trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

Why do you have the solar charging both house and start batteries??
If there is nothing other than the starter drawing of that battery,
why charge it.
You're most likely going to kill it.

I have solar and wind. They go only to the house bank.
The start battery only runs the windlass and starter.
I gets charged by the engine (running) and dockside.

trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

On May 6, 6:21 am, wrote:
Why do you have the solar charging both house and start batteries??
If there is nothing other than the starter drawing of that battery,
why charge it.
You're most likely going to kill it.

I have solar and wind. They go only to the house bank.
The start battery only runs the windlass and starter.
I gets charged by the engine (running) and dockside.

The engine and house are the same size (100ah), I only
have 2 and just use them together, it's not a separate
smaller starter battery.

trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

tom wrote:
On May 6, 6:21 am, wrote:
Why do you have the solar charging both house and start batteries??
If there is nothing other than the starter drawing of that battery,
why charge it.
You're most likely going to kill it.

I have solar and wind. They go only to the house bank.
The start battery only runs the windlass and starter.
I gets charged by the engine (running) and dockside.

The engine and house are the same size (100ah), I only
have 2 and just use them together, it's not a separate
smaller starter battery.

So you actually have one bank with two batteries.

I had an opposite problem - low voltage issues that affected starting
over the years. The final diagnostic that clarified everything for me
was the old "screwdriver across the starter terminals" trick. My
problem was that the "neutral lockout" wires that went back to the gear
shift before feeding the solenoid were too small so the solenoid didn't
always get enough voltage to trip. One thing is that I thought I heard
to solenoid tripping but it was something else clicking - this became
clear when the screwdriver test showed that the solenoid was perfectly
willing to fire when it had sufficient voltage.

WARNING: the "screwdriver test" send a lot of current through the tip -
it will likely be charred and there will be many sparks.

This problem is more perplexing because a high voltage generally cures
more problems than it creates. I can only guess that one of the charge
devices is actually a drain in some situations.

trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

On May 6, 8:23 am, jeff wrote:
tom wrote:
On May 6, 6:21 am, wrote:
Why do you have the solar charging both house and start batteries??
If there is nothing other than the starter drawing of that battery,
why charge it.
You're most likely going to kill it.

I have solar and wind. They go only to the house bank.
The start battery only runs the windlass and starter.
I gets charged by the engine (running) and dockside.

The engine and house are the same size (100ah), I only
have 2 and just use them together, it's not a separate
smaller starter battery.

So you actually have one bank with two batteries.

I had an opposite problem - low voltage issues that affected starting
over the years. The final diagnostic that clarified everything for me
was the old "screwdriver across the starter terminals" trick. My
problem was that the "neutral lockout" wires that went back to the gear
shift before feeding the solenoid were too small so the solenoid didn't
always get enough voltage to trip. One thing is that I thought I heard
to solenoid tripping but it was something else clicking - this became
clear when the screwdriver test showed that the solenoid was perfectly
willing to fire when it had sufficient voltage.

WARNING: the "screwdriver test" send a lot of current through the tip -
it will likely be charred and there will be many sparks.

This problem is more perplexing because a high voltage generally cures
more problems than it creates. I can only guess that one of the charge
devices is actually a drain in some situations.

I actually have 2 solenoids, the starter solenoid of course, then
another
to trip the starter one (yanmar).

trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

This problem is more perplexing because a high voltage generally cures
more problems than it creates. I can only guess that one of the charge
devices is actually a drain in some situations.
Agreed, that's why I think it has to be something electronic (built in
safety
override thingy), I haven't tried to put a meter on it yet, just
thought maybe
somebody knew what it could be off the top of your head.
Note, the newer yanmars come with more electronics; engine panel/tach/
hr
meter. I don't like it.
Should electronics that are design for 12v be able to function at
14v? I would
think so.

trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

tom wrote:
This problem is more perplexing because a high voltage generally cures
more problems than it creates. I can only guess that one of the charge
devices is actually a drain in some situations.
Agreed, that's why I think it has to be something electronic (built in
safety
override thingy), I haven't tried to put a meter on it yet, just
thought maybe
somebody knew what it could be off the top of your head.
Note, the newer yanmars come with more electronics; engine panel/tach/
hr
meter. I don't like it.

I didn't find anything suspicious in my Yanmar panel, for 2GM20FC's with
saildrive, other than overly long, thin wires for the neutral lockout.
I'm a bit surprised it comes with the second solenoid. I was about to
add that to mine when I discovered the wire issue. This does lead to an
easy test - just short the "low current" solenoid output and see of the
starter solenoid trips.

Should electronics that are design for 12v be able to function at
14v? I would
think so.

Certainly anything that runs with an alternator active has to handle 15
Volts, or even a bit more. However, if your devices are unregulated
that could put out a lot more - 18 Volts or more. Still, I don't wee
where the problem might be so I'll be very interested in hearing abotu
the eventual solution.

trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

"tom" wrote in message
...
Remember it works find unless the voltage is driven to 14v.


Current limit protection is kicking in because of overvoltage. It's the
setting and the way your charging circuit is connected. What brand and
model chargers/switches/regulators do you use?

trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

On May 6, 10:19 am, "Owen Kellog" wrote:
"tom" wrote in message

...

Remember it works find unless the voltage is driven to 14v.

Current limit protection is kicking in because of overvoltage. It's the
setting and the way your charging circuit is connected. What brand and
model chargers/switches/regulators do you use?

The solar controller is a ProStar PS-15, its connected to the inputs
to
the inverter which is connected to the battery bank via very large
cables.
The prostar is right next to the inverter. The inverter is a Freedom
20 and
it not on when the problem occurs and the alternator controller is a
ARS-4
(balmar) which has a 45 second delay before it kicks in.
The prostar has PWM regulation, and is connected to 4 panels with 186
total
wattage. It's in PWM mode when the problem occurs.
Tom

trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

"Gregory Hall" wrote in message
...
One would think somebody who had nothing to say would shut the f*ck up but
NOOOOOOOOOO!

And yet it hasn't stopped you either, idiot.

trouble starting engine when solar panels are working
 

Looks like the solar controller sees to much of a current draw and shuts
down. This shutting down affects the whole system.

http://support.morningstarcorp.com/

Put the solar on the house battery only, not the starter battery. Isolate
the house from the starter battery.