Charging Ducato Battery... (1 Viewer)

Photo4x4

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Hello

My MH has a Fiat Ducato 130 Multijet base vehicle. I seem to have a flat battery as nothing at all lit up when I turned the ignition key to start it this afternoon. I jump started it from my truck and it started at first turn so I ran the engine for about 40 minutes before switching off. However when I turned the key in the ignition again about 15 minutes later it was just the same - nothing (dead as the proverbial Dodo).

I plugged the MH into the mains and left it for a while and when I pressed the power button on and then pressed the levels check it indicated that the leisure battery was fully charged but there was no indication at all for the vehicle battery.

I jump started it again, intending to give it a good run, but then the 'key & lock' symbol and the power steering warning came on. However the power steering was still operating.

Could this be caused by the battery being completely flat?

I was going to put the vehicle battery on charge but I read in the handbook that this should only be done by a Fiat dealer and the battery needs to be disconnected!

Does this mean that I can't simply hook up a charger to the battery (via the contact in the engine bay and the earth point) and leave it charging overnight?

Failing charging it up overnight then I'll have to get it to a garage on Monday. The vehicle was serviced and MOT'd two weeks ago and I have only driven it home from the garage since.

Any advice would be appreciated as this is b*******g up our plans for next week! :cry:

Thanks

KH
 

icantremember

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Possibly a loose or corroded earth connection at the battery or starter motor ... or engine to chassis.

PS If the battery is so flat that it will not even light the dash lamps it is probably fo the scrap yard.
 

Baggers53

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When modern batteries go...they go..no amount of charging will do anything.
I think you need tobuy a new one.
Remember radio will need reprogramming if you disconnect the battery

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Riverbankannie

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When you use mains to charge, I believe the leisure battery charged first until fully charged then switches to vehicle battery. When I had this problem, I left it on EHU overnight and was ok next day. Newish battery, it was just the alarm that had run it down. ( now have solar panel - thanks Vanbitz). How long is "a while"?
 

keith

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When modern batteries go...they go..no amount of charging will do anything.
I think you need tobuy a new one.
Remember radio will need reprogramming if you disconnect the battery

I have never had to re programme my radio even after having a new battery fitted, I don't believe I even have a code, but I do have a radio fitted ....?
It's a 2007 Peugeot Boxer.
Sounds very much like a corroded terminal.
 
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Photo4x4

Photo4x4

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How long is "a while"?
It was about 45 minutes. I've just hooked up to EHU again and I'll leave it on overnight, 'just in case'. We can't get it to a garage until Monday anyway so I may as well try it.

KH

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?

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I have never had to re programme my radio even after having a new battery fitted, I don't believe I even have a code, but I do have a radio fitted ....?
It's a 2007 Peugeot Boxer.
Sounds very much like a corroded terminal.

I have with most cars what have the factory radio including Pugs. My last two Fiat's also needed a code

OP. Check when running the alternator is charging. This yank with the annoying voice tells you how

 

Riverbankannie

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Hope ok tomorrow at least to start it and give it a run. As you say Fiat handbook says go to Fiat dealer and to disconnect. When we looked at the battery we realised how complex the connections seem. I suppose a lot added by MH converter. We were glad all ok next day as would have been worried about warranties if tried to charge using our intelligent charger for the car.
 

dave newell

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I'd go with a knackered engine battery. Funnily enough my race car battery died this morning. I drove it home yesterday but this morning it wouldn't start (very slow turnover) so a bump start and away to work. Put it on charge and was amazed that the charger showed it as fully charged after just four minutes. Had to pop out to get summat a couple of hours later and engine started fine, came out of shop and it would hardly turn over again. Changed battery and it spins over like a good un again.

D.

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DBK

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It was about 45 minutes. I've just hooked up to EHU again and I'll leave it on overnight, 'just in case'. We can't get it to a garage until Monday anyway so I may as well try it.

KH
You can't assume being on EHU will charge the vehicle battery. Not all systems, possibly the majority, do.

I'd go with a dead battery, but worth getting it tested.
 
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Photo4x4

Photo4x4

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Oh well, left n EHU overnight - still the same. So I'll up to my local garage on Monday morning to get the battery checked. I will report back...

Thanks to all for reading and replying.

KH
 

Petest

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What are the risks of hooking it up to a Ctek intelligent charger (or similar) while it's still in the van?
Only reason I ask is that I have mine rigged so that the detachable ends are permanently connected and the clip on connection comes out by the passenger seat. If I've not used the van for a few weeks I hook up to mains and connect the charger.

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Photo4x4

Photo4x4

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I was going to put the vehicle battery on charge but I read in the handbook that this should only be done by a Fiat dealer and the battery needs to be disconnected!
BTW do you really need to do this? Is it not advisable to connect a battery charger to the under bonnet +ve and earth as you do with jump leads?

KH
 

premiere99

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What are the risks of hooking it up to a Ctek intelligent charger (or similar) while it's still in the van?
Only reason I ask is that I have mine rigged so that the detachable ends are permanently connected and the clip on connection comes out by the passenger seat. If I've not used the van for a few weeks I hook up to mains and connect the charger.
Since I bought my Autotrail in 2010 I have had a CTEK XS3600 permanently attached to the battery and wired into the 240v van circuit which is on 24/7 whilst at home.
Only recently have I done a complete rewire and changed to a CTEK MSX 25 wired direct to 2x6v New Trojan batteries and via an M-Power split charge VSR to the engine battery, deciding at that time to change that for a Varta I1 Van Battery as suggested by @Techno so all the batteries are new but the old engine battery was fine.
You cannot damage your battery by permanently wiring it up to an intelligent CTEK charger.

http://www.ctek.com/gb/en/page/whycharge/battery-charging

Clive
 
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Photo4x4

Photo4x4

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Results time...

Firstly you can charge the cab battery by connecting to the under bonnet (jump start) connections. The advice to only have the battery charged at a Fiat dealer is just to cover Fiat in the event that an owner causes damage by connecting the charger incorrectly.

Secondly 'best practice' is to disconnect the -ve earth lead but this is not absolutely necessary.

Thirdly - :oops: if you have an isolator switch for the cab battery check that it is not open before trying to start the engine/charge the battery!

Fortunately my local garage, who look after all of our vehicles, have a sense of humour!

I must have accidentally knocked the cab battery isolator switch when I cleaned out the MH a week or so ago (well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). Anyway I went to put the battery on charge yesterday morning and the charger did not 'light up', so I tried it on a battery that I knew was okay and it lit up (worked). I put the charger back on the MH and had a sudden thought about the isolator switch so went and turned it. Bingo, the battery charger began charging!

Twenty four hours later the battery was fully charged and the vehicle started first turn. Just to be absolutely sure I went up to the garage for them to check that it was being charged and that the alternator was working. It was charging at about 14.5 v. So we are off for a couple of days this morning.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and give me your input and now as a reward you can have a well deserved chuckle at my ineptitude. :oops: (y)

KH

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