Battery charger switching off immediately

[swift1894]

My Mastervolt charger won't stay on anymore ( been OK for 12 years!). The 5 diagonal Amber lights flash on and go out immediately. Any ideas?

[Loafer]

My Mastervolt charger won't stay on anymore ( been OK for 12 years!). The 5 diagonal Amber lights flash on and go out immediately. Any ideas?

 

Presume no output voltage when this happens? What if you disconnect it from your batteries?

[swift1894]

Presume no output voltage when this happens? What if you disconnect it from your batteries?

I'll find out! Might be tomorrow though. Thanks

[Loafer]

I'll find out! Might be tomorrow though. Thanks

 

Make sure you take the cables off the battery AND the charger, positive first, battery end first, with charger off.

 

Apologies if you knew that already.

[swift1894]

Make sure you take the cables off the battery AND the charger, positive first, battery end first, with charger off.

 

Apologies if you knew that already.

Presume you mean " no output voltage" to the batteries from the charger

 

I disconnected the cables to the batteries, turned genny on and got 14.65v output from the charger,so it ain't broken I presume.

So I'm going to reconnect the batteries and see what happens.

 

Charger started up but turned off after a minute.

 

Just checked genny voltage.....265v!!!!!!!!

Could this be the reason why the charger doesn't want to play?

Edited March 16, 2016 by swift1894

[swift1894]

Checked fault finder for charger ...." Input voltage must be between 190 and 260v ( nominal 230v)"

Could that extra 5v be the problem?

[riki]

Presume you mean " no output voltage" to the batteries from the charger

 

I disconnected the cables to the batteries, turned genny on and got 14.65v output from the charger,so it ain't broken I presume.

So I'm going to reconnect the batteries and see what happens.

 

Charger started up but turned off after a minute.

 

Just checked genny voltage.....265v!!!!!!!!

Could this be the reason why the charger doesn't want to play?

 

 

what type of genny is it as in inverter or old style if it is an avr controlled genny you have a small screw on the avr

that is used to trim (turn it up or down) the voltage output . you could all so check the voltage of the battery's when they are

disconnected to make sure they are all right some chargers wont chare into a bad battery as a safety feature to stop gassing

I should also add some of the inverter gennys also have a trim screw

Edited March 16, 2016 by riki

[blackrose]

Just checked genny voltage.....265v!!!!!!!!

Could this be the reason why the charger doesn't want to play?

 

Yes. A neighbour of mine had exactly this problem with a Mastervolt 100/2000 combi. We spent ages trying to work out what it was, checking and changing settings, checking connections, scratching our heads, even sent it back to the place he bought it from to have it checked (it was ok), reinstalled it - same problem... Eventually someone else noticed the shore power voltage was up around 263v.

 

You just don't think that the shore supply voltage is at fault - mind you, yours is from a generator. What's the generator?

 

Running an top brand, expensive, sophisticated combi from a cheapo generator seems inherently wrong to me. Not that I know much about electrics - and assuming that's what you're doing. I just think Mastervolts and Victrons are a bit too "needy". You're more likely to have joy from the opposite setup (expensive generator + cheap marine charger). I never have any problems with my Honda generator + Sterling charger - and my charger never cut out when we had the high shore power voltages.

Edited March 16, 2016 by blackrose

[riki]

you have no need to buy a Honda genny I have been using my kipor ig1000 for the last 5 years now

and had no problems what so ever with it and it has lived all its life in the open on my back deck I

run a sterling 1600/80 combie and when shes moored close enough my miusses 25a charger at the same time

my combie is set to 30a it also ran her victron 1600/70 combie no probs its set to 40a

Edited March 16, 2016 by riki

[swift1894]

 

Presume you mean " no output voltage" to the batteries from the charger

I disconnected the cables to the batteries, turned genny on and got 14.65v output from the charger,so it ain't broken I presume.

So I'm going to reconnect the batteries and see what happens.

Charger started up but turned off after a minute.

Just checked genny voltage.....265v!!!!!!!!

Could this be the reason why the charger doesn't want to play?

 

 

what type of genny is it as in inverter or old style if it is an avr controlled genny you have a small screw on the avr

that is used to trim (turn it up or down) the voltage output . you could all so check the voltage of the battery's when they are

disconnected to make sure they are all right some chargers wont chare into a bad battery as a safety feature to stop gassing

I should also add some of the inverter gennys also have a trim screw

 

Is the avr screw there to adjust the engine speed or is that the trim screw?

 

The batteries are new

[Loafer]

Presume you mean " no output voltage" to the batteries from the charger

 

I disconnected the cables to the batteries, turned genny on and got 14.65v output from the charger,so it ain't broken I presume.

So I'm going to reconnect the batteries and see what happens.

 

Charger started up but turned off after a minute.

 

Just checked genny voltage.....265v!!!!!!!!

Could this be the reason why the charger doesn't want to play?

 

Yes, almost certainly, but I don't have a solution for that, really sorry.

 

I would say though, that any generator should be 'fit for purpose' and give you a workable 230-250V AC. You don't HAVE to have a posh Honda, as many folk will confirm.

[blackrose]

you have no need to buy a Honda genny I have been using my kipor ig1000 for the last 5 years now

and had no problems what so ever with it and it has lived all its life in the open on my back deck I

run a sterling 1600/80 combie and when shes moored close enough my miusses 25a charger at the same time

my combie is set to 30a it also ran her victron 1600/70 combie no probs its set to 40a

 

I wasn't suggesting the OP needed to buy a Honda generator. I don't even know what generator they have. Kipors are fine, I was talking about cheap generators with poor quality AC outputs.

 

By the way, I don't think it's recommended to leave any portable generator out in the open if it gets wet.

Edited March 16, 2016 by blackrose

[swift1894]

I wasn't suggesting the OP needed to buy a Honda generator. I don't even know what generator they have. Kipors are fine, I was talking about cheap generators with poor quality AC outputs.

 

By the way, I don't think it's recommended to leave any portable generator out in the open if it gets wet.

 

It's a Mastervolt genny.

[blackrose]

It's a Mastervolt genny.

 

Well in that case it's certainly not cheap and should be high quality and compatible with your charger.

 

I wonder why the output voltage is so high? How old is it? Is it still under warranty? In any case I'd contact Mastervolt and ask them to comment.

 

I'm sure we'd all be interested in hearing what they have to say.

Edited March 16, 2016 by blackrose

[Arthur Brown]

My small cheap genny starts at 300v with no load but add a small lamp and it comes into much better regulation. See whether a mains 60 or 100w lamp (real one not led!) will cause the voltage to sag enough to get the charger working. At least you then get a full charge before you start to tinker with warranties etc.

[mrsmelly]

I woulkd just go to the nearest marina or boatyard and plug into their mains for a minute to check if it works then. Save loads of messing about and time and expense if it works on another mains source or gennie.

 

Tim

[blackrose]

I woulkd just go to the nearest marina or boatyard and plug into their mains for a minute to check if it works then. Save loads of messing about and time and expense if it works on another mains source or gennie.

 

Tim

 

Yes, or borrow someone else's generator (edit: sorry you already said that!)

Edited March 16, 2016 by blackrose

[riki]

Is the avr screw there to adjust the engine speed or is that the trim screw?

 

The batteries are new

the trim screw on the avr is there to adjust the voltage adjusting the engine speed

will change the frequency not the voltage . I have never worked on a mastervolt genny

it would be helpful if you could post a photo of it unless you all ready know where the avr is

if its an open frame genny its normally under the cap on the end of the alternator

[Keith M]

Depending on which Mastervolt Generator the output voltage is control by capacitors

 

The capacitors are consider a service item an need replacing every so often 2 or 3 years

 

It also depends on how often the generator is used

 

Keith

[by'eck]

I understand (via PM) the OP has recenty had to replace the field control capacitors again. From memory the standard fitment is 25µF although I got a useful increase in output volts by using a 30µF when I had cause to replace the single one on my brushless Mastervolt Whisper.

 

I wonder if the root cause of the discussed high output voltage is down to this. If so suggest dropping capacitor value by 5µF.

[Keith M]

Each generator is set up individually during commissioning at the factory

 

Usually only the 3.5 generators only have one capacitor but it is quite common to find a 3.5 generator with two capacitors

 

The correct values for the capacitors will be on the commission documentation

 

Keith

[swift1894]

I woulkd just go to the nearest marina or boatyard and plug into their mains for a minute to check if it works then. Save loads of messing about and time and expense if it works on another mains source or gennie.

 

Tim

Good idea.

I understand (via PM) the OP has recenty had to replace the field control capacitors again. From memory the standard fitment is 25µF although I got a useful increase in output volts by using a 30µF when I had cause to replace the single one on my brushless Mastervolt Whisper.

 

I wonder if the root cause of the discussed high output voltage is down to this. If so suggest dropping capacitor value by 5µF.

Think (hope) that's the reason. It's a coincidence otherwise.

 

My small cheap genny starts at 300v with no load but add a small lamp and it comes into much better regulation. See whether a mains 60 or 100w lamp (real one not led!) will cause the voltage to sag enough to get the charger working. At least you then get a full charge before you start to tinker with warranties etc.

Worth a try. Thanks. Edited March 17, 2016 by swift1894

[by'eck]

Each generator is set up individually during commissioning at the factory

 

Usually only the 3.5 generators only have one capacitor but it is quite common to find a 3.5 generator with two capacitors

 

The correct values for the capacitors will be on the commission documentation

 

Keith

 

and Whisper 6, 8 and 10 models with only one, as in the case of my Lombardini engined variant.

 

 

Worth a try. Thanks.

 

Not sure what happened but that last quote was from Arthur Brown not myself

 

I'm sure you can solve the issue by lowering excitation capacitors value and/or loading your genny though.

[Arthur Brown]

The suggestion of a small tungsten lamp was to check the premise that voltage regulation IS the cause, and to attempt to enable you to get one full charge anyway, while you get proper attention to the system being sorted out.

[Keith M]

Whisper 6, 8 and 10 models with only one, as in the case of my Lombardini engined variant.

This would be unusually

The generators with a higher outputs have at least two some times three capacitors

I have never seen a unit such as a 6,8 or 10 with only one capacitor

The use of a light to stabilise the output voltage is common to all small generators not just Mastervolt

Keith