shouldn't the V- of the two battery banks be bridged/connected?

[vas]

title says it all really!

just realised that the V- of the service bank disappears on the conduit (after going through the Victron shunt) whereas the V- of the engine bank goes straight to port engine and then stbrd and to the bonding system all around the bilges.

I'd have imagined that the V- of the service bank once in the el.panel goes back to the engine blocks somehow?
Shouldn't I connect them?

cheers

V.

 

[kashurst]

It probably already is connected somehow, otherwise it would not be possible for the engine alternators to charge the service batteries up. The two -Vs may be connected at the battery charger.
If you disconnect the +V cable from both sets of batteries first, measure the resistance from the service -V terminal to the engine or starter battery -v terminal. See what that reveals.

 

[BartW]

echo the above :encouragement:

 

[vas]

Well I may have missed something then when sorting out battery area last year that I fitted the Trojans...
My question is following noticing that once I disconnected the failed engine stater bat, using the parallel switch, engines were dead, as in not even the gauges and annoying beeper fired up...
Went down, bridged the two V- and engines fired up. Had to use the parallel toggle again to turn them off!

Btw, there's only one black V- cable from the victron charger. In Athens now, will check when back.

Cheers

V

 

[vas]

It probably already is connected somehow, otherwise it would not be possible for the engine alternators to charge the service batteries up.

May as well, wouldn't have noticed with the 600w panels pumping them up throughout the summer.
Definitely not proud of myself on that...

V

 

[BartW]

yes you better take some time for sorting out the DC cabling, and make a drawing !
also in our DC cabling were some strange things, and done differently on P and SB side,
gradually we have modified things, but at least we got to know our systems and made drawings
I'm sure you did that more or less