Help! - Leisure Battery loosing voltage (1 Viewer)

[MJ65]

help please, we have a 2015 Autosleepers Kingham with standard Sargent EC480 LCD Control panel, 100w solar panel (dealer fit from new). Used the van off hook up, with good sunshine, watch some TV and use other basic electrics, so by 8pm leisure battery showed 75% and voltage 12.4v. Charging bar showed good charge during day feeding leisure battery when the sun was out, rebuilding Ah % to 93%. Went to watch TV later and the leisure battery voltage dropped within 30s from 12.4v to 11v and then on down to 10v with audible beep warning. There was never more than 2.8amps being drawn. In the end found we could have light on, but switch pump or bathroom light on and leisure batter voltage dropped and alarm went off again.

I've returned to dealer and they say;

They have tested it and can't find a fault - when I asked them to politely try harder because it's been fine girl 13 months but has just gone faulty.
They called me 2 days later and said Sargent technical said that this is normal and what happens with load. The customer services girl at dealer was useless and had attitude so I asked for Sargent details and said I would call them as this makes no sense to me.

Experienced Funsters out there please educate me, what do you think is going on?

Thx

Mark

 

[funflair]

Sound like a dodgy battery to me as 12.4 to 11 in no time is not good, saying that if 12.4 volts is the best the battery has after a days charging you need to find a way to put more charge in.

Give it a full charge on mains hook up and then come off charge a put on a measured load of amps and take a note every hour of voltage vs time and amps drawn, only expect to get 50% of your battery ah capacity.

Martin

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

It sounds to me that the battery is kaput. Could you find another battery to fit in its place and operate as you described? Even a small 45ah car battery should last all evening.
It is worth remembering that although the dealers have technicians that can fit anything, in my experience those with an electrical faulfinding ability are very rare.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[andy63]

Not experienced ,but sounds like you batteries are not capable of holding any sort of charge... if you are sure the load is only 2.8 amps and pulling the batteries down like that they are finished..
What is the voltage through the day when sun is shining..??
Andy..

 

[MJ65]

K-aput battery is my thought too.

The dealer says it's fine they tested it but it all points that way to me and Marquis are a big dealership chain, actually owned by Autisleepers.

Also I now know the van stood for 10months before sold to me new. I've been told Autosleepers only warranty battery for 90 days. This is poor given most batteries seem to come with 2yr - 4yr warranty and not good for a brand new van only last May.

 

[MJ65]

Not experienced ,but sounds like you batteries are not capable of holding any sort of charge... if you are sure the load is only 2.8 amps and pulling the batteries down like that they are finished..
What is the voltage through the day when sun is shining..??
Andy..

Upto about 14.4v

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[andy63]

Upto about 14.4v

That's what you would expect.. so solar is working..
So back to batteries not holding any charge..
Get the batteries tested elsewhere and see what that comes up with or do it yourself by fully charging them and remove them from van and apply a known load and see how they go..
Andy

 

[wigster]

I agree with other posters sounds like battery wont hold a charge.
Recently changed my leisure batteries old ones would charge fine but crash under any load.

 

[MJ65]

As we go away soon to Scotland for a wee tour soon I may have to bite bullet and get them to fit a new battery. Any recommendations on make, warranty, type?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[wigster]

You will get loads of different advice on make , type etc.
Im no expert and its a minefield. I just bought 2 x 110 amp from halfords , boo hiss , 85 quid each down from 130 2 year guarantee . If they last 2 years all is good , i long term in my mh and to me they are a service item along with tyres brakes oil etc.
At the moment i cant get stuff delivered so it made sense .

 

[DavidG58]

Unless the dealer is prepared to contribute to the cost I would go elsewhere, they are suggesting it is fine so either don't want the hassle or maybe don't know what they are talking about, time to vote with your feet unless they will bend a little

remember nothing asked nothing gained

 

[Bart]

Agreed . Give them no more of your business . Deffo sounds like duff battery , if you need it in a hurry .. get the Halfords one.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MJ65]

Agreed . Give them no more of your business . Deffo sounds like duff battery , if you need it in a hurry .. get the Halfords one.

This is the latest in a long list of issues that have been poorly handled, they won't get more business but they were the supplying dealer and therefore the ones to fix warranty and legacy issues. Latest I find is that their local body shop, which they used to rectify the paint damage on bumper when delivered is actually and 80 mile round trip away, they never told me this and as the paint job is poor they want to send it back again when the actual Peugeot approved Body shop is 2 miles away.

 

[maxi77]

If the van stood for a long time with no maintenance on the battery it is very likely that permanent damage has been done. This wold be the dealers liability as it is down to them to look after their stock and sell it in a merchantable condition, but proving it may not be that easy. If you can get an expert report on the present condition of the battery you may get something from them but it may cost more than it is worth.