mercedes autotrail navajo battery and mins problem (1 Viewer)

[mandmam]

Hi
Hope someone can give advice. Just bought a 1989 mercedes autotrail navajo motorhome. Have NO experience whatsoever of them. It is fitted with a MAC 5/12H battery charging convertor system. Trying to get to know the system and switches. Have had the motorhome plugged into the mains which i thought charged the batteries. Have had the mains switch on and alternated between the car/van switch which i presume charges the leisure battery and main battery. Couldn't start the van this morning haven't a clue what we've done wrong. The internal power comes on no matter if i flick to car or van. Any ideas. Thanks
Mandy
Sorry think i shud've put this on mech and tech chat lol

 

[FULL TIMER]

I'm not familiar with your set up, but normally the car / van switch allows you to use either the vehicle battery (car) or the auxillery battery (van) as the habitation area power supply, sounds like you had it on the car setting and flattened your vehicle battery. The mains battery chargers normally only charge the auxillery battery.

 

[mandmam]

Thankyou for your reply. Would we then have to charge the battery up with a charger. should we disconnect the terminals to charge it up. The manual says it should charge both.
Thanks
Mandy

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[FULL TIMER]

Thankyou for your reply. Would we then have to charge the battery up with a charger. should we disconnect the terminals to charge it up. The manual says it should charge both.
Thanks
Mandy

As I said I'm not totally sure of the set up in your vehicle but if the manual says it charges both the car and van batteries I would think it would only do one at a time maybe depending on the position of the car / van switch and only charging the battery that you are using at the time, If you can get to the batteries easy enough it is a simple matter of using a multimeter to check if the battery is charging, the voltage should read somewhere around 13.8 volt when the charger is switched on. If you do find you need to use a separate charger on the vehicle battery you shouldn't need to disconnect anything, but after charging and turning charger off allow a few minutes for any fumes to disperse before disconnecting charger crocodile clips