two voltages matched those taken when checked at the chassis and domestic (house) banks and that because the chassis voltage was 13.7 VDC and although you didn't mention what it actually was I assume the house voltage was significantly higher although 13.7 VDC sounds right for what the float voltage should be on the house batteries. From this I would conclude that the EC wires are connected to the correct battery banks (red to house, striped to start) and that your EC is, in fact, working if your chassis batteries are maintained at 13.7VDC.

In my case I had new start battery drop to 10VDC after a couple days while the house on the charger/inverter was floating at 13.7 VDC. I've visually checked and the wires on my EC are connected correctly and I'm monitoring the charge status daily. Yesterday my chassis (start) battery was holding at 12.97 VDC which is OK so my system may be working OK after I had brought up the chassis battery up with a battery minder type of charger. Now it's sitting in my shop hooked to shore power and no other charge source than the inverter/charger.

As near as I can tell there is no way to actually determine or test whether these EC's are actually working other than hooking up to shore power and observing the relative voltage of the chassis and domestic batteries. They should stay within 1 VDC of each other assuming no extraordinary draws on either system. If you disconnect the wire from the EC to the chassis battery then the EC has no way to sense the chassis battery status and presumably control current into the EC output to the chassis line. The green light simply indicates the input wire is hooked up to a 12 VDC source - not whether the device is actually working properly.

Stay tuned.

Jim M

'02 Intrigue #11410 ISL 400

Re: Echo Charger saga

Reply #77 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67105
Fred,

Something doesn't sound right. If you remove the EC from the start battery, the voltage at rest should be in the high 12's at best. Having 13.7 with no charging source may indicate a meter problem. The house with the EC unhooked at 13.7 is showing your float voltage from the charger.

Tom

Trans-Specialists/Lifeline Batteries
01 Magna 5999

www.trans-specialists.net

Re: Echo Charger saga

Reply #78 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67110
Tom,

I misspoke. The measurement on the house batteries was 13.7 volts with the charger floating. The measurement of the chassis battery was 12.4 V. The echo charger was exhibiting a "blinking" green light which apparently indicates that the house batteries are less than 13.0V. Since the house batteries were at 13.7V & I was getting no output on the chassis side of the EC, I am assuming the EC is bad.

Fred Compton

2002 Intrigue # 11407
 

Re: Echo Charger saga

Reply #79 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67124
With the voltage measurements indicated and a flashing green light on the EC you might consider the possibility the your EC leads are reversed, that the red one which should go to the domestic house batteries is connected to the chassis starter battery(
The only way to be absolutely sure the EC wires are connected correctly is to remove the inverter compartment wall (the one which contains the inspection panel) clip the retaining ties that holds the wire bundle with the EC leads so they can be tracked to their attachment. The red one should go to the battery boost terminal that goes to the domestic/house batteries. This is the one with one large cable on it. the other terminal has two large cables, one to the starter and the other to the chassis/start battery and should be the one to which the striped (re/yellow) lead is connected.

You describe a blinking green light which indicates

Jim M

'02 Intrigue @11410 ISL 400