National Luna Intel. Solenoid/Controller opinion (Yay/Nay)

[kletzenklueffer]

Hey all- I bought a truck that has the NL intelligent Solenoid and dual battery controller installed, with two Optima yellow top batteries. The system isn't working well and there are indications that it's the install and not the equipment. The computer board piece of the IS has a crack in the base and a stripped out mounting screw and the underside of the circuit board has signs of electrical arcing. This results in either the solenoid not engaging, or on occasion, constantly clicking to engage, so at the least, the IS needs to be replaced.

My small challenge is that the PO installed the dual battery controller into the console with a surface mount controller. It looks cool, and to use another complete set up for battery management would require either replacing the console to eliminate the hole, or figuring out how to use the controller with a different system and losing it's function as a controller and only using it as a monitor.

OR! I just replace the IS with another one. However, I've read a number of stories of troubleshooting and replacement, although I suspect that the set ups that work get little comment since they do their job as intended.

So my question is for those with the system that have had it for a while- are you pleased with it's reliability and performance? Would you buy it again, knowing what you do?

 

[john61ct]

This VSR is 100% bulletproof

https://www.bluesea.com/products/7620/ML-ACR_Automatic_Charging_Relay_-_12V_DC_500A

No display, so keep the NL as a meter if you like.

 

[dstock]

I didn't have the best of luck with the NL system but mine was mounted under the hood. The Jeep JK engine compartment is very hot and the NL system doesn't thrive in that environment. I had a thread on hear about my experiences which I can't locate at the moment. I have a basically new NL solenoid you can have for the price of shipping. Shoot me a pm if you are interested.

P.S. found my thread NL split charge issues

 

[kletzenklueffer]

I didn't have the best of luck with the NL system but mine was mounted under the hood. The Jeep JK engine compartment is very hot and the NL system doesn't thrive in that environment. I had a thread on hear about my experiences which I can't locate at the moment. I have a basically new NL solenoid you can have for the price of shipping. Shoot me a pm if you are interested.

P.S. found my thread NL split charge issues

Thanks for the offer, but after some diagnosis, I decided to risk buying another intelligent solenoid to see if it resolved my issue.

I continued diagnosis and had some conversation with NL's product designer and determined that my chip board for my intelligent solenoid was damaged. I found some evidence of arcing from the chip board to the mounting screw. I theorize that the equipment was damaged during the full detail at the dealer- maybe pressure washing of the engine, which broke the mounting plastic and maybe soaked the computer board, then when the truck was started, it arced through the water and fried the computer board. I had managed to get it intermittently charge the aux battery, but the solenoid just clicked and clicked, never fully engaging.

I received the new intelligent solenoid yesterday and installed it and all is working as is should- 5 minute delay, then both batteries charge together.

 

[dstock]

Thanks for the offer, but after some diagnosis, I decided to risk buying another intelligent solenoid to see if it resolved my issue.

I continued diagnosis and had some conversation with NL's product designer and determined that my chip board for my intelligent solenoid was damaged. I found some evidence of arcing from the chip board to the mounting screw. I theorize that the equipment was damaged during the full detail at the dealer- maybe pressure washing of the engine, which broke the mounting plastic and maybe soaked the computer board, then when the truck was started, it arced through the water and fried the computer board. I had managed to get it intermittently charge the aux battery, but the solenoid just clicked and clicked, never fully engaging.

I received the new intelligent solenoid yesterday and installed it and all is working as is should- 5 minute delay, then both batteries charge together.

Glad you figured it out. Just keep your eye on the monitor, when the NL solenoid disconnects it does so very quietly, without the monitor you won't know.

Also, even if it doesn't work out you can still use the NL monitor with another system. Just cut the plug off and you will find 4 wires, 2 pos, and 2 ground, hook 1 pair to each battery and it works the same. The only button on the monitor that won't work is the one to combine the batteries. I use it as a backup monitor for my Blue Sea ACR.

 

[kletzenklueffer]

Thanks for that reply. The issue I have, and why I wanted to give the NL solenoid another shot is that the PO of my Tacoma installed the dual battery controller into the center console. He used the surface mount one and it looks great, but if I couldn't use it with this or another system, I'd need to get another console to do away with the hole that would be there. So far, so good.