question

kiko avatar image
kiko asked

How to properly protect starter batteries

Hi,
we have an old Mercedes Benz NG 1428 truck with a 16.000ccm engine. I do not exactly know, how much current is drawn at the start fo the engine. The cables are 100mm2. I think it could reach as much as 1000A for a very short period of time.

The vehicle draws some current even having everything turned off. I would like to protect the starter batteries from going low. I woud also like to remotly (Bluetooth) controll the connection of the starter batteries to the system als well as reading the voltage.

What would be the proper devices to do this. I think I understood, that a Battery Protect is not the way to go, as current would flow in both directions while starting the engine and then loading the batteries from the alternator. Right?

Is there an alternative? Cyrix?

Regards, Kilian

Battery Protectstarter battery
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1 Answer
jwfrary avatar image
jwfrary answered ·

Hi,

your right battery protect won’t do the job direct in the starter cables. Neither will a cyrix. However.


you could use a battery protect to it disconnect the fuse box from the battery which would solve your battery drain issue as the starter isn’t going to draw anything when it’s not active and typically does not run though a fuse box. Typically they are fused at the battery separately to the other loads.

however depending on how much gear is there, I.e alarm/central locking/clocks etc this will obviously stop working if power to the fuse box is cut by the battery protect. In that case you will need an override wired of course.


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Victron BatteryProtect product page

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