Battery bms stuck in protection mode - in parallel 2 total

[HRTKD]

Thank you and what that first sentence was suppose to ask ?, what batteries are you using…

I built my own batteries using 280 Ah cells. Four cells in series to create a 12 volt battery, two of those batteries in parallel. Each battery uses a 120 amp 4s BMS from Overkill Solar.

 

[MickiF]

Keep in mind that many retail lifepo4 batteries require hitting 14.4-14.6V to trigger the self balancing functions. Without this, your battery can get out of balance over time, which can affect capacity and other things.

Most of the people claiming they never charge more than 13.6-13.8v are using DIY lifepo4 battery packs that have beefy active balancers installed. Unless you want to cut open your battery to install an active balancer, you’ll need to rely upon the built in passive balancing functions.

What I do is use solar to charge to 14.0v and when shore power is available (once a week or so), use my Victron AC 30A charger to charge up to 14.4v

My system charges the batteries when on shore power. I believe this started everything!!! I went a year on with agm and generator (full time) never plugging in. I was so excited to get lithium so I didn’t have to wake up first thing in the morning and look at my battery level . Now I get to deal with this. Probably should’ve just gone further in debt and bought battle borns!

 

[Tomthumb62]

Probably should’ve just gone further in debt and bought battle borns!

Friends don’t let friends buy battle borns unless they have too much money. Buy SOK instead. Or many other good options.

Anyways, we haven’t yet figured out what your problem is. I’m not convinced that it’s your battery, but I think it’s your charger (converter). Get rid of that or just get a decent AC charger. I like the Victron IP22 12v 30A charger as it’s highly programmable and has Bluetooth. $200 or you can find them “open box” for less. Or you can spend $50-100 for a 10-15A basic charger that charges to 14.6V

 

[HRTKD]

I agree with what Tom said above. The batteries are probably just fine. You just charged them a bit too much. Instead of staying on shore power for days, consider plugging in only until the batteries reach the state of charge you want, like 90%.

 

[MickiF]

I agree with what Tom said above. The batteries are probably just fine. You just charged them a bit too much. Instead of staying on shore power for days, consider plugging in only until the batteries reach the state of charge you want, like 90%.

I love when there’s more than one person, saying the same thing! Seriously! The reason I plugged in was to use the air conditioner because it was friggin hot where I was! I was sitting in a parking lot visiting relatives. And even though I preferred not to plug-in, the reality is the system is designed to be able to be plugged in without having an issue or I’m going on for years most of it full-time and did not have this kind of issue with the AGM’s, just had to make sure I was up checking battery levels, bright and early!

 

[Tomthumb62]

I then drove to new destination, batteries 100% full. Now the other one is stuck in protection mode as the battery discharging, to run the rv is now down to 70%.

Going back to your first post on this thread.

What was charging the batteries as you drove? Solar panels? Or do you have some kind of alternator charging?

 

[MickiF]

Going back to your first post on this thread.

What was charging the batteries as you drove? Solar panels? Or do you have some kind of alternator charging?

Yes, alternator while driving. Solar panels on roof (200w). Travato, all wired properly. Also charges by gen and shore. Like I said, they were installed for two weeks just driving and solar and then I plugged in for those four days where it showed they were full of course…

 

[Tomthumb62]

Yes, alternator while driving. Solar panels on roof (200w). Travato, all wired properly. Also charges by gen and shore. Like I said, they were installed for two weeks just driving and solar and then I plugged in for those four days where it showed they were full of course…

Ok back to what I said a couple posts ago. Sounds like there could be something wonky with your shore charging/converter. I don’t know much about them but have heard several people like @HRTKD say that even with the lithium module, they don’t work well. Iirc, there was a long thread a couple of years ago about this.

So the Victron IP22 chargers not only will charge your battery on shore power, they will provide 12v power, with or without a battery attached. A pretty easy install.

But my guess is your converter is also the device that does the alternator charging. Is that so? If so, then replacing it with a Victron DC-DC charger will do that as well but better but the install isn’t as simple. Is there any way you can keep the alternator charging of your converter but not enable the shore part? I mean it can be done with rewiring things but I’m wondering if there’s simply a switch that turns it off?

 

[HRTKD]

The alternator can overcharge the batteries just as well as the shore power can. Do you have a DC-DC charger between the alternator and the LiFePO4 battery bank?

 

[MickiF]

Ok back to what I said a couple posts ago. Sounds like there could be something wonky with your shore charging/converter. I don’t know much about them but have heard several people like @HRTKD say that even with the lithium module, they don’t work well. Iirc, there was a long thread a couple of years ago about this.

So the Victron IP22 chargers not only will charge your battery on shore power, they will provide 12v power, with or without a battery attached. A pretty easy install.

But my guess is your converter is also the device that does the alternator charging. Is that so? If so, then replacing it with a Victron DC-DC charger will do that as well but better but the install isn’t as simple. Is there any way you can keep the alternator charging of your converter but not enable the shore part? I mean it can be done with rewiring things but I’m wondering if there’s simply a switch that turns it off?

This is way beyond my paygrade . The thing that keeps coming back to me is that thousands of people with units just like mine have done a simple lithium upgrade just like I did and have had no problems, but they have used battle born, renogy, etc. I knew I was kind of taking a crapshoot by trying these batteries, but I did do a lot of research and for the most part there were positive reviews… even watched a video that will put out that made it sound like they were fairly well-made. So the answer to your question is I don’t know . But I sure appreciate the effort. The people are putting into helping me figure this out.

 

[MickiF]

The alternator can overcharge the batteries just as well as the shore power can. Do you have a DC-DC charger between the alternator and the LiFePO4 battery bank?

I have a travato that’s wired properly to do a simple lithium change out from the AGMs. I got by for two weeks just using driving and solar and keeping the batteries up just great even to 100% once or twice, with no issues. Unless it was just timing, the only change was using shore power. Which again every other travato owner, I have talked to this changed out to lithiums… Majority battle born, have had no problems, only raving how wonderful it is !

 

[HRTKD]

For now, I think the focus should be on the shore power charging. One problem at a time. Or, let's rule out one culprit at a time.

 

[MickiF]

For now, I think the focus should be on the shore power charging. One problem at a time. Or, let's rule out one culprit at a time.

Ok, I appreciate any direction, though it’s foremost in my mind (and in my house) that that one battery is still in protection mode, doing nothing for 28 hrs now and I have not had shore power since Monday bout 6pm! Thank you!

 

[HRTKD]

Ok, I appreciate any direction, though it’s foremost in my mind (and in my house) that that one battery is still in protection mode, doing nothing for 28 hrs now and I have not had shore power since Monday bout 6pm! Thank you!

The BMS will go into protect mode at X volts. It should then release protection mode once the voltage falls back to Y volts. Somewhere in your BMS those variables are defined.

 

[Tomthumb62]

The thing that keeps coming back to me is that thousands of people with units just like mine have done a simple lithium upgrade just like I did and have had no problems, but they have used battle born, renogy, etc. I knew I was kind of taking a crapshoot by trying these batteries, but I did do a lot of research and for the most part there were positive reviews

Again, I don’t think it’s your batteries. If it was, then you’d also have problems on solar and alternator charging.

And like I said before, there is a LONG thread on here somewhere about someone having a lot of problems with their RV converter and the supposed lithium “upgrade” module. It sounds like it’s over charging your batteries.

CHINS $ are decent batteries, for the price. WAY better than Renogy. Renogy is overpriced $$$, design problems and has horrible customer service, unlike Chins. And there’sa recent thread here about Battleborn $$$$ that makes me seriously question the safety design of their batteries, not to mention they are way way overpriced.

If you are convinced that the only fix is to get different batteries, then do it, but get SOK $$$ or Powerurus $$ instead.

But if I were you, I’d first disconnect your converter (the shoe charging aspect, if possible to disconnect just that part) and get a real lithium charger.

 

[Tomthumb62]

Majority battle born, have had no problems, only raving how wonderful it

lol, this has a lot to do with how much $$$$ they spent on it. The raving is part celebrating a good product but the other part is glorifying how much money they spent, that they’re in “the club”.

Look at Victron products, same deal. I happen to be in that “club”, but unlike Battleborn, I think Victron is worth it and still innovative. God no I would never buy a Victron battery, because they’re like 3x as expensive as a Battleborn, but most of their other equipment is actually a very good buy when you add up the reliability, features, free upgrades and warranty service.

Battleborn apparently was THE sh*t when they first came out. They were way better and actually cheaper. Now they’re 2-3x as expensive as the budget batteries and aren’t offering anything really worth it. And their refusal to warranty their batteries that have factory defects is unconscionable, given the extremely high price they ask for. As a company I don’t see them surviving, as the one and only product they sell they are not even willing to provide a warranty for anymore. Good way to kill a company. Will Prowse even recently took them off his recommended battery list, that’s huge, coming from him!!

Apple has fanboys too. I am a fan and own their iphone, but I’m not a fan of their computers. I think iphone is worth the price but I think their computers are way overpriced.

 

[mikefitz]

You are worried because one of the batteries is in protection mode. You only know this because of the Bluetooth connection.
Without this you would not know about the batteries and just carry on using the van.
It's not a serious issue although would be useful to have a more ideal situation.
Others with a similar system may have a similar condition but unless the batteries have Bluetooth, ( Battleborn dont) they will not know

 

[Tomthumb62]

You only know this because of the Bluetooth connection.
Without this you would not know about the batteries and just carry on using the van.

This. Bluetooth is awesome but the info can be confusing if you don’t know what it means. Your mind can start making up stories that aren’t true, I know mine has!

 

[MickiF]

You are worried because one of the batteries is in protection mode. You only know this because of the Bluetooth connection.
Without this you would not know about the batteries and just carry on using the van.
It's not a serious issue although would be useful to have a more ideal situation.
Others with a similar system may have a similar condition but unless the batteries have Bluetooth, ( Battleborn dont) they will not know

This confuses me… Although I like the sounds of it! Would I not get a longer use of the batteries, without having to worry about recharging, if there are two “working” batteries? Is this actually a “normal” situation with lithium in parallel?

 

[MickiF]

Again, I don’t think it’s your batteries. If it was, then you’d also have problems on solar and alternator charging.

And like I said before, there is a LONG thread on here somewhere about someone having a lot of problems with their RV converter and the supposed lithium “upgrade” module. It sounds like it’s over charging your batteries.

CHINS $ are decent batteries, for the price. WAY better than Renogy. Renogy is overpriced $$$, design problems and has horrible customer service, unlike Chins. And there’sa recent thread here about Battleborn $$$$ that makes me seriously question the safety design of their batteries, not to mention they are way way overpriced.

If you are convinced that the only fix is to get different batteries, then do it, but get SOK $$$ or Powerurus $$ instead.

But if I were you, I’d first disconnect your converter (the shoe charging aspect, if possible to disconnect just that part) and get a real lithium charger.

I’ll look for the thread, but again, so many folks with my same unit have done a swap without issue… again big majority have battle borns… and thanks!