Why are all the LEDs on my BCDC flashing five times?

This information is applicable to the following BCDC chargers:

  • BCDC Classic Under Bonnet 25A DC Battery Charger (BCDC1225D) 
  • BCDC Classic Under Bonnet 40A DC Battery Charger (BCDC1240D) 
  • BCDC Classic Under Bonnet 50A DC Battery Charger (BCDC1250D) 
  • BCDC Core In-Cabin 25A DC Battery Charger (BCDCN1225) 
  • BCDC Core In-Cabin 25A DC Battery Charger (BCDCN1240) 
  • BCDC Trailer - 12A DC Trailer Battery Charger (BCDC1212T) 
  • BCDC Trailer S – 12A Vehicle to Trailer Charger with Solar (BCDC1212S) 
WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? 

The BCDC will exhibit a sequence where all seven LEDs located on the display panel flash simultaneously five times, followed by a 3.5 second pause before the cycle repeats. 

WHAT DOES ALL LEDS FLASHING 5 TIMES MEAN?

This fault indicates that the BCDC has detected low voltage on the input of the charger during device start up. When this occurs, the input voltage has fallen below 9 volts. This is below the required working limit of the BCDC. 

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY SOLAR INPUT OR VEHICLE INPUT IS UNDERVOLTAGE?

If the BCDC is being supplied power from the vehicle and solar simultaneously and ONE of the sources is undervoltage, that specific source LED (vehicle or solar) will flash 5 times.  

If the BCDC is being supplied power from the vehicle and solar with BOTH sources presenting under voltage OR, if the unit is being supplied power from one input only and that input is undervoltage, ALL LEDs will flash 5 times.  

WILL THE BCDC STILL CHARGE MY BATTERY IN THIS CONDITION?

The BCDC will not provide charge when it is experiencing low input voltage until the fault is rectified. 

WHAT CAN CAUSE THIS FAULT MODE?

VEHICLE INPUT:

When the vehicle input wire (red) is compromised from any of the following:

  1. Undersized cable 
  2. Poor connections - such as loose or damaged terminal/connections  
  3. Faulty fuse protection

SOLAR INPUT:

When the solar input wire is compromised from any of the following:

  1. Undersized cable  
  2. Poor connections - such as loose or damaged terminal/connections 
  3. Faulty fuse protection. 
  4. Solar panel has a damaged cell or is faulty 
  5. Solar panel is in low light/poor conditions including a poor angle to the sun or overcast weather 
HOW TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF ALL LEDS FLASHING FIVE TIMES

To determine the cause of this short circuit, it will require diagnostic testing. REDARC recommends seeking the support of an installer.

 Below is a list of the common causes and repairs.

IF FIVE FLASHES OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING (NO SOLAR):

A) FAULTY FUSE OR CIRCUIT BREAKER

As the BCDC draws a continuous high amount of power (current), choice of fuse protection is critical. Unsuitable fuse protection can function correctly initially; however, it may fail over  time. Blade fuses and circuit breakers are the most common cause of issues resulting in either poor performance or breakdowns.

WHAT TO CHECK FIRST:

  1.  Locate and identify the fuse protection used between the starting battery and BCDC.
  2. Locate and identify the fuse protection used between the BCDC and the auxiliary  battery.  
  3. Complete the following visual/physical checks; 

Circuit breaker: Check to see if the circuit breaker is hotter than other components in the same area, this represents a bad internal connection causing the issue.  

Blade fuse: Remove fuse from holder and check fuse and holder for signs of heat and/or bad connection.  

Note: REDARC recommends using MIDI fuses. 

B) LOOSE CONNECTION AT THE START BATTERY TERMINAL/FUSE HOLDER OR LOOSE GROUND CONNECTION AT THE BCDC

  1. Ensure connection points are clean, not damaged or loose. 
  2. Remove battery terminal and ensure a clean surface area is provided for the terminal. 
  3. Inspect the ground wire (-) to ensure it has a suitable ground connection, such as a terminal attached to bare metal (unpainted surface). 
  4. Ensure each crimp connection is strong, a small tug on each wire can confirm this. 

IF FIVE FLASHES OCCURS WHEN SOLAR IS CONNECTED (VEHICLE NOT RUNNING):

A) SOLAR PANEL IN LOW LIGHT

No action required, fault detection will clear when solar panel is exposed to  increased light (improved angle to the sun and sun exposure).

B) LOOSE CONNECTION FROM SOLAR

  1. Ensure connection points are clean, not damaged or loose. 
  2. Remove solar connector and ensure good terminal contact is present (tight connection). 
  3. Ensure each crimp connection is strong, a small tug on each wire can confirm this. 
  4. Inspect the ground wire (-) to ensure it has a suitable ground connection, such as a terminal attached to bare metal (unpainted surface). 
  5. Is the solar panel performing correctly? Check out our how to test your solar panels and blankets tech tip.

The below images show a typical BCDC install. Each diagram also shows the typical connection points for an installation. 

HOW TO TEST FOR ALL LEDS FLASHING FIVE TIMES (VEHICLE INPUT ONLY)

To test the BCDC and confirm that you are getting 9v or less during device startup, you need to ensure the charger is in boost mode, to do this follow the below instructions: 

  1. power cycle the BCDC (this ensures the test starts with the BCDC in standby).
  2. Disconnect start battery input wire (red), aux battery output wire (brown) and Solar input wire (yellow).  
  3. Leave disconnected for a minimum of 1 minute. 
  4. Reconnect aux battery wire (brown), solar wire (yellow), and finally start battery wire (red). 
  5. Once reconnected, use a multi meter set to DC voltage and measure the voltage by probing the red & black wires right at the BCDC unit. 
  6. Whilst monitoring this voltage, have someone start the vehicle. 
  7. If the voltage drops below 9v once the BCDC initiates charging, compare voltage at the start battery. If there is a difference in voltage (for example, 14V at start battery and <9V at BCDC) then there is a connection related fault on power supply to the BCDC (red or black wires). 
  8. If experiencing less then 9v, common contributors are as follows: 
    - Loose or poor connections 
    - Undersized wiring 
    - Faulty fuse protection
NOTES:
  • In rare cases, the BCDC may have gone into 24v mode upon initial connection of the wiring. To address this condition, power cycling the BCDC will resolve and rectify the fault. If the problem persists, it is likely that there is wiring issue present.  
  • In cases where the solar panels are subjected to low light conditions such as being stored in a shed with the lights on, the low solar input can cause the 5flashing fault code. In this scenario, it’s indicating low solar input due to poor sun exposure.