Split charging relay question

[Loz]

I think your battery 75A fuse is blown (you may have blown it when you removed it because the cable is still live from the front battery.)
It should link similar to this;


Have you checked this fuse?

 

[Richiebrouwer]

I think your battery 75A fuse is blown (you may have blown it when you removed it because the cable is still live from the front battery.)
It should link similar to this;
View attachment 62062

Have you checked this fuse?
View attachment 62063

I gonna check it, thanks for reply

 

[Roger Donoghue]

Thread ressurection. Just installed a kit into a 6.1 ocean, with dual charger, and have done many before with zero issues. Pleanty of 6.1 Oceans done.

On this one, the Starter Battery live side on the split charging relay is dead. The relay works, and energises on startup, but the Starter side just then just shows the LB voltage (as the relay is now closed). Engine off, and the relay clicks open, and the starter side is dead again. More below image.



I connect to the right of the relay, which is always fine. Until today. Cali control panel confirms there is no engine charging happening.

So, .... where is the fuse for the relay to starter battery link in a 6.1 ocean? I had a look under the bonnet and only found two strip fuses on top of the battery, going to two red wires. Both strip fuses checked out OK.

Does the 6.1 also have a fuse panel under the front leisure battery? I didn't want to pull the battery out as I would not have had a fuse to replace ti with if I did find it.

 

[Californication69]

Thread ressurection. Just installed a kit into a 6.1 ocean, with dual charger, and have done many before with zero issues. Pleanty of 6.1 Oceans done.

On this one, the Starter Battery live side on the split charging relay is dead. The relay works, and energises on startup, but the Starter side just then just shows the LB voltage (as the relay is now closed). Engine off, and the relay clicks open, and the starter side is dead again. More below image.

View attachment 94203

I connect to the right of the relay, which is always fine. Until today. Cali control panel confirms there is no engine charging happening.

So, .... where is the fuse for the relay to starter battery link in a 6.1 ocean? I had a look under the bonnet and only found two strip fuses on top of the battery, going to two red wires. Both strip fuses checked out OK.

Does the 6.1 also have a fuse panel under the front leisure battery? I didn't want to pull the battery out as I would not have had a fuse to replace ti with if I did find it.

@Roger Donoghue did you ever get a reply to this question?
I’m wondering now if my Epever duo racer is actually providing any juice into the starter battery?
How could I tell if I have a connection from the right hand side of the relay to the starter battery.
Can I do a volt meter test from this connector (right side to earth body of chassis and see if I have 12 / 13 / 14 v ?

 

[Roger Donoghue]

Yep - customer had a blown main strip-fuse. They are located under a cover - don't have the details to hand.

If the right hand battery icon on the Epever display shows up, at all, then its connected. "Start" is what its labelled as. If its not connected then no battery icon shows at all.

If you want to test your relay with a meter, then right hand connection to positive meter lead, chassis earth to negative meter lead - you should get around 12.6v. (you can open the bonnet and meter your starter battery direct to see if it's the same, to confirm you have the right one) Prob a touch less than 12.6v unless you've driven recently. The left hand relay connection should meter whatever your leisure battery voltage is at that time.

The Evpever won't charge the starter unless it drops down under 12.6v, OR, the panel has loads of unneeded power and can spare it. The "start" battery icon will almost always sit at "half full" as that is actually 12.6v, which is 100% full, but it has to leave some bars to allow for showing a higher voltage under charge. The starter charging with the Epever is solely meant to be a maintenance / emergency charge.

 

[Californication69]

Yep - customer had a blown main strip-fuse. They are located under a cover - don't have the details to hand.

If the right hand battery icon on the Epever display shows up, at all, then its connected. "Start" is what its labelled as. If its not connected then no battery icon shows at all.

If you want to test your relay with a meter, then right hand connection to positive meter lead, chassis earth to negative meter lead - you should get around 12.6v. (you can open the bonnet and meter your starter battery direct to see if it's the same, to confirm you have the right one) Prob a touch less than 12.6v unless you've driven recently. The left hand relay connection should meter whatever your leisure battery voltage is at that time.

The Evpever won't charge the starter unless it drops down under 12.6v, OR, the panel has loads of unneeded power and can spare it. The "start" battery icon will almost always sit at "half full" as that is actually 12.6v, which is 100% full, but it has to leave some bars to allow for showing a higher voltage under charge. The starter charging with the Epever is solely meant to be a maintenance / emergency charge.

Great information @Roger Donoghue
Thank you !
I’ve left dashcam on for 24 hours and just checked my Lesuire battery and it looks like this.

Starter battery is at 13.2v

Fridge is still off.
I heard fridge will last for 3 days with a 100w Solar power panel. With no driving or max charge used.

 

[Roger Donoghue]

On a Cali Ocean (2 batteries) your fridge should run on medium for about 4 days. No solar. No charging.

With 100w solar, it should run, in summer, ....for ever.....

 

[Californication69]

On a Cali Ocean (2 batteries) your fridge should run on medium for about 4 days. No solar. No charging.

With 100w solar, it should run, in summer, ....for ever.....

I’ll give the Solar panel a clean tomorrow and put fridge on and see how it goes …
Fridge will be on 4.
Fridge has about 10 cans of ice cold Pepsi and 8 bottles of beer.
Thank you for you help with this

 

[dspuk]

On a Cali Ocean (2 batteries) your fridge should run on medium for about 4 days. No solar. No charging.

With 100w solar, it should run, in summer, ....for ever.....

We can verify this. We had our fridge on for a weekend party to store food overflow for 4 days. The hot weekend we had thats seems to have gone now. Full batteries from the panel.

 

[Californication69]

We can verify this. We had our fridge on for a weekend party to store food overflow for 4 days. The hot weekend we had thats seems to have gone now. Full batteries from the panel.

Thank you.
Just checked and I had 35 watts of power.
California is covered in sap and Sahara dust.
Cleaned solar panel and now getting 59.9 watts of power.
I’ll let it run with dashcam and fridge on for a few days now.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

We can verify this. We had our fridge on for a weekend party to store food overflow for 4 days. The hot weekend we had thats seems to have gone now. Full batteries from the panel.

agree with above, our Dometic coolbox has been switched on in the back of the van 24/7 for 2 years now - doubles as a beer fridge at home…it’s never run out of power.

 

[Califan61]

Yep - customer had a blown main strip-fuse. They are located under a cover - don't have the details to hand.

If the right hand battery icon on the Epever display shows up, at all, then its connected. "Start" is what its labelled as. If its not connected then no battery icon shows at all.

If you want to test your relay with a meter, then right hand connection to positive meter lead, chassis earth to negative meter lead - you should get around 12.6v. (you can open the bonnet and meter your starter battery direct to see if it's the same, to confirm you have the right one) Prob a touch less than 12.6v unless you've driven recently. The left hand relay connection should meter whatever your leisure battery voltage is at that time.

The Evpever won't charge the starter unless it drops down under 12.6v, OR, the panel has loads of unneeded power and can spare it. The "start" battery icon will almost always sit at "half full" as that is actually 12.6v, which is 100% full, but it has to leave some bars to allow for showing a higher voltage under charge. The starter charging with the Epever is solely meant to be a maintenance / emergency charge.

Hi @Roger Donoghue & @Loz I am having a similar issue with my 6.1 Ocean (2024) as Roger has seen so hope he can help locate the fuse mentionwd (under the cover). I have removed the passenger seat and tested the voltage at the split charge relay. LH leisure battery terminal is fine but the RH starter battery terminal there is no volts with nothing switched on. I did a bit of further testing to confirm the relay was working ie engine started - i get the leisure battery voltage on both terminals. With ehu connected it also showing voltage at both terminals so assumed the 60a fuse talked about at #26 may have blown, thw relay is getting warm while on EHU suggesting current is flowing to hold the relay open? (my cali has never put any charge into the starter while on EHU which i raised with the dealer and they said it was normal for t6.1? So I was trying to fit a battery master from Vanbitz to offset my drain (as a temporary solution for dashcam etc drain) but i cannot find 60a fuse (at least not in the same location as shown at #26). I assume the 100a fuse under the battery is OK as some systems are working?
Update - I have the relevant fuses so may take the battery out to chwck fuses if i cannot prove its ok.

Please can anyone advice where I might find the 60a fuse 9n a t6.1 and whether my assumption about the 100a fuse under the starter battery is valid?

I will disconnect the starter battery lead to the relay to confirm that fuses on that line are intact. os there anything wlse I can do?

 

[Califan61]

The 80A fuse is here;
View attachment 42220

Do you know where this fuse is on a 6.1 ocean, I can’t see it but did wonder if it has moved to the LB terminal?

 

[sidepod]

Do you know where this fuse is on a 6.1 ocean, I can’t see it but did wonder if it has moved to the LB terminal?

Under passenger seat?

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Do you know where this fuse is on a 6.1 ocean, I can’t see it but did wonder if it has moved to the LB terminal?

Might this help?

Volkswagen California fuse box diagrams for all years - StartMyCar

www.startmycar.com

 

[Califan61]

Under passenger seat?

I guess its under there but this is my cali and it isnt where i was expecting it, next to the SCR. I have drained the leisue batteroes down abit with the fridge and started the engine to see if they recieve any charge and im not getting anything even on max charge, the display shows a 1a draw.

 

[Califan61]

Might this help?

Volkswagen California fuse box diagrams for all years - StartMyCar

www.startmycar.com

Thats a great resource thanks, it doesnt show the fuse box under the seat unfortunately. I believe the fuse boxes are called - SH is the main one and SG is on the battery positive post.

My issue is there is no SB voltage at the split charge relay terminal suggesting a fuse has blown. I can hear the relay working and if left it gets warm. I suspect the 100a fuse under the battery which is shown in that resouce. I would like to prove that is the issue before trying to access it. At least I have the big fuses now.

 

[sidepod]

I suggest you invest 7 Euro and spend an hour on Erwin to find specific info for your vehicle.

Use the VIN specific search so you get exactly your van.

If there is a fuse , the wiring schematic will give you the location.

Are you sure there’s not another relay that sends juice to the split charge when the engine is running? Sounds mad but I’ve seen it before.

Starting at both ends of the offending cable, just do a visual and trace back as far as you can see.

 

[sidepod]

Ok given that my van is the same as @Califan61 and the problem may well become my problem at some point, I took a wander around on Erwin.

So the two fuse that control the SB connection to the split charge relay are SJ1 and SJ2.

Both of these are located under the square black cover on top the battery. See pic below.

SJ1 is essentially the input to the SJ busbar from the SB. SJ2 feeds out from the busbar to the split charge relay.

I did download all of the locations etc from Erwin but I’m not sure I’m allowed to re-print here?

Anyway, here’s my photo of my SJ box.
The actual fuse links are covered but a simple continuity test should prove the link.

SJ1 is the big black one on the left. SJ 2 is the first red one to the right.

 

[Califan61]

I suggest you invest 7 Euro and spend an hour on Erwin to find specific info for your vehicle.

Use the VIN specific search so you get exactly your van.

If there is a fuse , the wiring schematic will give you the location.

Are you sure there’s not another relay that sends juice to the split charge when the engine is running? Sounds mad but I’ve seen it before.

Starting at both ends of the offending cable, just do a visual and trace back as far as you can see.

Thanks, not heard of Erwin but im happy to pay for access the help resolve the issue. Can you share a link as did a search and cannot see a way to pay and gain access. Im not sure of anything currently as my wiring doesnt seem to be the same as others

 

[sidepod]

Your wiring will be the same. The fuse you need is on top of your SB as I’ve shown.

Here’s the link. Just register and pay for an hour.

erWin Online | Volkswagen of America | erWin Online

vw-us.erwin-store.com

 

[Califan61]

Ok given that my van is the same as @Califan61 and the problem may well become my problem at some point, I took a wander around on Erwin.

So the two fuse that control the SB connection to the split charge relay are SJ1 and SJ2.

Both of these are located under the square black cover on top the battery. See pic below.

SJ1 is essentially the input to the SJ busbar from the SB. SJ2 feeds out from the busbar to the split charge relay.

I did download all of the locations etc from Erwin but I’m not sure I’m allowed to re-print here?

Anyway, here’s my photo of my SJ box.
The actual fuse links are covered but a simple continuity test should prove the link.

SJ1 is the big black one on the left. SJ 2 is the first red one to the right.

View attachment 142019

Thanks for the image and terminal identity and locations. That does make more sense ie altenator is the large cable going via the 400a fuse to tge battery and 200a to the SCR. however I checked those when I took that fuse box off yesterday. All appears sound, however my fuse box does not have the wire labelled 2 on anything connected to the terminal. See attached. I cannot find the other end of the SB wire going to the split charge relay. My cali is a fwd 200PS DSG, do you have 4wd?

Last night I charged up the SB and drained the LB's so I could test that charge is going into the LBs. It isn't, even when max charge selected. Im getting a consistant 1 amp draw and only 12v on the display while the starter battery is receiving 14.5+ volts (from BT monitor) so the altenator is working fine.

Im sure the system has worked but I havent used that function for a while so I xould be mistaken.


If someone can share the Erwin portal link

 

[Califan61]

Your wiring will be the same. The fuse you need is on top of your SB as I’ve shown.

Here’s the link. Just register and pay for an hour.

erWin Online | Volkswagen of America | erWin Online

vw-us.erwin-store.com

Thanks for the help, i'll have a look. I dont have a cable going to position 2, see my last post images.

 

[sidepod]

Ok that’s odd then.

So you need to trace where the cable on your split charge relay goes to.

It must go somewhere and can only be either the SB or the alternator otherwise the leisure battery will not charge.

Did you own the van from new? Have any other modifications been made?

 

[sidepod]

You have something connected to S6, I don’t. Could that be the link to the split charge relay?

You have something connected to S6 as well as a red cable, a charger unit? Has someone moved the link from S2 to S6?