Victron DC-DC charger settings

The Victron DC-DC charger is a battery-to-battery (B2B) charger. It is our first choice charger when installing a leisure battery system.

The charger allows your vans alternator to recharge your leisure battery automatically when the engine is running, it also isolates the leisure battery from the vans main starter/engine battery during times when the engine is not running. This helps prevent draining the engine battery and getting in to a situation where you cannot start the vans engine (due to a flat battery)

In the case of the VW Transporter, before the introduction of smart alternators in 2015, we could use a much simpler device know as a Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) aka a split charge relay. Vans made after 2015 require a B2B charger.

The Victron DC-DC charger is setup via Bluetooth using an app called Victron Connect.

The app is useful for monitoring voltage and available power.

 

It is not recommended that you alter the Victron DC-DC charger settings in the app as this can lead to unexpected behaviour. 

 

The settings we use can be altered if you know what you are doing, our settings work fine for most situations. To check your settings follow the instructions below: 

 

Turn Bluetooth on on your phone

Open the Victron Connect app

Connect to the DC-DC charger, it is called Victron Orion Smart

Enter passcode. This will be in your manual (default code is 000000 six zeros)

In the app, press the Victron Orion Smart settings cog at the top right and ensure the settings are as follow:

 

Function: Charger (do not use Power Supply mode)

Battery type: preset AGM spiral cell (or LiFePO4 if you have a lithium battery) 

Engine shutdown detection: 

· Enabled

· Start voltage: 13.00

· Delayed start voltage: 13.60

· Delayed start voltage delay: 10s

· Shutdown voltage: 12.80

Input voltage lock-out: Disabled

 

You can fine tune the system using the input voltage lockout but it is not needed in most situations.