Charging System Issue

[medgilmore]

There was a recall on my switching box by Thor

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by medgilmore

There was a recall on my switching box by Thor

Please post more info including a pic of the recall letter - if you have it. A lot of us will be interested.

[ScottyB410]

Originally Posted by Oneilkeys

.......but I can find nowhere that the BIRD or the BIM disconnect the battery banks if one or both is fully charged. The converter/charger drops the voltage down to 13.5 and 13.1 (if it is working properly) as the coach batterys become fully charged, but the alternator does not.

Actually, I believe the BIM will isolate the battery banks once they are charged. In other words, it will isolate (open the combiner in the BIM) which-ever bank is fully charged such as chassis (start) battery bank while you are plugged into shore power at the campsite, or isolate the house batteries while you are driving down the road (should they not be required). This solves the issue of overcharging especially the chassis (starter) batteries while plugged in at the camp site or when you are equalizing the house batteries (which is deadly to the starter batteries).

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by ScottyB410

Actually, I believe the BIM will isolate the battery banks once they are charged. In other words, it will isolate (open the combiner in the BIM) which-ever bank is fully charged such as chassis (start) battery bank while you are plugged into shore power at the campsite, or isolate the house batteries while you are driving down the road (should they not be required). This solves the issue of overcharging especially the chassis (starter) batteries while plugged in at the camp site or when you are equalizing the house batteries (which is deadly to the starter batteries).

Interesting. Do you have some documentation that says this? I have not seen in any forum, that the Progressive Dynamics 4655 conveyer/charger will hurt the starter battery when it automatically goes into the equalization mode. If it is deadly to the starter battery, I would expect to see some evidence of that in Thor products that have retrofitted PD 4655s, since I do not believe that the BIRD will close the Trombetta when the starter battery is fully charged. I have not seen any evidence of starter battery damage in mine, nor is it mentioned in any documentation I have from Progressive Dynamics.

[ScottyB410]

Hey there.
Look at the brochure Section 7 (Highlighted in yellow) I have an information into them to confirm.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by ScottyB410

Hey there.
Look at the brochure Section 7 (Highlighted in yellow) I have an information into them to confirm.

Thanks. I only know enough to be dangerous, but previous discussions in this and another forum seemed to agree that overcharging batteries while the batteries were connected by the solenoid was not a problem. On the converter/charger side the consensus was that with the Trombetta open, the three batteries (2 house and 1 coach) were essentially one battery and the amps from the charger went into which ever battery had the lowest charge until all were fully charged. Then the charger would go to 13.1v to sustain the batteries. From the alternator, the consensus was that there were enough loads on the batteries with the engine running that overcharging - even at long distances- was not a major issue. The equalizing issue has not come up before - to my knowledge. I’ll see if I still have the email of the BIRD man I conversed with several years ago and try to go back and bring up the discussion with him. Whatever, it looks like the BIM is a significant upgrade to the BIRD/Trombetta.