Help. Vehicle battery discharging within 3 weeks when at home. (1 Viewer)

[Barbie]

We are wondering if we have a faulty Nuevo Autosleeper Peugot Boxer van 2008. The vehicle battery discharged within two weeks when at home. We were given a new battery but it has happened again. Does anyone know why this could be happening and what we can do to stop it.

 

[Stretto Boy]

Is there a drain on the battery, even when the engine is off? Could be from the radio or an alarm. I take it that the interior lights to the cab and habitation area are all off when you leave it. Could be worth getting an auto-electrician to check.

 

[Silver-Fox]

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[Printermick]

I found that my rear view camera was not switched off with an isolating switch it flattened the starter battery.l

 

[hilldweller]

It's been complained about many times on here, modern highly electronic motors with their alarms do the battery no favours.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Best go out and sit in it when dark and see if there is a light on, have had one of my works vans with the same problem and it was the small light at the back draining the battery.
2nd time I have found this in the last few years on a vehicle.

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[Lenny HB]

2 or 3 weeks? 3-4 weeks it quite normal 2 weeks is a bit short but uncommon with alarms and trackers fitted.

 

[RichD1]

I had a similar problem with my 2010 Rapido when I first had it. I did a lot of investigation isolating as much as I could and measuring the drain when everything turned off. If I remember correctly when everything had gone to sleep I measured about 120mA which I thought excessive. After several calls to Fiat technical I finally found a guy who confirmed that the expected drain on the Ducato was anywhere between 80mA and 140mA. With that rate of drain the battery will be flat within a couple of weeks.

This is why Fiat fitted a battery isolating function on the ignition switch from around 2009 on.

Richard

 

[peterc10]

If it is at home just leave it plugged into the mains. That should keep both batteries topped up.

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[gus-lopez]

 

[TheCaller]

The starter battery on my 2013 Fiat Ducato used to look a bit sick after a couple of weeks standing. To be fair, it never failed to start, but it was one of the reasons I fitted solar panels.

There is no access to EHU where it is parked, so can't just plug it in.

 

[RogerThat]

I'd say that's about right for any vehicle in this day and age, there are so many things drawing a current all the time.

The cold weather won't help either

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[ploots]

Mine kept draining after a couple of weeks turns out it was the TV booster airel switched that off and now it's better,although forgot to the last time I put it in storage and managed to flatten both batteries

 

[Chrisy]

If kept outdoors have a solar panel. We were warned by a dealer to have a panel fitted and we ignored it as a sales ploy. He was right and our battery kept discharging over 3-4 weeks. Have had solar panel installed on last 2 Boxer MH's and never a problem. Make sure two outputs are installed to vehicle and leisure batteries.

 

[skylinersi]

I had a similar problem with my 2010 Rapido when I first had it. I did a lot of investigation isolating as much as I could and measuring the drain when everything turned off. If I remember correctly when everything had gone to sleep I measured about 120mA which I thought excessive. After several calls to Fiat technical I finally found a guy who confirmed that the expected drain on the Ducato was anywhere between 80mA and 140mA. With that rate of drain the battery will be flat within a couple of weeks.

This is why Fiat fitted a battery isolating function on the ignition switch from around 2009 on.

Richard

Where dat then ??

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[RichD1]

It's part of the ignition switch. Instead of turning it clockwise to start, you push it in and turn it anticlockwise. There should also be a decal on the dash just in front of the ignition switch depicting the action.

I think it was only fitted for a few years (2009 thro' 2012ish) as they changed the ECU sleep mode to reduce the drain to a more acceptable level.

Richard

 

[skylinersi]

It's part of the ignition switch. Instead of turning it clockwise to start, you push it in and turn it anticlockwise. There should also be a decal on the dash just in front of the ignition switch depicting the action.

I think it was only fitted for a few years (2009 thro' 2012ish) as they changed the ECU sleep mode to reduce the drain to a more acceptable level.

Richard

Cheers bud
It's seems it's an 'option' on new vans according to the fiat manual
If fitted there's a red collar affair on the ignition barrel to turn battery off, which isn't on ours I will look tomorrow

 

[Barbie]

Thanks everyone, really helpful info. Wish the salesman had been a bit more direct about it! Guess we need to trace all of the possible drains on the power.

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[Bobby22]

Make sure two outputs are installed to vehicle and leisure batteries.

What do you mean two outputs to vehicle and leisure batteries.

Do you not use a battery master or similar?

 

[eddie]

However much we love our vans, we must remember that out loved, cherished, expensive motorhomes are built on delivery vans intended to be used, stop, start, day in day out, maybe weekends off if the were lucky by Fred the florist and Roberta the builder

No material changes are made to the electrics, just additional loading on the chassis battery and alternator with the addition of leisure batteries and fridge/freezers

Having said that two weeks is low, are you 100% sure the battery is 100% charged when you park it up? Don't forget your engine and leisure battery become one when the engine is started, so a fault in one will affect the other.

Common problems we see are, radio/navigation systems on stand by an crap (lazy) wireless camera installs where one end or both still work when the ignition is on

 

[Dave K]

Mine kept draining after a couple of weeks turns out it was the TV booster airel switched that off and now it's better,although forgot to the last time I put it in storage and managed to flatten both batteries

I had the same thing, at some point I'll forget to turn it off though!

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