My story (FSX battery bug)

[Chris. 39]

EDIT: At this moment just keep the APU running after the engines were shut down.

Or use the little programm posted by aal763. I've got no experience with it, so pls don't blame in the case of any problems.

Chris

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Hi,

so, yesterday I bought the AirbusX. Today I got some time to fly it.

Let's start here. (Air Berlin A321)

First: After 10 min. all lights of the buttons like fuelpumps etc. switched off. Even with a running APU, I turned it on before the "black-out", I was not able to start the engines.

So I tried to finish the pre-flight things in 5 min. Well, engines running pre-flight completed, ATC clearence, let's go but after aprox 1000ft the thrust becomes 0% with throttles at max and AP off.

Err.. and yeah... I was also not able to load the Cold&Dark status off the A320 Niki. I can press it all the time.....but nothing.

Than a few bugs in the MCDU but we had this in another topic.

frustrated,

Chris

I share your frustration, tens of thousands share it as it is one of the nastiest bugs in FSX. The batteries drain way too fast and the APU system in FSX does not contain an electricity source. There are two ways to fix it.

1) The nice way is to have FSUIPC solve the problem, it contains a module that increases the battery life. Think this needs to be a registered copy of FSUIPC though:

2) The second (free) way is to add the line marked red to the aircraft.cfg files.

We did not do so because it more or removes the whole idea of having generators and batteries from FSX.

[Chris. 39]

Thank you for your help. One the one hand I already have such a line in my aircraft.cfg and on the other hand I still have a problem with the thrust direct after take-off and with the Cold&Dark-status with the A320 Niki.

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Thank you for your help. One the one hand I already have such a line in my aircraft.cfg and on the other hand I still have a problem with the thrust direct after take-off and with the Cold&Dark-status with the A320 Niki.

Hold on, you say you already have such a line? But we did not include it, so I assume you did add it yourself? It should be a surefire way to fix this. Google it and you see it's not exactly something new. I got the idea the cold and dark issue is related because it functions fine on the machines we tested this just on. Very strange, the line in the aircraft.cfg overwrites everything we can program in the systems. I cannot recreate or understand this in any way and I am almost 100% sure this should not happen on clean install of FSX/SP2, something is interfering. Could you give us some idea on what's installed?

The loss of thrust has been reported by a few people but it was always a case if configuration and solved for all of them by using the step by step guide.

[Chris. 39]

Hold on, you say you already have such a line? But we did not include it, so I assume you did add it yourself? It should be a surefire way to fix this. Google it and you see it's not exactly something new. I got the idea the cold and dark issue is related because it functions fine on the machines we tested this just on. Very strange, the line in the aircraft.cfg overwrites everything we can program in the systems. I cannot recreate or understand this in any way and I am almost 100% sure this should not happen on clean install of FSX/SP2, something is interfering. Could you give us some idea on what's installed?

The loss of thrust has been reported by a few people but it was always a case if configuration and solved for all of them by using the step by step guide.

No. I don't added such a line. I swear. All what I have added is this "atc_parking_code =". And I have done this after your advice to check the electric thing. But I use Flusifix, which also has a function to add such a line. But only for MS default Aircrafts. I will check that again.

That's my current system and FSX Add-ons:

Win7 Home 64bit

FSX acc.

Active Sky Evol.

FSPassengers

Ground Env. X.

Real Env. X2

Pro Flight E.

AISmooth

AES

Ultimate traffic 2

and some Airports like LEPA, LPFR, EDDG etc. All in once: 7 airports

BTW: The Airbus looks good.

EDIT: I checked Flusifix and it has nothing to do with the line in the AirbusX cfg

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

mmmm think you are right, sorry.

Got to discuss this with the developer of the systems because I can leave the airbus on battery the whole night without it going down.

[Chris. 39]

Ok, the problem with the Niki A320 (Cold&Dark) is solved. I reinstalled the AirbusX.

Still the battery is my main problem now. Maybe I will find some more bugs when I have my first flight with the bus.

[Chris. 39]

I think I have found another one.

Compare the wipers in fast-mode. Left one is irregular and right seems to be ok.

[Swen 20]

Aicraft.cfg value is set but i lost full power. I dont have a registered fsuipc. But my batts went dry...

[ELECTRICAL] // A320 & A321

max_battery_voltage = 28.5

generator_alternator_voltage = 30.0

max_generator_alternator_amps = 400.0

electric_always_available = 1

autopilot = 0, 5, 17

avionics_bus = 0, 10, 17

avionics = 1, 5, 17

pitot_heat = 0, 2, 17

[Swen 20]

Ha, very interesting... What i do...

Make external power avail

- ext power = on

- bus tie = ill. off - auto

Batteries go down

Now i start APU

- APU Master Switch

- APU start

And now Batteries are rising and go to >28V

Now i hit

- APU gen On

Batteries go down...

Switch off external power

Batteries go down...

Switch on external power and off apu generator batteries load and stay then at >28V

Sorry, but i still think thats a bug. Bus Tie Auto logic wont work?

[william.m 13]

Please give this a try:

As soon as you load the aircraft, before you do anything else, go to the FMGS, MENU page, aircraft function and load the Cold & Dark situation preset. Then look at the Overhead and you should have the EXT PWR available (OFF). Turn it on and now all the TK pumps should light up in the off position. Turn them on. The batteries should at this point read between 27.5 & 28.5. You should now (or within minutes) turn on the APU and do all your pre-flight prep.......

Let me know if it works differently for you...........

Will

[Swen 20]

So there are much steps missing. After Cold and Dark all is off. So i must connect first EXT Power in MCDU. Now EXT PWR is avail. So if i connect it only, nothing happens. I switch on BATT12 and then you can see that Batts not stable and go down.

So my way: EXT PWR ON - BAT12 ON - BUS TIE AUTO and my BATT go down

Now i start APU. If avail without connect APU GEN BATT12 raising. If i connect APU GEN BATT12 falling...

[Chris. 39]

Hi,

I can confrim the solution of my pre-writer above.

After Cold&Dark and EXT pwr on batteries lose power. After running up the APU I have enough pwr to do all my pre-flight stuff. The APU GEN-switch is just a switchable button, no function.

[Swen 20]

Hello Chris,

thank for feedback. So i think there is a logical fault. Off is on and On is Off. You only need APU Start and let all of an Batt stay.

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

I asked Finn to check into it.

No wait, the only thing that can charge batteries in FSX are the engine driven generators, APU and External power can not.

[Chris. 39]

I asked Finn to check into it.

No wait, the only thing that can charge batteries in FSX are the engine driven generators, APU and External power can not.

Hmmm....the engines were off. The GPU was connected and ext. pwr siwtch off but APU running and APU GEN off. My batteries have shown ~28V.

I will do some further tests and report them here.

[Chris. 39]

So,

how to get PWR on the BATTs:

Start APU, start one engine(BATT PWR raising), shut the engine(BATT PWR ok), keep the APU running. EXT PWR no function.

EDIT: Sometimes I can start APU and have to switch the APU GEN also on to get pwr. So, there are different ways to get pwr.

[Swen 20]

APU and External Power dont charge Batt. I think EXT PWR charge BATT, too?

BATT go wents out if i put APU GEN on BUS or EXT POWER on Bus. If i start APU only and let APU GEN or EXT PWR off, BATTs stay. That not logic. If you have EXT PWR on or an GEN external that gives you power the BATTs wont use. Thats 'cause why you have on electrical bus APU GEN or EXT PWR.

So if no APU GEN ON then i dont get hydraulic press for yellow system.

So in StepByStep Guide there is nothing with APU GEN...

[Chris. 39]

APU and External Power dont charge Batt. I think EXT PWR charge BATT, too?

BATT go wents out if i put APU GEN on BUS or EXT POWER on Bus. If i start APU only and let APU GEN or EXT PWR off, BATTs stay. That not logic. If you have EXT PWR on or an GEN external that gives you power the BATTs wont use. Thats 'cause why you have on electrical bus APU GEN or EXT PWR.

So if no APU GEN ON then i dont get hydraulic press for yellow system.

So in StepByStep Guide there is nothing with APU GEN...

I know it's very strange. And BTW the cabin and the cockpit is prety cold without a working climate system. I cannot turn the buttons to more warm levels.

[Chris. 39]

Hi,

just to make something clear.

Do you will have a look at this problem or do we have to live with the "buggy" batteries?

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

We will look into it (I promise) but it's not a high priority at this moment.

[Chris. 39]

We will look into it (I promise) but it's not a high priority at this moment.

It's ok. Just good to know that you are on this.

[duckbilled 30]

The CLS MD 80 had a very similar issue. I believe they issued a fix by email for the people that were having issues. I don't know what the fix was. If you guys know Albert Bouwman, maybe you can ask him what he found.

FYI - I didn't have the problem with the MD80 or your Airbus.

FSX+Acceleration, Windows 7 Pro 64Bit, FSUIPC registered version

[aal763 1]

I have always had trouble with battery drain in fsx. It has always frustrated me that the batteries drain within 15 minutes, and then there is no way of recharging them. For a long time the only fix has been either FSUIPC or editing the Aircraft.cfg file. Just the other day I stumbled upon this program called BatX and it works great. Not only does it let you choose how long the battery will last, but it will let you recharge a dead battery so you don't have to restart the flight.

Here's the link:

http://www.flight1tech.com/Products/BATXFreeUtility.aspx

Best Regards,

Robert

[MatzeH84 88]

For me turning the APU master switch on and hitting the start button already charges the batteries, even if they are empty. They charge about 30sec, and when they get above 20V the christmastree lights up again.. but only if APU GEN is OFF, switching it on the batteries drain again.

@Chris.. well, pretty old post, but: Clicking the temp selectors ~1000000000 times with the right mouse button (or use the scroll wheel- less work) makes them move up.

Would be nice to know IF there will be another update and WHAT will be fixed- and what's not going to be done.