Echo Charge wiring question

[JimCasazze]

This weekend, when starting the coach I noticed the chassis batteries were a bit low.  The alternator brought them up, but I decided to look at the shorepower charging system, which is the original (not digital) Heart Echo Charger.

This model has a single red LED for overtemp, rather than the new style green and red, so it's a bit hard to tell what is going on.

I checked the two fuses (one from house battery and one to chassis battery) and they are fine.  I pulled the wire from the echo charger to the chassis battery and see 13.8 voits there so I think the EC is working, but not too sure about the amperage output.

In any case, here is the real issue.  My chassis batteries are 12v and wired in parallel (+ to +, -  to -) as I expected.  However the charge lead from the echo charger is connected to the Negative battery terminal.  THis seems wrong but I don't have the old style owners/installation manual.  I would think the fuse would have blown, but it didn't.

In any case, I've temporarily moved the lead to the + side to see if the battery voltage increases.  At the moment battery is at 12.3 V, but seems to be rising very slowly.

If anyone has the original owners manual, can you check the correct wiring?  Also is there any test procedure?

Thanks
J

[John and Judy Gardner]

Found a manual here, might help.

http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Accessories/Auxiliary-Battery-Charger/Echo-charge-OwnerGuide(445-0204-01-01).pdf

[JimCasazze]

I did read that manual, thanks.  It is for the newer Digital version, but one would guess the wiring would be the same.  So I'm not sure how to tell if the EC is actually putting out any current.  My guess is that it is not since I do not see battery voltage rising any appreciable level and figure it would go to 12.8V or more pretty quickly.

[JimCasazze]

I also now notice that there are 2 other pink (maybe red once?) wires attached to the chassis negative post.  I don't know where they run, but I would expect any ground wires to be BLACK.  If someone with a similar vintage coach can check this or knows about it, please let me know.  Thanks

[Keith Oliver]

On our 98 Contessa, the echo charged was NG, but in the process of diagnosis, I measured the voltage across its terminals, and noted that it was connected as you have assumed it should be.  Ours is the one with a single red led, marked "overheat".  Same wiring as the diagram for the newer model.
Since replacing it with a smart charger dedicated to the Chassis batteries, no problems.

[JimCasazze]

A trip to Port Supply and a new Echo Charger has convinced me the old one was defective.  As soon as i turned on the new unit, I saw the chassis battery voltage begin to rise steadily.  So even though the old one showed 13.1 volts, I guess it folded over when any current demand was placed on the unit.

New EC is wired to the+ side of the battery instead of - where it was originally.  Can't for the life of me understand how it would have been wired like that or if it ever worked.

Now if I could only figure out what those 2 other red wires are conencted to the chassis battery - terminal

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

The red wires could have been added by the same person that wired the EC.  One could be from the solar panels.  You may disconnect them one at a time, and see what does not work.

Larry

[Edward Buker]

You may have a small temperature sensor device with a red wire on a house battery terminal used by the Xantrex to limit the current/charge rate if the battery bank is getting too warm.

Later Ed