Good afternoon all! New to the site and hoping someone can assist me? I have a 2023 Renegade Explorer and i am converting from AGM to Lithium battery.
My current system has two 280AH agm d8 batteries. I have a victron multiplus 12/3000/120 , Victron Cerbo GX, Victron MPPT solar controller 100/30 , I have a Victron GX touch monitor inside the coach and the whole coach is equipped with the firefly control system.
I ordered a single 628 AH Wattcycle lithium battery. My question is: What else do i need to do to make this conversion? i know I need to re configure the inverter to lithium, Can this be done through the firefly system or will i need the interface cable to use a laptop? i have been told i need a shunt? Again will the firefly system and cerbo GX do what a shunt will do? And I have been told i need a Dc/Dc charger to protect the truck alternator?
Anyone familiar with this stuff please… I’m all Ears.
Sounds fun. So everything already installed and working on AGM?
The Cerbo & VRM can make changes to your MP using VEconfig & laptop. Unless you have a communicating battery, a shunt configured as a battery monitor will talk to the Cerbo to keep tabs on the battery for SOC. A DC/DC keeps alternator loading under control, and it can help with voltage droop on long wires from your alternator. I have read where people have interfaced Firefly to the Cerbo, didn’t look like a newbie task tho.
Sounds great. I installed a brand new system on a Renegade Verona last year. The Firefly and the Cerbo do not integrate to my knowledge. I know a tech guru who can integrate other multiplex systems like Silverleaf but not Firefly. If it is all working fine you shouldn’t need to mess with it. Sometimes you lose functionality in the multiplex when you change out the factory inverter(often Magnum) but sounds like you have a Victron already so you would have dealt with those problems already.
You will need to change all your chargers parameters according to the battery manufacturers recommendation. And unless the WattCycle has Victron comms you will need a smartshunt or BMV(are you sure you don’t already have one?). The Multiplus can be configured through VRM like @MiPaul said or you can use your laptop and a MK3 connection. Some people find this simpler. Download VictronConnect, plug in the cable, and it will find the inverter. The MPPT can be configured using the VictronConnect app on your phone through Bluetooth.
Lastly, you do not absolutely need a DC to DC charger but it is the better way correctly charge lithium batteries from your alternator. As a simpler and less expensive alternative you can swap out your existing BIM(Battery Isolation Manager) that is more than likely installed in that rig and replace it with a LI BIM(Lithium Battery Isolation Manager). You quite simply disconnect the BIM and install the Li BIM in its place. It has the same shape and terminals. No programming or configuring at all. This will protect your alternator from overheating(the biggest concern when changing to lithium) and it will preserve the starting battery trickle charge and boost feature that the factory BIM has. You will lose these functions with a DC to DC charger. The disadvantages is it will not ever fully charge the batteries like a DC to DC since it is simply relying on the alternator only for its charging voltage. This is how your AGMs are currently being charged anyway. Your solar and your shore power charging through your Multiplus will provide a thorough and complete charge anyway so often the LI BIM makes a lot of sense.
Here is what the BIM looks like if its what they installed in your rig. These are made by Precision Circuits and so is the LI BIM.
So after reading and watching tons of articles and videos I opted to purchase a victron Orion 1400 dc/dc charger, eliminate the existing bim thingy, also orders up a victron smart shunt for the other end of this puzzle.
Should have everything this week so with any luck I can mastermind this whole thing this weekend
Just to highlight the point I made earlier. You will lose the starting battery trickle charge and boost feature included in the BIM. These are pretty nice features. Just want to make sure you saw that.
