(The battery and monitor thread )Car dead in the middle of the woods

[das mo]

Hi all.

Car is dead.

Battery was at 50% 2 hours back.
We now packed all together and car does not start.

Is there an Ineos support hotline I can call on a Sunday?

Thanks

 

[grenadierboy]

What a great thread, thanks to everyone adding knowledge & tech content (esp. markH, Miki, Andrew, James & others).

Waiting for my car these past months - I have created a list of:

1. Tech details I need to better understand
2. Items I need to buy
3. Preparation things I need to do

and the Aux battery/High load switch panel was on the tech details, because everything I know about 12V electrics, MarkH forgot yesterday!

I am, (as I suspect many owners are), electrically challenged and this tread has provided so much clarity.

 

[bakepl]

It just doesn't do a good job of charging the service battery due to the smart alternator throttling back the voltage. The 250SE fixes that.

Mark, the smartpass will work with a smart alternator if it's connected properly with it's red wire connected to 12 volts as this shows the device a smart alternator is utilised. The red wire of the D250SE is used in the same way to tell it that a smart alternator is being used. When in combination can charge up to 140amps which is impressive. See below images for smart alternator cable.

Below is Jean's image showing red wire is not connected.. therefore smartpass does not know the vehicle has a smart alternator...

 

[Tazzieman]

Mark, the smartpass will work with a smart alternator if it's connected properly with it's red wire connected to 12 volts as this shows the device a smart alternator is utilised. The red wire of the D250SE is used in the same way to tell it that a smart alternator is being used. When in combination can charge up to 140amps which is impressive. See below images for smart alternator cable.

Below is Jean's image showing red wire is not connected.. therefore smartpass does not know the vehicle has a smart alternator...
View attachment 7821119

So why has that red wire not been utilised/connected?

 

[AnD3rew]

So why has that red wire not been utilised/connected?

This is the question.

 

[rovingoz]

Maybe Ineos don't want a possible 80A flowing into a single 105Ah lead acid battery.

 

[bakepl]

So why has that red wire not been utilised/connected?

Yes, can only be answered by Ineos, (as seems Ctek says it needs to be connected), maybe they have some other magic going on.

 

[bemax]

Thank you everyone for the fantastic posts. Unfortunately, I am illiterate in auto electrics. Nevertheless, I plan to install a second cigarette box for my Engel fridge in the right backspace. Question: does it make sense to simply lay a fused cable directly from the auxiliary battery to protect the starter battery and only operate the refrigerator with it? Barney.

I plan to do the same as I do not want to rewire the cables that are now connected to the starter battery.
I will probably install a small extra fuse box to the six battery and connect everything to it that should not drain the starter battery.
Nevertheless I will also purchase a 250 SE (the 250SA seems to be out of production) to make sure that the six battery is charged sufficient.
Any comments about this plan from the members with more knowledge about car electrics than me?

 

[James]

Has anyone with a car explored the potential for isolating the circuits for roof and internal aux power?

hopefully they might be removed from the ‘back’ of the bus, and clipped into a (same brand) bus to be supplied from the smartpass load post. Not sure if that is simple, or heavy surgery.

…and of course to confirm that the ceiling ‘power’ switch would still control what then becomes powered from the secondary battery.

 

[bakepl]

Maybe Ineos don't want a possible 80A flowing into a single 105Ah lead acid battery.

Maybe, will ask my dealer when the car arrives as I need the solar input ability but of course will be guided by what they say. Ctek say in combination suitable for a battery greater than 100ah - see attached.

 

[Tazzieman]

And of course when someone nails the Goldilocks perfect configuration , please post the solution in the tech section!

 

[Orcmurd]

Earlier this month I had a similar problem to the OP when my starter battery was flat and it appeared the Smartpass didn’t use the auxiliary battery to start the car. I’m not convinced the Smartpass works as it should which may be down to how Ineos have installed, smart alternator cable doesn’t appear to be connected or something else.

Hopefully with time, someone will get to the bottom of this but currently the auxiliary battery doesn’t appear to be performing as expected. I’m not sure if the auxiliary battery is even charging properly off the alternator.

 

[Miki]

Hopefully with time, someone will get to the bottom of this but currently the auxiliary battery doesn’t appear to be performing as expected. I’m not sure if the auxiliary battery is even charging properly off the alternator.

See post Post #127 for my theory ...

Buy one of these and prove to yourself what is happening ... 'linky'

 

[bigleonski]

Seriously this post annoys the hell out of me.

How difficult is it for a manufacturer to provide clear, accurate and concise information regarding something THEY have provided at an additional cost. Sheeeess.


Ok, some context- not as annoyed as ASPW is.

 

[Logsplitter]

Here are screen shots from an email request from me and the reply from Ineos regarding this matter. I have posted before but probably in the Battery thread

 

[bakepl]

Here are screen shots from an email request from me and the reply from Ineos regarding this matter. I have posted before but probably in the Battery thread View attachment 7821148View attachment 7821149

which then raises the question for those of us fitting the d205se for solar.... do we connect the red sense wire or not... another question for my dealer.... but then if the smartpass is not working as intended then.... crikey I'm with Bigleonski, how hard can this be....

 

[CountyV8]

Mark, the smartpass will work with a smart alternator if it's connected properly with it's red wire connected to 12 volts as this shows the device a smart alternator is utilised. The red wire of the D250SE is used in the same way to tell it that a smart alternator is being used. When in combination can charge up to 140amps which is impressive. See below images for smart alternator cable.

View attachment 7821117 View attachment 7821118

Below is Jean's image showing red wire is not connected.. therefore smartpass does not know the vehicle has a smart alternator...
View attachment 7821119

same here red wire not connected petrol TM

 

[Logsplitter]

same here red wire not connected petrol TM

+1

 

[AnD3rew]

Here are screen shots from an email request from me and the reply from Ineos regarding this matter. I have posted before but probably in the Battery thread View attachment 7821148View attachment 7821149

I am not 100% convinced they didn’t just make that up. But I don’t have the expertise required to properly test that.

 

[AnD3rew]

Has anyone with a car explored the potential for isolating the circuits for roof and internal aux power?

hopefully they might be removed from the ‘back’ of the bus, and clipped into a (same brand) bus to be supplied from the smartpass load post. Not sure if that is simple, or heavy surgery.

…and of course to confirm that the ceiling ‘power’ switch would still control what then becomes powered from the secondary battery.

In theory this shouldn’t be hard to do, the switches control relays to turn the power on and off. In theory you leave the relay in place but swap the power supply so that it comes from the load terminal of the smartpass. Whether or not this then throws a bunch of Canbus errors and complications is the question that will likely only be answered by the first brave soul to try it.

 

[Logsplitter]

I am not 100% convinced they didn’t just make that up. But I don’t have the expertise required to properly test that.

I have emailed Ctek with the details I posted above and asked about wiring requirements if I add the D250SE. I await their response. But I’m sure someone on this forum has had the D250SE added to their system already so maybe they will see this thread and clarify the situation.