Restarting after being in storage for eight months (1 Viewer)

Jul 27, 2011
145
197
Kilmun, Dunoon
Funster No
17,525
MH
Knaus Sport TI
Exp
Since 2012
Our Fiat Ducato has been in storage since February nearby Torre Del Mar. Last week I decided to call in at the secure parking venue to flash it up in readiness for the great escape now that summer is nearly over here whilst my Berlingo was getting it's ITV (MOT)
Yes you have guessed it.... click click click came from the engine compartment. No problem I will drag out the 95Ah leisure battery using the jump starter cables. No, still click click click. I then dragged out the second 95Ah leisure battery, both are solar powered charged. No , click click came from the engine. No problem I will jump start it from the Berlingo later in the week. For the technies I disconnected the negative of the engine bay battery in case that was so flat it was loading the two other batteries. Later that week I tried the Berlingo jump start... still click click click with the crocodile clips red hot after trying. Must be the starter motor or Bendix seized I thought, wrongly as it happened. I then paid for the UK mechanic to join me the following morning. First job was to replace my original battery with one of my 95Ah leisure batteries which I took home to charge... both leisure batteries which were in good condition being trickled charged via the solar panel. First turn of the ignition and vroom she started no problem at all. Why ? you ask when I tried jump starting with effectively three separate batteries. The Chinese Emporium jump starter leads look the bees knee's with an OD of 14mm with moulded crocodile clips so you can't see the conductor within, however after some measurement's the diameter of the copper conductor on the inside is so small that the volt drop was so great it made the leads ineffectual for jump starting. No wonder they were so hot almost on the point of literally fusing the conductor. The mechanic and I did some quick tests with his welding cable jump leads which did work. So around 150 euro for a new 95Ah Varta battery before the next trip and 35 euro for the mechanics call out. So readers be careful, buy cheap buy dear. Emporium stuff here may look the part but they certainly don't play the part. Joking apart I also bought some white spray paint from the Emporium only for it to dry Canary yellow, a red towel which turned my face into a tomato after wiping the sweat off and finally don't be tempted to buy Emporium windscreen wipers, you'll be sorry. Hope this helps. Oh yes, nearly forgot, DO NOT buy spare fuses for your motorhome. The gauge of metal is so thin which creates heat and intermittent connections creating all sorts of distractions. The frying pan's aint too bad though for juts one season.
 

Flamenca

LIFE MEMBER
Jun 21, 2013
1,266
804
Europe
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26,598
MH
Hymer 564
Exp
Since 2010
I have bought a few sets of jump leads in Spain over the years but always from one of the large supermarket chains and those have not been brilliant. I even got to the stage of weighing them in the vegetables department before buying to give me some idea of the copper content :cautious:

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H

Hagstrom

Deleted User
Yes, I've tried the windscreen wipers and they perform poorly. (And they were 3euros EACH!)
Norman
 

SuperMike

Free Member
Apr 28, 2010
2,477
7,593
St Albans
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11,285
MH
Winnebago Sightseer
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11yrs, but many years a tugger.
So, you bought wipers at €3 each and expected them to work. A fool and his money are soon parted. ;)

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OP
OP
Neil n Pat
Jul 27, 2011
145
197
Kilmun, Dunoon
Funster No
17,525
MH
Knaus Sport TI
Exp
Since 2012
Thanks for the comments... buy cheap pay dear. Emporiums do have a purpose..... if they can supply something that is thinner, lighter, brighter, looks the part and is eventually disposable they will.
I learnt the hard way here having fitted a new kitchen when one year later the wall units started falling away from the wall battens. The heads of the screws had literally fallen off.
 

Landy lover

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Jul 11, 2009
2,296
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27ft Eurolight
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Camping Caravaning now 5'ering 49 years
For Jump Leads for use on diesel engines up to 2.5 litre and a length of max 5 metres you need to consider 35 sq good quality copper leads with strong insulated croc clips too many are of a lot less and the croc clips are actually plastic with a few strips of copper to make contact - barely good enough for a petrol engine up to 1.5 litres with a part charged battery

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Jaws

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Sep 26, 2008
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Thetford Norfolk
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What are carp leads ? ( sorry.. never heard of them .. )am I missing a trick ?
 

Jaws

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Sep 26, 2008
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Thetford Norfolk
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
Bugger.. just realised............
Would that ( should that ) have been crap leads ?

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Peter A Forbes

Free Member
Nov 23, 2014
270
184
Rushden, Northants, UK
Funster No
34,314
MH
Mercedes 614D
Exp
10+
We've had a set of Ripaults commercial jump leads since the 1980's, decently made of good quality components. They weren't cheap then and I don't think they make them now, but I'd buy another set in a flash if I saw some on sale.

Most of the cheaper sets really are rubbish, I've seen them melt in use.

These don't look too bad, but I haven't used them myself:

Broken Link Removed

Peter
 

Popeye

Deceased RIP
Sep 5, 2011
7,926
86,461
edge of New Forest
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18,072
MH
Frankia Platin Plus
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On and off since 1983
I've posted this before and it served me well. We used to print this on the front of our Quotation pages for the customer.

"There is nothing in this life that some unscrupulous fellow

cannot make a little cheaper and hence a little nastier

and anyone who considers Price alone

are this mans legitimate prey."
 

Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,821
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Thetford Norfolk
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
Got my present set from Hafrauds ( actually as a present from #1 son )

They are these:
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Fortunately never had to use them on the van but have been put to use on other folks !

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Aug 18, 2014
23,538
131,299
Lorca,Murcia,Spain
Funster No
32,898
MH
Transit PVC
Exp
16 years since restarting
With regard to Hong Kong fueys top quality wipers . I always use them They last just as long here with the dust as top quality Bosch ones. ..about a month before they have a smear. so for 2,50€ a blade I just change them regularly.
I know some people moan about the quality of some of the stuff But I have never really had a problem with anything I've bought.
You have to remember also that most of the stuff sold in chinese shops here is sold in the UK in some of the 'pound' shops & other more expensive ones like Wilko's , at vastly inflated prices.
In the UK recently & my nephew purchased 2 12v multi adaptors. One 3 way +usb & second 5 way + 2 x usb.First was £5,50 & other £8,50.
Identical ones here I saw on Monday in hkfueys , from same manufacturer/same packing 2,30€ & 3,20€

I always use my own welding cable jump leads though. Anothe thing a lot ofpeople do when faced with a dead flat battery is put the leads terminal to terminal which is halving the battery capacity as the good one is flowing in to the flat one.
The leads should be positive form good battery to posite on dead one . Negative on good battery to a good earth on the engine or starter motor.
 
Aug 6, 2013
11,941
16,528
Kendal, Cumbria
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27,352
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Le-Voyageur RX958 Pl
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since 1999
With regard to Hong Kong fueys top quality wipers . I always use them They last just as long here with the dust as top quality Bosch ones. ..about a month before they have a smear. so for 2,50€ a blade I just change them regularly.
I know some people moan about the quality of some of the stuff But I have never really had a problem with anything I've bought.
You have to remember also that most of the stuff sold in chinese shops here is sold in the UK in some of the 'pound' shops & other more expensive ones like Wilko's , at vastly inflated prices.
In the UK recently & my nephew purchased 2 12v multi adaptors. One 3 way +usb & second 5 way + 2 x usb.First was £5,50 & other £8,50.
Identical ones here I saw on Monday in hkfueys , from same manufacturer/same packing 2,30€ & 3,20€

I always use my own welding cable jump leads though. Anothe thing a lot ofpeople do when faced with a dead flat battery is put the leads terminal to terminal which is halving the battery capacity as the good one is flowing in to the flat one.
The leads should be positive form good battery to posite on dead one . Negative on good battery to a good earth on the engine or starter motor.
The good battery will try to charge the dead one wherever you connect the leads.

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Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,821
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Thetford Norfolk
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C class, Chieftain
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
Beat me to it Tony !

But the rest of the post I absolutely agree with.

All the cheapo wipers are about the same quality.. It is not until you get up in to the 'jeeez, they are bloody stupid silly expensive' range there is a notable difference in them
 

Tony drake

Free Member
May 22, 2015
68
45
Poole
Funster No
36,515
MH
Coachbuild
Exp
Since 2008
I sell this unit to a lot of car dealers, it's a fantastic bit of kit, it's the size of a iphone 6 plus, has USB ports, torch and phone charging cables, ideal for keeping in the van, it will start motorhomes no problem even if the battery is dead flat.
http://www.launchtech.co.uk/battery-chargers/

Ps I can do them a bit cheaper for anyone interested.
 
Apr 27, 2008
11,788
13,944
Eastbourne East Sussex
Funster No
2,327
MH
Hymer low profile
Exp
Since 1972
Just 12 Ah battery (stated as 12000mAh to make it sound more) and quite thin leads. I am surprised it can start a large diesel engine but I assume you know what you're selling.

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Tony drake

Free Member
May 22, 2015
68
45
Poole
Funster No
36,515
MH
Coachbuild
Exp
Since 2008
Just 12 Ah battery (stated as 12000mAh to make it sound more) and quite thin leads. I am surprised it can start a large diesel engine but I assume you know what you're selling.
I've started a completely flat Volvo D5 2.5 tdi engine no problem.
 
Aug 6, 2013
11,941
16,528
Kendal, Cumbria
Funster No
27,352
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Le-Voyageur RX958 Pl
Exp
since 1999
Just 12 Ah battery (stated as 12000mAh to make it sound more) and quite thin leads. I am surprised it can start a large diesel engine but I assume you know what you're selling.
They work by rapid-charging the vehicle battery which will then start the vehicle.
 

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