LiTime LiFePO - Charging and Balancing?

[Tin Man]

I am at the installation step now where I am preparing my 2 LiTime 12V/100amp Trolling Motor Edition batteries for use on my 24V NEW Terrova.

According to LiTime Product Manual, the first step in preparing batteries for use is to charge them individually with the appropriate Lithium battery charger.
I am using my new NOCO GenPro 10X2 charger. I set to lithium mode.

Prior to charging batteries were at 13.1V/13.2V, This is the same voltage as when I received them a few weeks ago,

I charged the two batteries for 17 hours. At this point, charger indicated "maintenance" stage with the slow pulsating green LED light.

I allowed the batteries to settle for a couple of hours (per manual). Voltage is 12.85V

Next step is balancing batteries. Before this can be done, batteries are supposed to be at 13.33V at rest (after being fully charged).
At this step batteries need to be connected in "parallel" for 12-24 hours. This is supposed to balance vols in each battery.
After this step, batteries can now be placed into service.

I did not balance batts as they did not reach the 13.33V that is needed prior to balancing.

Questions for those of using these LiTime batts:

1. Why did voltage drop from 13.1V prior to charging to 12.85 after 17 hours of charging and being "fully" charged?

2. What did you experience when you performed both the charging and balancing step....voltage after charging? Voltage after balancing? What charger are you using?


I have emailed LiTime and awaiting a response.

Thanks!

 

[flatheadsteve]

Does the noco charger automatically reduce from full charge to some other percent to maintain? My 36v lifepo4 charger does this. It will also cycle the battery as part of maintenance. Edit to add I had nothing to balance on the single battery.

 

[Zum]

I only have 1 100ah lifepo4...think it was 4 days ago I last charged it...still says 13.7v today.
Charged it using lifepo4 setting 10amp....first time I charged it I used 20amp.(cheap amazon charger)
When it arrived I checked it before charging, it was at 13.27v ;55% charged, going by the manual that was with mine.
12.85v seems low to me. Voltage shouldnt be lower after charging.

 

[Tin Man]

Does the noco charger automatically reduce from full charge to some other percent to maintain? My 36v lifepo4 charger does this. It will also cycle the battery as part of maintenance. Edit to add I had nothing to balance on the single battery.

Yes, it has a maintenance mode after batt has been fully charged.

 

[Tin Man]

LiTime response tonight....

"Thanks for your asking.

We would like to clarify that It is our new protected functions of the battery BMS ：Stop Over-charging.
Please try to discharge with a small load for a few minutes and then continute to re-charge the battery to see if the resting voltage will be ≥13.33V.

As per our laboratory and customer feedback survey found that MPPT, car chargers and other chargers do not stop charging after the fully charged which has been resulting in frequent voltage oscillations.
To solve this protection mechanism, the battery only needs to be charged properly after the first discharge.

We feel sorry do not inform you the new functions in time, please try to discharge with the loads at 2A current.
Your understanding will be so much appreciated.

Wish you have a good day.
Best regards,"

 

[flatheadsteve]

Interesting I figured what you were seeing was the maintenance mode on the smart charger cycling the battery. My smartcharger will pull it down to 80% of charge in maintenance mode and I have to tell it to top off. Good to now they got back to you so quick. I threw my 36v on charger it came shipped at 37.? Volts. At 20amp charge it got up to 41.3v and read full charge.

 

[Still Afloat]

Sounds like good advice. Just one caution, LiFePO don’t like to be charged when the ambient temperature is below freezing.

 

[flatheadsteve]

Sounds like good advise. Just one caution, LiFePO don’t like to be charged when the ambient temperature is below freezing.

No they do not. Many now come with cold temperature shut off for that reason.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

I wasn't aware of the "balancing" requirement when running two batteries in series. Thx,

 

[Tin Man]

I wasn't aware of the "balancing" requirement when running two batteries in series. Thx,

They want you to "balance" batteries in parallel for 12-24 hours BEFORE connecting in series and putting them into service.

 

[Tin Man]

No they do not. Many now come with cold temperature shut off for that reason.

These LiTime batts do have low temp protection

 

[FuzzyGrub]

They want you to "balance" batteries in parallel for 12-24 hours BEFORE connecting in series and putting them into service.

Yep, I got that You are making them both have the exact same initial charge.

 

[flatheadsteve]

These LiTime batts do have low temp protection

Not all the batteries they offer have it. I know the 36v I got has it and specifically states for trolling motors. Looking at the website they offer some with built in heating too.

 

[Still Afloat]

These LiTime batts do have low temp protection

Not all of them. The ”TM” (trolling motor) series do. The 100 A/hr minis do not as well as some of the 50A/hr.

Edit: Don’t want to be a parrot. Didn’t see flatheadSteve’s post.

 

[Still Afloat]

No they do not. Many now come with cold temperature shut off for that reason.

This is often an option. I wouldn’t expect cold charge protection if it’s not listed in the specifications.

Typically, you can still charge at freezing temps with a greatly reduced charging current. The specs should list this and if they don’t then send a note to customer support.

 

[Tin Man]

Batts were fully charged and were balanced. Voltage for each batt after balancing...13.40V.

Now on to the installation and peripheral connections.

 

[thill]

I am at the installation step now where I am preparing my 2 LiTime 12V/100amp Trolling Motor Edition batteries for use on my 24V NEW Terrova.

According to LiTime Product Manual, the first step in preparing batteries for use is to charge them individually with the appropriate Lithium battery charger.
I am using my new NOCO GenPro 10X2 charger. I set to lithium mode.

Prior to charging batteries were at 13.1V/13.2V, This is the same voltage as when I received them a few weeks ago,

I charged the two batteries for 17 hours. At this point, charger indicated "maintenance" stage with the slow pulsating green LED light. I allowed the batteries to settle for a couple of hours (per manual). Voltage is 12.85V


Questions for those of using these LiTime batts:

1. Why did voltage drop from 13.1V prior to charging to 12.85 after 17 hours of charging and being "fully" charged?

2. What did you experience when you performed both the charging and balancing step....voltage after charging? Voltage after balancing? What charger are you using?


I have emailed LiTime and awaiting a response.

Thanks!

My batteries did the same thing when brand new. I was given the same answer. I used them for an hour on the lake and when I charged them again, they went to 13.5V. I think it's a common new-battery thing. I wouldn't worry, just keep tabs on it.

 

[Tin Man]

My batteries did the same thing when brand new. I was given the same answer. I used them for an hour on the lake and when I charged them again, they went to 13.5V. I think it's a common new-battery thing. I wouldn't worry, just keep tabs on it.

Although my LiTime batts do have a low temp BMS, they do not have a shunt. Do yours? If not, how do you monitor....volts, amps, charge/discharge, etc.?

 

[thill]

I don't monitor much anymore, like when I first got them. No, they don't have a shunt.

I charge the day before the trip and then tie them together to balance. I check the voltage before putting them in the boat. Almost always 13.5 on the nose.

I then use them, and I usually check voltage when I pull them from the boat. Usually, they are only down a 10th of a volt, maybe 2. Lowest I can remember was 13.1 after a long trip to the CBBT in heavy current. Then, I don't charge them again until right before the next trip, as they store best at 30-50% charge.

This routine has served me well. My batteries have a 5-year warranty and TimeUSB has excellent customer service, and hopefully, I won't ever need it. I love these things.

 

[flatheadsteve]

I don't have a shunt on mine either but the 36v charger I have displays voltage, and amp hrs when hooked up so I'll be able to monitor my usage when I hook the charger up.