2023 Smart Alternator incompatible with DC-DC Charger

Post #6.
I'm using National Luna DC25 PowerPack with great results. Worked right out of the box after setting it for a lithium battery. The unit is charged when the engine is on through one of National Luna's Anderson "extension" cables. Ignition hot wire is key for the unit to understand the "smart" alternator.

Cheers

 

Post 8

$465 Redarc BCDC1225D REDARC 25A in-Vehicle DC to DC Charger with MPPT — Dual Input for Solar & Alternator Charging, Green Power Priority - 12 or 24V Battery Charger Suitable with AGM, Gel, Lithium LiFePO4 Batteries

Redarc BCDC1225D charger in my bed charging a Battleborn lithium battery. Ran a small (I think 16ga) white wire grow an add a fuse tied into an ignition on fuse all the way back to my Redarc in the bed.
Here is what the Redarc diagram shows is required. This little wire satisfies the “low voltage trigger setting”.


One issue I had with my original setup was seeing actual charging & power draws correctly. I corrected this by making sure all of the negatives made it to a bus bar and reading off the end of that.

Do you have any pictures or diagrams of your setup?

 

Wife has a 2021 Supra. Half BMW and half Toyota.... The battery is in the trunk (space / weight) and is HUUUGE. Goes from one wheel well to the other almost. When we got it there were constant issues from the BMS managing the charging. Repeated dead batteries that needed a jump. Eventually Toyota called a BMW tech over to the dealership and they put in a new battery and reset the BMS system. It works now but the Auto Start Stop doesn't kick on because it can never tell how much juice is in the battery.

So here's an example of:
1. A Toyota Product that is
2. Unmodified (factory) and
3. has been worked on by both BMW and Toyota with
4. repairs made and
5. still can't work right

I'll live without the auto-start-stop feature. It gets 32mpg anyway.
But I say all of that to say - good luck with our Tacoma system. Not sure how you are going to overcome it.

 

I think Toyota made a mistake partnering with BMW on the Supra but that's just my opinion.

Euro car systems have been overcomplicated nightmares for quite awhile, some people love working on them. I refuse to mess with them, plenty of Domestic and Asian vehicles to keep me busy anyway.

The charging system on the 3rd gen Tacoma really doesn't seem all that complicated, it's just the regulation is controlled by the PCM instead of internally in the alternator. There doesn't appear to be much "smarts" to it as it doesn't even have a battery current sensor.

Chrysler has been using ECM/PCM controlled alternators since the 90s, GM & Ford have since the early 2000s but Toyota has stuck with standard internally regulated alternators for years.

Now with CAFE standards and emissions getting tighter every year everyone is doing anything they can to squeeze out that last 0.001 MPG & meet emissions even if it doesn't make any sense and costs more to manufacture, maintain, and fix instead of pushing back against some of it

 

I agree. I suspect the OP does not have an Alternator problem at all

 

If that's the case, would it be better to skip the ECU/PCM "smartness" and just wire a second system off the alternator? Or is that a really bad idea for a bunch of probably really good reasons?

 

Agreed. A diagram or some pictures of what they are trying to do would help. If the second battery is in a trailer and not on the vehicle that would complicate things.

 

I am far from the only person to find the Victron TR-Smart DC Chargers are not compatible with the cyclically low voltage of the 3rd gen Tacoma "Smart" Alternators.
I am quite surprised that not one Tacoma World forum member has responded with a similar issue or fix. No-one has the Victron??

https://community.victronenergy.com...lf-amps.html?childToView=290761#answer-290761

 

Another thought.... could I disconnect the ECU control function from my charging system, and go with a Dumb Alternator + Voltage Regulator chip like all my vehicles had for 42 years?
What errors would the ECU throw if it does not sense an alternator?

 

Why not just a different charge controller?

 

I tried another brand and the Smart Alternator dropping to 7v fooled it as well....
I'd be glad to replicate anyone's 3rd gen DC to DC charging system that is working correctly to charge their camper battery!

 

Where are you seeing 7v?

Even a smart charging system won't go below about 11.5v in eco mode.

 

Send us some pictures or a diagram of what your current setup looks like and what you are trying to do.

Have my Redarc charging a Battleborn battery between the alternator and a solar panel. Never had an issue charging the battery just on the alternator. The ignition on lead is was the ticket.

 

Try disconnecting the lead at the alternator and find out. My bet is it would be like the windows, that are also controlled by a LIN. When I disconnected the LIN from my windows I got various results - none of them acceptable to me. No codes thrown and everything worked upon reconnection. Try before starting the engine, after starting the engine when the command has been sent to the alternator to increase its output after the battery drain of starting. Be careful you do it safely with the engine running. Don't get caught in that belt.

I don't see how the alternator can be dropping to 7VDC. The alternator is in parallel with the battery, if one of them drops to 7VDC so does the other. You would be having LOTS of other problems with the vehicle if so. I don't believe the vehicle would even run with only 7VDC.

Use a VOM for the measurements, not the phone app.

 

Did anyone get their Victron settings worked out, I am currently struggling with similar issues getting the converter to kick on and stay on when I am driving.

 

Limping along on settings noted in message 134.

 

where's the ignition fuse on the 3rd gen?

 

Here is a complete fuse list, suggest you download it for future reference.
It is probably not going to tell you what you want to know as these trucks have quite a lot going on electrically.

 

thank u, dl'ed it

 

checked all the fuses with the vehicle off, all them still has power. there's an empty slot that only turns on when vehicle is on but it only puts 6v, i need 12v to trigger the dc-dc/50a. what fuse did u guys tapped into?