ACR ?? mimic solar charge controller???

[D A McElwreath]

img20200731_12332276.pdf

Hi, I am confused about how to replace/wire a solar charge controller in the following system. I have two banks of 12 v batteries, each with two batteries. All batteries are same age and lead acid. I think these banks are wired in parallel, and I think there is an ACR (?) that has both batteries from Banks 1, and the bank 2 batteries connected (at top of diagram on left) The company making the solar charger is out of business. I thought the charger fed all batteries, not just the house bank. Am I wrong? If I get a new controller, they seem to just go to the house bank. If I wire it that way, without going through the starter selection switch as the current system does, do I connect to one battery in house bank and current will flow to the other battery in that bank?? And I assume if I wire to the battery in Bank 1, that the current will not flow at all to bank 2. The solar panel is 43 watts. Some of my confusion arises because the not working controller, has 2 pos wires anda neg coming from it. One pos goes to the start selector 2 b 1 off switch. The other on goes behind a panel and I have been reluctant to tug too much on it to see where it goes. I am planning to simply cut the existing leads from the controller, and tape them, and just wire the new controller
anew. Thanks for any help

[Kelkara]

I'm a bit confused making sense of your diagram with your words ...

Originally Posted by D A McElwreath

Attachment 220643
... I have two banks of 12 v batteries, each with two batteries.

Do you mean that you have two batteries physically separated from two other batteries, or that the batteries are electrically connected in two groups of two? Beacuse I think you maybe have them connected as a bank of 3 and a bank of 1.

... I think these banks are wired in parallel,

You probably want to find out for sure, because that's not what your diagram looks like. Your diagram shows the lower two batteries in parallel. The top battery appears to be separate from the second battery, but I'm unclear how the second battery connects to batteries 3 and 4 ... are they connected at the ACR terminal?

... and I think there is an ACR (?)

you will need to know what it really is before you get much meaningful help ... does it have any markings? I'm curious as to why there are three positive terminals on it (and no negative?). Usually there would be just two positive terminals connected to two battery banks. Is battery-2 connected directly to the wire from batteries 3 and 4 here, or are there really 3 terminals on the ACR?

... I thought the charger fed all batteries, not just the house bank.

What are you calling the "house bank" you haven't labelled this on your diagram. Most solar chargers will be wired to a just one bank ... It is the job of the ACR to make sure that the other bank gets charged when appropriate.

... If I wire it that way, without going through the starter selection switch as the current system does,

Is the 1-2-both switch wired to the starter? if so, why is there also a separate wire from battery-1 to the starter? Where is the alternator wired? It looks like the solar charger is connected directly to the start battery (battery-1) at the switch, and won't go through the switch at all if you are using battery-2 (&3&4?) as the house bank - assuming the house DC panel is wired to the common terminal on the 1-2-both switch.

... Some of my confusion arises because the not working controller, has 2 pos wires and a neg coming from it. One pos goes to the start selector 2 b 1 off switch. The other on goes behind a panel and I have been reluctant to tug too much on it to see where it goes.

Do the two wires come from two different terminals on the charger? If so, are there no labels on the terminals explaining where the other wire might go?

Or are these two wires connected to the same terminal? If so, you really need to find out where it goes before you disconnect it, since it is a live power cable.

... I am planning to simply cut the existing leads from the controller, and tape them

before you leave old wires dangling around that might be connected to a battery at the other end, you might want to read the current thread "Electrical Fire": https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...se-237662.html

I know I haven't answered your question, but maybe something will help you work it out.

[D A McElwreath]

hi, thanks for trying to make sense out of this. The lower two batteries are physically separated from the upper two. I am pretty sure the lower 2 are the start batteries, are in parallel, and have the red connected to what I am calling an AC via a 3d lug in its back.
The upper 2 batteries which I think are the house batteries, each have a red connected to the ACR. These 2 batteries do not connect to each other directly.

The old charger has 2 orange and a brown. The label says "orange to battery, but thee are 2 orange. One goes to the start selector switch, the other gets lost behind a panel. I will have to see where that goes. I have not taken the chage apat as its back seems to be "pressed" in place. I am thinking that when I remove the charger But I see what you mean about 2 wires coming from " someplace" that maybe just taping them off is not such a good idea.

Finally, I traced the red cable to the starter rather than the alternator, but you may be right. I assumed the heavy red would go to the starter or solenoid and the alternator would just be a smaller wire back to the batteries. (please stop laughing)

You actually have answered some questions I have. esp whether the charger controls one or two banks. I think, now , that I just need a charge controller that I can hook directly to one of the batteries in the house bank ( the upper set)
There is no label on the ACR (I think it is an ACR) but I will take another look with a better light. It looks like an ACR that I saw in one of my searches, but as you say, they usually have just 2 lugs. This one definitely has a 3d lug in back connecting to the lower battery bank.
So, thank you for taking the time to respond. I'll tr to post what happens.