Has anyone blown a fuse with the Celllink Neo Hardwired into the fuse panel?

[Brian_CA]

Tomorrow I start the install of the SG9663DC and Cellink Neo in my Audi Q5. As a preface, 2 of many mottos that I subscribe to are "go big or go home" and "its not done unless its overdone". So with that in mind, I'm wiring a new fuse circuit rather than using a fuse tap so that I eliminate any risk of circuit/wire overload and I will be using 10 gauge wire (2.59mm) to ensure minimal voltage loss over the ~8 foot (2.43 m) wire run (the Cellink will sit under the passenger seat and the fuse block that I'm wiring into is the one on the passenger side).

Since the Cellink has a draw of 9 amps, has anyone blown a fuse and if so what was the fuse value (and was it via a fuse tap). Logically/safety wise I'm inclined to use a 10 amp fuse but am concerned that this will create nuisance fuse blows. Alternatively, the 10 gauge wire has a rated amperage capacity greater than 25 amps and the Cellink Neo has a 9 amp draw so choosing a middle value would suggest a 15 amp fuse, which is also a fairly standard approach to sizing new automotive circuits and the solution I'm leaning towards.

Thoughts, comments or other experiences? Thanks.

 

[Nigel]

The fuse is there to protect the wire, and the supply, not the device on the end of the wire. If you are using 25 amp wire then you can use a 20 amp fuse, then there will be less voltage drop across the fuse. Just remember that the location you plug it into must have enough spare power available to power the device, don't connect it to a 10 amp circuit that is already using 6 amps.

I don't think you need to worry about voltage drop along your wire since the Neo will regulate the voltage it receives to match its internal battery voltage which I think is higher than car battery voltage anyway.

 

[kamkar]

I got a little fuse assortment the first time i started tinkering in my fuse box, just to be safe, but so far i have not had a need for opening it.

 

[Brian_CA]

Nigel, many thanks for the reply. My approach is to proceed cautiously with the Cellink (as it is the new variable in my Audi) by wiring a new circuit in the fuse box rather than leveraging an existing circuit with a fuse tap. IMO, there are at least 2 significant benefits with this approach, one of which you noted (draw/load capacity) and the other is if something were to fail with the Cellink no other circuits in my vehicle would be impacted. My concern is if the circuitry in the Cellink malfunctions, a 15 amp fuse will provide a safety margin well under the new circuit wire capacity (~25 amps) while still preventing nuisance blows since I have provided a 60% draw margin (9amp ÷ 15amp). One other factor is my Audi is still under warranty and this approach will hopefully mitigate dealer issues.

I'm placing the Neo on the floor under the front passenger seat for the following reasons: 1) not in direct sunlight, 2) the floor is the coolest location while the vehicle is sitting outside, 3) good airflow (and not a confined space), whether driving or sitting, 4) easy access allows me to charge via AC with a power inverter and 5) should something bad happen I can quickly disconnect the wires.

 

[Nigel]

Nigel, many thanks for the reply. My approach is to proceed cautiously with the Cellink (as it is the new variable in my Audi) by wiring a new circuit in the fuse box rather than leveraging an existing circuit with a fuse tap. IMO, there are at least 2 significant benefits with this approach, one of which you noted (draw/load capacity) and the other is if something were to fail with the Cellink no other circuits in my vehicle would be impacted. My concern is if the circuitry in the Cellink malfunctions, a 15 amp fuse will provide a safety margin well under the new circuit wire capacity (~25 amps) while still preventing nuisance blows since I have provided a 60% draw margin (9amp ÷ 15amp). One other factor is my Audi is still under warranty and this approach will hopefully mitigate dealer issues.

I'm placing the Neo on the floor under the front passenger seat for the following reasons: 1) not in direct sunlight, 2) the floor is the coolest location while the vehicle is sitting outside, 3) good airflow (and not a confined space), whether driving or sitting, 4) easy access allows me to charge via AC with a power inverter and 5) should something bad happen I can quickly disconnect the wires.

6) Easy access to it with the fire extinguisher!

Do you know if the Cellink has a low temperature cut off? Because you are not supposed to charge lithium batteries below freezing, doing so can cause fires, might be important in Canada. I recently tested a couple of other powerbanks and they didn't stop charging below freezing...

 

[Brian_CA]

6) Easy access to it with the fire extinguisher!

Do you know if the Cellink has a low temperature cut off? Because you are not supposed to charge lithium batteries below freezing, doing so can cause fires, might be important in Canada. I recently tested a couple of other powerbanks and they didn't stop charging below freezing...

A great question especially since I was not aware of that element. I just had an online chat with BlackboxMyCar here in Canada and the Neo does not have a low-temp cut-off. They will be raising this issue with Egen and will get back to me with an update. I will advise you as well upon receipt. Cheers.

 

[Nigel]

A great question especially since I was not aware of that element. I just had an online chat with BlackboxMyCar here in Canada and the Neo does not have a low-temp cut-off. They will be raising this issue with Egen and will get back to me with an update. I will advise you as well upon receipt. Cheers.

Thanks!

Just to be clear, there is no issue with discharging a lithium battery in the cold, however cold the temperature is, although at some point you wont get enough power out of it.
However charging below freezing could be dangerous, especially with the high charge rate used by the Cellink, there are a few warnings about which suggest that you don't want to do it even if it doesn't blow up eg:

Do not charge lithium ion batteries below 32°F/0°C. In other words, never charge a lithium ion battery that is below freezing.

Doing so even once will result in a sudden, severe, and permanent capacity loss on the order of several dozen percent or more, as well a similar and also permanent increase in internal resistance. This damage occurs after just one isolated 'cold charging' event, and is proportional to the speed at which the cell is charged.

But, even more importantly, a lithium ion cell that has been cold charged is NOT safe and must be safely recycled or otherwise discarded. By not safe, I mean it will work fine until it randomly explodes due to mechanical vibration, mechanical shock, or just reaching a high enough state of charge.

And what can happen when you do, even with Lifepo4 cells: http://www.batteryvehiclesociety.org.uk/bvsorguk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1825

 

[Brian_CA]

Thanks!

Just to be clear, there is no issue with discharging a lithium battery in the cold, however cold the temperature is, although at some point you wont get enough power out of it.
However charging below freezing could be dangerous, especially with the high charge rate used by the Cellink, there are a few warnings about which suggest that you don't want to do it even if it doesn't blow up eg:



And what can happen when you do, even with Lifepo4 cells: http://www.batteryvehiclesociety.org.uk/bvsorguk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1825

Nigel, many thanks for the information as it is a strong reminder of the importance of properly managing high-performance battery devices. The Street Guardian SGDCHW parking mode controller has 4 options (11.8v, 12.0v, 12.2v and 12.4v) for managing battery discharge, I'm planning on setting it to 12.2v as a precaution while monitoring to understand overall performance while in parking mode..

In my online chat, while BlackboxMyCar stated that according to the manufacturer the Neo will work at temperatures around -10C based upon this discussion, I will now only charge the battery indoors during the winter months where I can ensure that it is at room temp prior to charging and where I can easily monitor to prevent an undesirable outcome as well as to protect the usable battery life for as long as possible.

 

[ahbib]

I just blew the 9 amp fuse with my cellink neo. Went back to my installer and they said everyone is blowing fuses with the cellink neo and 9 amp fuse. He installed a 10 amp fuse and said that will be fine.

Not sure who supplied the fuse was it my installer or Cellink? Either way 9 amp fuse isn't enough for the cellink neo battery. It will blow it took mine 8 months to blow.

 

[Nigel]

I just blew the 9 amp fuse with my cellink neo. Went back to my installer and they said everyone is blowing fuses with the cellink neo and 9 amp fuse. He installed a 10 amp fuse and said that will be fine.

Not sure who supplied the fuse was it my installer or Cellink? Either way 9 amp fuse isn't enough for the cellink neo battery. It will blow it took mine 8 months to blow.

Could it be that your car battery was low on volts?

The Cellink will try to draw the same wattage whatever the car battery voltage, so with a low voltage requires more amps...

 

[ahbib]

Could it be that your car battery was low on volts?

The Cellink will try to draw the same wattage whatever the car battery voltage, so with a low voltage requires more amps...

My car is brand new, I let it sit for 3 days, when I returned to start the car everything went as normal. Except my dash cam did not start, checked the cellink neo app and it was not detecting the battery. My cellink neo was completely drained after 3 days of the car just sitting.
Went to my dashcam installer he popped out the blown 9amp fuse and popped in a 10amp fuse and everything came back to life.
Please use 10 amp fuses with your cellink neo battery....

 

[Mharv]

max draw for hardwired is 13 amp, minimum draw using car is 9 amp.... using 15 amp blue fuse in BV B-124 which BV overly states 20 amp fuse for hardwir4ed

 

[ahbib]

max draw for hardwired is 13 amp, minimum draw using car is 9 amp.... using 15 amp blue fuse in BV B-124 which BV overly states 20 amp fuse for hardwir4ed

Not sure what you are talking about, too technical. All I know is that my installer used a smaller fuse and it blew after 6 months of use.

He installed a bigger fuse and said this one shouldn't blow.

Just wanted to know if people were blowing fuses with the cellink neo in combination with the Dr900 blackvue dash cam.