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.
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.