Yeti Pro 4000 / Alternator Charging
hi folks,
New here, and looking at whether it's worth the effort to hook up 8mm to alternator (12v) on 2024 sprinter? Have read other reports that the yeti integration link used in conjunction w/ other power stations were limited on wattage to charge due to newer vehicles having smart alternators which throttle output. Last report I saw from GZ was that a firmware update was in progress, but am unsure whether this was deployed on the 4000 Pro, or if it will be a similar problem. Another thing I've seen others do is use a 12v dc/dc to increase output, but I figured I'd ask on this platform before going down another rabbit hole.
Thanks in advance
Answers
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If you are going with a 4000 pro in your sprinter check out the drivable kit. The Yeti Link is not needed for this set up. The idea with the drivable kit is to use the HPP to flying leads to hook to the starter battery or alternator. While you are driving you will be charging the Yeti. The flying leads to 8mm would be used for a solar set up on the roof.
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Also wondering about ability to charge the 4000 pro from Solar panels as well as charge the unit from the Sprinter's alternator ; and the actual charging time through the 'Drivable Kit'. Will it do both functions once set up in the van? Seems obvious but does it work ?- Tx!
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I think you're going to want the 3x HPP parallel combiner - that allows charging from 3 sources (I'm going to be installing it later this month with roof solar, ground deploy solar, and alternator charging). It has a "priority" input - which is the shortest cable input on it - this should be used with the alternator input (per the recommendation from the tech at goal zero). This will prioritize this one when driving, and not use the solar panels (as they'll be coming in at different voltages, I don't think they can use both). I'll let you know how it goes once I get it all installed.
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So I have my sprinter van I’m also trying to install my yeti pro 4000 and have it charged on the alternator while I’m driving for long periods of time. I also have Solar on the roof and I have it connected to where when I hit shore power it will charge my goal is to have it charged from the alternator has anyone done this I purchased the 3x HPP splitter I was just wondering if somebody did it yet and if they did where did they fetch the power from did they go into the seat that large lug or did they go right off the battery inside of the black box where there are extra contacts and did they use a isolation relay due to the fact that this wire would be constantly hot from the battery .
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I have an Adventure Wagon kit. Look up their newest wiring video online. It will show you how to attach to the lug underneath the seat. From there, I used a BlueSea circuit breaker to bridge the GoalZero and van wiring.
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Be careful with that one. I have a 2024 sprinter with a 4000 unit connected with the drivable kit, and i've had nothing but issues, including one fire. See pictures attached.
Between a fire hazard and the deeply concerning "Comm 01" error that is going to hit everybody updating to the latest firmware, I really don't know how to trust goal zero for van integration
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Got my vehicle charging installed, however, still not working properly.
I ran a 10 gauge wire from my Ford upfitter 40a circuit, back to the GZ parallel combiner (this allows me to turn off the power running to the system from inside the vehicle while driving, if I'd prefer to have it charge via solar…such if traveling on a very open road, with full sun… as I have far more solar than what will be pulled from the vehicle.
Issues:
1. Even though I'm plugged into the short cable of the parallel combiner, which SHOULD over ride the other two, it's not doing that. If I have 160w of solar coming in, and turn the vehicle on, and flip the switch, no extra power shows up as "input" on the display. If I unplug it and check the voltage, it's got a steady 14.5v coming from the vehicle, so that's not the issue. I have to disconnect the solar, in order to get it start charging from the vehicle.
2. When I disconnect other input sources, and just have the vehicle connected to the parallel combiner, when I start the vehicle, the voltage jumps to 14.5v, you hear a click from the Yeti, and it starts charging. You can see the watts ramp up until about 320-350w… holds for a second or two, then clicks again and drops to zero. A few seconds later the cycle starts again.
Anyone else experience either of these issues, and have any suggestions?
I've tried running a new line from the parallel combiner DIRECTLY to my vehicle battery, to eliminate any potential malfunction of my Ford upfitter system, or a problem with my wiring. Thought maybe the route I used for wiring it was too long, and there was too much voltage drop? But it behaved exactly the same, even when just wired directly, the shortest route possible to the battery. -
Any update on this issue? I'm following looking to do a similar install. I. have the 3000x withe the integration link off of the starter battery with a robust fuse. I haven't been able to get my head around direct to alternator/battery install…size cable and fuse requirement assuming that I'll put in the adequate size for the load.
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Did your cables and unit melt on the new firmware? What did GZ say?
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Yikes! Maybe add one more cable to the recall?
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update - turns out the parallel combiner does not prioritize any of the inputs, as I was told by GZ. So it simply takes the highest voltage input, and ignores the others. In my case, this means it will never choose vehicle charging over solar, since my panels are running at around 40v. This makes the parallel combiner somewhat useless in my case, as in order to get vehicle charging, I have to physically unplug the panels.
I've also determined that I need to run much larger cable from vehicle back to the Yeti, as I'm getting too much voltage drop when the yeti is pulling from the vehicle, and the Yeti cuts of charging because it thinks it's depleted the battery. Should be solvable, just need to purchase another $100 of wire, and run the wire through the vehicle again.
As the parallel combiner is now somewhat useless, I'm going to make my own with a relay that offers a normally closed connection, wire that between panels and parallel combiner. Then run the trigger wire to the power coming from vehicle, so that when I turn on the upfitter switch to send power from vehicle to goal zero, it also triggers the relay to cut off the power from the panels.
At the moment, I just have the vehicle wired into the 8mm connector, so at least getting some charge…but it's so slow it's almost not worth it. -
@PDX_Jay Have you been able to get your vehicle charging to work with the high voltage connector? If so, what relay setup, if any, do you have in between the yeti pro and the vehicle?
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I have not gotten to this project yet, so still just charging off the low-voltage input, using one of my factory upfitter switches.
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…also, since I'm using the factory upfitter (and will for the high-voltage too once I get around to that) I don't have to rely on the GoalZero to shut the charging when the vehicle is off - the upfitter switch will already do that.
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@PDX_Jay the factory upfitter switch is a manual shutoff, right? Im looking for some auto shutoff device to put in between the vehicle and the yeti pro dc charging port. Yeti Pro is supposed to switch of automatically with the new firmware upgrade (1.7.7), but does not do it for some reason. There are DC to DC charge controllers and low voltage relay shut offs that may work, but some of these devices are not compatible with the yeti pro 4000. If you have any suggestions on devices that detect voltage drop and are compatible with the yeti pro, I'm all ears.
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The factory upfitter switch are both. They are manual on/off, but they are also ONLY on when ignition is on. When the truck shuts off, they shut off as well.
But a relay should do the trick for you, not sure why it not be compatible with the Yeti Pro 4000. Something like this - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T35K8S2?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1
87 - run to Goal Zero input
30 - run to vehicle battery
86 - run to accessory power in the vehicle
85 - run to vehicle ground.
This should work for you, when the accessory power shuts off, it will turn off the power going to the Yeti.
As you'll only be sending a relatively low voltage (13.5v?) so make sure you use some pretty large wires to the Yeti, otherwise your voltage drop will be too much, and end up below the Yeti's cutoff for charging.
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@PDX_Jay Thanks for the advice. I will try the relay. Also, I have been attempting to use a 10awg. Given its current length, the voltage is almost certainly dropping too low. Im thinking a shorter 6awg will do the trick.
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agreed. 6awg should do the trick. I was also using 10awg, but with the length of the run I was doing (nearly 20ft) and the 40amp draw, Inwas calculating a 12-13% drop, which puts me below the cutoff for the hpp.
6awg will get the voltage drop nice and low, around 3% if I’m remembering correctly, which should keep me well above the low voltage cut off.
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Hello everyone. I have a question about the 4000. Is there a way to charge using A/C 240v @60 hz? Any adapter or cables for that? Thanks!!
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I'm a van builder and I just installed a Yeti Pro in a clients van.
For context this van has 400 watts of solar wired in series connected to the HPP combiner. I used the drivable kit. I connected the 8mm plug with the flying leads to a 10/2 wire and ran that directly to the start battery. Almost instantly I started having issues with the Yeti draining the start battery. I was told by a GZ representative that the charging thresholds were that the Yeti would stop taking power from the start battery when the battery voltage dropped below 12.6 volts, and that it would start again when the voltage was above 13.5 volts. This was not happening. At one point the start battery was drained to 9 volts. I didnt have any faith that a firmware update would fix this issue and I needed to deliver the van to the client. So, my solution was to install a Victron Smart Battery Protect which interrupts the positive cable. (Victron Energy Smart BatteryProtect 12/24-Volt 65 amp (Bluetooth)) I installed it in the drivers seat base. I mounted it to the back wall of the seat base. There is a grounding stud on the floor of the van inside the seat base to run the ground wire to, so now only a positive wire needed to run forward to the battery. This Battery Protect unit only cost $50. It has bluetooth and you can program the charging thresholds any way you want ini the Victron app. There is also a switch in the app if you want to disable the load manually. I experimented with setting the charging thresholds at different levels but ended up setting it at the same 12.6 volts shutdown / 13.5 volts restart that supposedly the Yeti is programed for. My thinking is that I don't want any current to be running from the start battery to the Yeti - unless the van is running. When the van engine is off this circuit should be closed.
I honestly have no idea why the GZ thresholds were not working for me, or if firmware will ever fix it. However, for 50 bucks the Victron Battery Protect solved the issue and provided me peace of mind. I think in future vans I will still install one of these regardless of how the Yeti is performing. It's a nice thing to have full authority over this charging circuit.
I hope this helps someone.
Here is a link to the battery protect:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXG5XZ4?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1
