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Topic: Battery monitor shunt installed in battery box (Read 696 times) previous topic - next topic
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Battery monitor shunt installed in battery box
I'm  planning my shunt install  in my TK and would prefer to  have it inside the battery box. Then I would only need to drill a small hole in the battery box for the small sense wires.

In reading the archives I have seen similar installations with wet cell batteries. My question is has there been any noticeable corrosion on the shunt that would cause issues? I've thought about putting the shunt inside a small sealed box and mounting the sealed box inside with the batteries but it gets cramped for space in there pretty quick.
Steve
2003TK
Re: Battery monitor shunt installed in battery box
Reply #1 –
Quote from: 73gitane  - 
I'm  planning my shunt install  in my TK and would prefer to  have it inside the battery box. Then I would only need to drill a small hole in the battery box for the small sense wires.

I have install a few dozen shunts aside the battery box without any reported problems. The battery boxes are ventilated and  corrosion isn't problem except for the occasional battery terminal, when equipped with traditional lead--acid batteries, AGMS do not vent except when extremely overcharged . I use a dielectric grease on electrical fittings in an effort to prevent corrosion and poor connections
Locating the shunt inside the battery box is the most logical and convenient place to mount it, only requiring the addition of a short battery cable between the shunt and the negative terminal on the coach battery.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Battery monitor shunt installed in battery box
Reply #2 –
We had a Link-10 in our 02 MB for about ten years before we sold it.  The shunt was inside the battery box not far from the battery terminal that was connected to ground.  I believe there was five wires for the Link-10, a twisted pair for reading the shunt milli-voltage, a high impedance +12V voltage sense, +12V power for the monitor and  a ground.  These went through a small hole drilled near the shunt and then sealed with caulk. The monitor/display was mounted above the microwave.  I don't recall ever seeing any corrosion on the shunt.  Mostly a little on the battery terminals.  I bought a short black premade battery cable at NAPA to connect from battery negative to the shunt and moved the chassis ground from the battery to the ground side of the shunt.  If there were any other grounds cabled directly to the battery, they would have been moved to the ground side of the shunt.  Our batteries were on a sliding tray, so the cable to the shunt needed enough length to allow the tray to move in/out.

Art
Art and Barbara
Settled in Atterdag Village of Solvang
2015-2022 fulltime in a 2016 Tiffin Allegro Bus 37AP
2002-2015 2002 LD MB
Art's blog
Re: Battery monitor shunt installed in battery box
Reply #3 –
Quote from: Older_Fossil  - 
We had a Link-10 .  The shunt was inside the battery box not far from the battery terminal that was connected to ground.  I believe there was five wires for the Link-10, a twisted pair for reading the shunt milli-voltage, a high impedance +12V voltage sense, +12V power for the monitor and  a ground. .

Our rig too has an old Xantrex Link-10, with the bundle of very small wires that need to be connected to the monitor, battery and shunt.
For new installations, the Victron battery monitors use a modular, telephone-type connecting cord that plugs into the shunt and monitor. It make installation a lot simplier and faster, without small wires to sort out and individually connect.
The various Xantrex Links are good, dependable battery monitors with long lives, our is at least 15 years old and still works fine.



Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Battery monitor shunt installed in battery box
Reply #4 –
"the Victron battery monitors use a modular, telephone-type connecting cord that... makes installation a lot simpler and faster."

They certainly do. But here's a note of caution: those connectors aren't corrosion-proof. My PROsine 2.0 inverter/charger used the same type of cord as the Victron shunt and monitor, but at one point a few years ago, its remote control panel started displaying gibberish. After a lot of head-scratching, I finally traced the problem to corroded contacts in a telephone-type connector at the PROsine end.

The PROsine unit was mounted in an external compartment with venting similar to that of the battery compartment, and even though no gases or acid fumes were present, apparently over the years moisture had corroded the tiny contacts in the plug and socket--even though they were supposedly gold-plated and corrosion-proof.

I carefully cleaned them with DeoxIT contact cleaner, and they were OK after that. But it's worth keeping in mind that those tiny connectors can cause big trouble, so they're worth checking if you start having mysterious problems.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Battery monitor shunt installed in battery box
Reply #5 –
I've seen the  modular, telephone-type socket on some shunts. That sure looks  convenient but I'm using a "standard" shunt that fastens the sense wires with little screws. Maybe that will be a plus for my installation.

Larry, in fact yours was one of the installations I saw in the archives. Nice job! If that installation has served you well for 15 years that's good enough for me!
Steve
2003TK
Re: Battery monitor shunt installed in battery box
Reply #6 –
Quote from: Andy Baird  - 
I finally traced the problem to corroded contacts in a telephone-type connector at the PROsine end.

I carefully cleaned them with DeoxIT contact cleaner, and they were OK after that. But it's worth keeping in mind that those tiny connectors can cause big trouble, so they're worth checking if you start having mysterious problems.

Giving all electrical connections a light coating of dielectric grease can prevent a lot of grief.  It prevent the acidic fumes from reaching the delicate contacts.
Amazon.com: Permatex 22058 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, 3 oz. Tube: Gateway

Larry
As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
 
Re: Battery monitor shunt installed in battery box
Reply #7 –
Point taken.
Steve
2003TK