Smart Alternator Technology etc.

Hi Jeepman,

Hope this helps, you will need to read the whole doc & watch both video's.

Kind regards,

Snowy

https://caravanchronicles.com/2017/02/15/smart-alternators-how-they-affect-caravans-and-motorhomes/

Hi Snowy, thanks for that I have now read it all and further to my post on 12 March it seems I may have found a temporary fix.

Many thanks for your feed-back Jeepman, glad you've found a quick fix. Just a bit of feedback with regard to my experiences of fault diagnosis of some smart alternators, I've noticed that if the primary control module fails and the alternator it's self is OK, it appears that the alternator goes on some sort of emergency charge mode i.e. It regulates to a constant 14v the same as a conventional alternator. The red dash-board warning light remains permanently lit even though it's charging. Interesting one?

Cure for Caravan Auxiliary Power Supplies i.e. Fridge & Leisure Battery Charging if your towcar has a Euro 5 or 6 engine with a Regenerative Braking Smart Alternator fitted. When fitted, nice cold fridge on 12v operation & fully charged battery! This is new on the market!

Caravan Battery to Battery Charger 12v 25A (part number; BBC1225) input 9v to 17v approx., output; constant regulated/inverted 14.5v for fridge & battery charging even with fluctuating input.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0658/7343/files/Page16_CaravanWildside.pdf?6047287793136132886

Colin

I may be being stupid here, but I fail to see how this will help if you have a smart alternator. I understand how it works, but surely, if your alternator is turned off (isn't actually charging the car battery), then the split relay will not be switched on, so no voltage will flow to the caravan.

I feel I am missing something here

Firstly, the caravan auxiliaries using Wildside are still powered from the towcars battery (when said alternator is not charging) hence Wildsides' input voltage 9v - 17v.

Secondly, many modern towcars now control their outputs to the fridge circuit; 12s pin 6 or Euro pin 10 via the vehicle ECU and do not use Voltage Sensing Relays (VSR).

However, you are quite correct in saying that Wildside will not make any difference to towcars that operate using a VSR's for the reasons you have stated.

Hortimech,

PS, On my own towcar, the ECU does not control said fridge output. Until recently, my car was operating on a VSR, I got sick of all the drawbacks caused by it tripping out by low voltage as you say, so this is how I sorted the problem. Using a 555 silicon chip, I made an electronic circuit to control a standard automotive relay to switch said supply. This circuit switches the power through to the fridge circuit three minutes after the towcars engine has been started, it also deals with auto stop/start, it is of cause, not affected by low voltage.

Having started this topic, and unable to get the problem resolved by my dealer, I could only get the fridge to work when the car battery was under constant load with headlights on.

At that time I had a 2013 Kuga 163 PS  Euro 5 engine.
I upgraded in April to a Kuga 180PS, that has a Euro 6 engine, from the same dealer and had the same towbar and wiring fitted.
I have found that the fridge now operates all the time with no need for the headlights on, or the stop/start switched off.

There is no wiring connected direct to the battery as previously, so any change in output from the alternator to the battery has no direct effect. The 13 pin looms are connected to Ford provided connections on the vehicle, which are obviously controlled by the EMS.
I conclude that it is generic systems that have to be wired direct to the battery, and should be avoided with Smart Technology systems

I contacted the towbar electrics manufacturer fitted to my Merc about this, spoke to a 'technician' who told me to 'Get a life' and hung up. Most informative.

The name of the company Right Connections!

My main concern is that the leisure battery is losing charge to the car battery, and could struggle when engaging the mover.