Electrical Problem

In trying to resolve this problem I'm on my third leisure battery and second control panel. My last vidi to the dealer also recommended reducing the rate at which the battery is charged (apparently there's some means of controlling this!). However, I think this has added to the basic problem - the battery now takes too long to charge: Ive had it on charge for two whole days and the battery is still only showing 50% charge when taken off the mains. Despite isolating all power switches and fitting an isolating switch on the neutral leg of the battery, the battery still drains within a few days with nothing that else I can discern that takes any load.

How come. I must be missing something, else theres something very odd going on within the control panel set up. Surely if all isolators are switched to off and the neutral leg switched off the battery should be fine to overwinter, let alone last for just a few days. How come it keeps blowing battery cells? Surely if it had been overcharging (over a single night) the controller should be reducing the charge to a trickle (or, indeed, to nothing)? What is it that the dealer can't locate?

Pete

Hi Pete
Not sure which van you have, but I've not heard of reducing the charging rate - do you know what your dealer has done to the charger?

Has this last leisure battery been fitted before the charging rate was reduced?

Can you take your leisure battery out of the van, charge it with another battery charger & see if it holds charge?

Sorry for all the questions - just trying to illuminate things.

John

I would suggest charging a new battery off the van with a known good charger, disconnect it and then monitor the charge over a one week period taking daily measurements.
Then use it with a load to reduce the charge to about 50%.
Now put it on the van and charge as normal then remove the terminals and monitor for a week.
If it holds a charge it would suggest there is an errant load that is doing the damage (short circuit?).
If it doesn't then maybe the charger itself is at fault by overcharging the battery.

A motorhome engineer will be able to test the battery for you. That should be the first step. If that is okay then the charger should be checked. Its going to be one or the other.

Hi John

Its a Marquis Devon. The dealer said theres some means of reducing the rate of charge so I can only guess theres some setting within the control panel circuit box. Presumably a modern equivalent of a rheostat (giving my age away here!).

I had a brand new leisure battery fitted before the charge rate was adjusted. The dealer made the adjustment primarily because the previous battery blew several cells so his thinking was that the charge rate was too high. That battery was also a fairly new one, the previous one also having blown cells!

For good measure the control box (not the touch screen, which can sometimes be.....vague..., but the printed circuit board and fuses) was also changed - to no discernible effect.

I'm at something of a loss. Its ok on mains, but I want to be certain that all is well and can operate off-mains for a while. I have to take a machine around with me so I can breathe, being powerless is not an option!

Thanks ubuntu1 - both done but problem remains!

Thanks Celticbiker - there's some sort of errant loading, possibly a short, but I can't locate it. I might have to bite the bullet at some point and see if the guys at Autosleepers can cure it but its quite a difficult thing for me to do logistically speaking.

Cheers

Pete

How have they tested the batteries and the charger? This isn't just a voltmeter across the terminals scenario. It needs some proper diagnostics but its not difficult.

I don't know. Although its not been to Autosleepers HQ, its a major outlet (I don't want to upset the forum rules here!), so I have to trust on their competence and thoroughness.

Bertha wrote:Hi John


I'm at something of a loss. Its ok on mains, but I want to be certain that all is well and can operate off-mains for a while. I have to take a machine around with me so I can breathe, being powerless is not an option!

Hi Pete
Thanks for the replies. Can certainly understand your concerns from the above quote alone. Just wondering if you van is still under warranty? Either way recognising the importance of this problem for your independence, I would book it in at A/S service centre. The engineers there know what they are doing and (if you van is still under warranty) you are within your rights to insist A/S service centre look at it, as your supply A/S dealer has been unable to fix it.

It's a lovely part of the country at Willersey.

Good luck Let us know how you get on.
Regards
John

Hi Bertha, This is not rocket science. You need to go to a qualified  auto electrician in Cambridge.
I would forget going back to Marquis Devon or Auto Sleepers .
As Ubuntu1 says it can be solved.
From what you say i would expect that last battery has had it big time.
So you will need a new battery and i expect a new charger.
You should be able to get this done locally.
best regards
Mike