Hymer B544 batteries and charging (1 Viewer)

[Dave and Ginny]

Hi all

The old fella's been standing since September on the drive due to me being in a cast and unable to drive or do much else. Been connected to power and I've been switching it on for a few days a month to keep batteries active. Despite this, she hasn't wanted to start and the main battery seems flat! If I connect a separate trickle charger and leave it for a day it seems to hold the charge enough to start, but a few days later nothing.

It's in for a service/MOT etc in a week so I know I need a new battery, what I cannot quite get though is that it puts a charge in from a trickle charger, but not sufficient when left for a few days on the internal charger, (the auxiliary battery is charging ok and not a problem).

I thought it did both, or trickled between the two bats...am I wrong?

Cheers all, Dave

 

[JockandRita]

I thought it did both, or trickled between the tow bats...am I wrong?

No Dave, you are not wrong. The onboard Electroblock (EBL) charger charges both batteries at the same time, but at slightly different rates.

I don't know why your starter battery isn't taking a charge from the EBL, when it is taking a charge from the external charger, unless a fuse for that circuit has blown maybe.

If it's not holding a charge, it does sound like that battery is shot. :Sad:

Good luck with it. :thumb:

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Dave and Ginny]

No Dave, you are not wrong. The onboard Electroblock (EBL) charger charges both batteries at the same time, but at slightly different rates.

I don't know why your starter battery isn't taking a charge from the EBL, when it is taking a charge from the external charger, unless a fuse for that circuit has blown maybe.

If it's not holding a charge, it does sound like that battery is shot. :Sad:

Good luck with it. :thumb:

Cheers,

Jock.

That's interesting Jock, in the summer I had a main battery terminal go loose and she wouldn't start. I sorted that, but the loose connection when I tried to start the engine resulted in the main fuse for the auxiliary battery blowing! I replaced that no probs. But I'm now wondering if I do have more blown fuses. Any idea where that fuse might be? In the electroblock?

Cheers for that Jock!

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[SIFTA SAM]

No Dave, you are not wrong. The onboard Electroblock (EBL) charger charges both batteries at the same time, but at slightly different rates.

I don't know why your starter battery isn't taking a charge from the EBL, when it is taking a charge from the external charger, unless a fuse for that circuit has blown maybe.

If it's not holding a charge, it does sound like that battery is shot. :Sad:

Good luck with it. :thumb:

Cheers,

Jock.[/QUOTE

Or could be another circuit taking power from your starter battery.
Suggest you charge the battery then disconnect it and then check the voltage in a couple of days

 

[JeanLuc]

I had similar symptoms a couple of years ago. The Hymer had been standing in the drive for some weeks and I had to start and move it round the house for water, then back into the drive for a few hours. Later that day, I got it back out of the drive and stopped at the other side of the house again to load some more things. Tried to start for departure and ..... flat!
I left it plugged in overnight, but next morning the starter still would not turn.
The EBL will float charge the vehicle battery once the leisure batteries are full. In my case, the vehicle battery was knackered and no amount of float charging was going to get it to a state where it would turn the engine. So the nice man from RAC called and I went off to Halfords to buy a new battery. An hour later we were off on our journey.

 

[SandJ]

Have you checked the large fuse by starter battery and leisure battery/ies? :thumb:

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[Red Dragon]

I had a very similar experience as Jeanluc,I put a new engine battery on and the problem was solved.
Incidently the engine battery I took off was 7years old:thumb:

 

[JockandRita]

Incidently the engine battery I took off was 7years old:thumb:

And that was the exactly the same age/circumstances in which our engine battery failed. :Sad:

Like I said, if the starter battery's not holding a charge, it's shot. :Sad:

A decent starter battery of the required cranking amperage, should cost anywhere from £60 to £80 + delivery (in some cases).

>>Low price<<

>>Medium Price<<

>>High Price<<

I can vouch for the customer service of Tayna Batteries, which was excellent. :thumb:

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Dave and Ginny]

Thanks everyone for the tips and help.

I have it on charge now from a portable charger, will give it a good boost and then see how it looks. Cheers all.

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