Lithium Battery Maintenance

Thanks Peter. Looks like it might be best to isolate the battery otherwise the van solar panels will continue to charge them up to maximum if nothing switched on.

Thanks Fabio. Looks like a plan

In general then, how much damage is done to them by people who are long term or permanently on the road?

Is it helped that they may somewhat reduce their capacity every night and recharge each day that would reduce issues?

Listening to a Tech guy on the radio the other night who said not charging your phone to 100% every time will prolong the life of the battery. Suggested to go into battery management and click on "charge battery to 85%."
Didn't know that was there. There again there's a lot of things I don't know. I've always relied on 42.
Dave.

Our 4 cell 300Ah LiFePO4 has survived 9 years of full-time travel here in NZ both starting the 3.9l turbo diesel truck engine and powering motorhome.
I capacity check the battery at 30A each November and capacity has reduced in Ah from the initial 315 to 301.
I expect it to last a few more years.
Daily overnight draw is typically about 120Ah.

For storage I would:
Up to a month charge to whatever I like then isolate the battery.
6 months. Charge to 60-80% then isolate.
12 months. Do I really need Lithium?

So if the battery is connected to their DCDC charger it is fine to just leave it all running?

We've had this conversation before, and IIRC, last time Allan called Enerdrive and got the same info. I'm interested in this, because my Karavan is all Enerdrive. The battery is branded as Kimberley, but I strongly suspect it's a rebranded Enerdrive.Kimberley is adamant that it's best to leave the AC charger connected when not in use, so that's what I do. No problems so far, although I haven't done a capacity test. In any case, it would be hard to fully isolate the battery, as there are a couple of things that always have a parasitic draw, such as the brakes.

How different is a lithium in a 4WD, be it under the bonnet or in the back, that is driven regularly?

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Yes Alby, that is what Enerdrive are saying. here is the link to their instructive videos. The video in question is the last on the opening page titled "Part 5: Operation" and the advice on storage begins at 5:00.
In the short term of a few weeks storage, that is what I have been doing. If I were to put the vehicle up for longer I would consider total isolation.

Briste, Yes, I think I did ask Enerdrive and got that advice. They are excellent with support and I am very pleased that I chose their products for the Sprinter. It all works faultlessly.
My parasitic drain is about 100mA which represents about 8.5% drop in SOC per week from my 200Ah battery, so in the longer term I would disconnect from charging and isolate the battery. For this I have a convenient main switch. It is a component that I would install on any system in case I detect a 'Dark Brown' smell and wish to cut power smartishly.

That video is fairly clear. Thanks. Most online discussion advocates not leaving a lithium on charge, so it is instructive to get the alternative view direct from the manufacturer. If it's true for Enerdrive, why wouldn't it be true for other brands, if you have a suitable AC charger? Might it depend on the BMS?

The Karavan does have a battery isolation switch, but it's not total isolation. I just double-checked this, and there is still power to the electronically-activated hydraulic brakes, which I assume is a safety measure. Also, as I just discovered, the light in the front boot where the batteries are located also still works. A full isolation would take a bit of effort in this case, so leaving the batteries on float is easier than continually checking the charge when the van is stored.

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Hi Peter,
I think that much of what is promulgated for LiFePo4 batteries has its roots in the original Lithium-ion batteries where storage at somewhere less than 70% SOC was universal to avoid unpleasant outcomes!
Battery retailers with probable little technical knowledge are prone to decorate their websites with profound expressions to add credence to their sales promotions. Being conservative, I lend credence to organisations that employ staff with visible expertise. Accordingly, Enerdrive was my goto for Lithium products and advice, but that is not to proclaim that either lithium or Enerdrive is the exclusive solution to mobile power as you have clearly demonstrated.

Prevailing advice for LiFePo4 batteries from reliable sources is that storage should be such as to avoid deep discharge and for that purpose it is suggested to begin storage with a high SOC to obtain maximum headroom. Accordingly, storage with float charging to specification is OK.

On the other hand, Li-ion cells are touchy things that can ignite if you look at them sideways and have very specific operating and storage requirements. I am sure there would be scholarly articles available on this subject with "technical explanation as to WHY" but life is becoming too short for me to spend time searching for academic enlightenment. However, I may be interested if you discover the answer and post it here.

I do wonder if the several discarded cell phones in the cupboard are time bombs!!!