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Hi,
I have used a Centaur 24/60 charger to charge Winston 400AH cells.
Suddenly it stopped charging but all seems to be normal. Green light on, fans running.
But the voltage from the spare output(only charging one bank) is fluctuating between 5 and 10 volts) and the bank in use is not delivering any current.
So is it just to bin it?
Hi @Totto,
There are a few things to note here: first, the Centaur is not suitable for charging LFP banks, as it is an old-school analog "brute force" charger, which should only be used on Pb batteries, never LFP banks. You should be using a charger that's listed as appropriate for LFP banks such as the Skylla-i or the Skylla IP44, or similar.
Second, depending on what kind of BMS you're using with those cells, it's very possible that the BMS shut down your battery bank to prevent overcharging, as such a scenario is very possible when using an inappropriate charger.
Third, it's also possible that you've blown the fuse at the battery bank on the POS line from the charger; this should be checked immediately.
Finally, depending on when the Centaur was purchased, it may well still be under warranty, so before you bin it (even though you should not continue using it to charge this bank) you should reach out to the authorized Victron distributor or dealer from whom it was purchased to inquire about its eligibility for warranty repair or replacement, as well as possible further troubleshooting assistance.
Hi Justin,
Thanks for your suggestions.
Alas no fuse blown and the BMS working fine. Also the charger was produced 2014 i think, so no warranty.
Like you said these chargers are probably made for lead acid batteries and I have been very careful when charging, by stopping when still in the bulk phase.
Yes charging LFP takes a great toll on the charger. it has to deliver max for a very long time compared to lead acid.
Was hoping there was some kind of protection in the charger that had to be reset, but probably not.
So probably need to be looking for a more suitable charger.
