Hi everyone,
I’ve been using the Orion XS DC-DC 12V charger installed in my Fiat Ducato, and until recently it was working as expected. I’m encountering a strange behavior now and would appreciate your advice.
On the Ducato, the alternator charges only when needed (smart alternator), which means the input voltage doesn’t always go above 13V–14V when the engine is running. To solve this, I connected the ignition wire (remote on) directly to a source that’s only on when the engine is on. This used to work perfectly: the Orion would turn on and start charging as soon as I started the vehicle.
However, since about a week ago, it stopped working. Now the app shows:
Charging disabled due to: Input voltage lockout (Eingangsspannungssperre)
Input voltage is around 12.6V, which seems to be too low to allow charging – even though ignition is on and the engine is running.
If I disable the “Input Voltage Lockout” in the Orion settings, then charging starts again – but even when the engine is off, which I obviously want to avoid.
So now I’m stuck:
If “Input Voltage Lockout” is active, Orion doesn’t charge because input voltage is too low
If I disable it, Orion charges also when the engine is off
I haven’t done any firmware updates recently, and the ignition wire is definitely working.
Has anyone experienced this? Is there a workaround for vehicles like the Ducato where alternator voltage is not guaranteed to rise above 13V?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!