Battery blues! (1 Viewer)

[philipjackson]

Sorry if this is a bit long but I'll keep it as short as possible.
We replaced the vehicle battery (a Bosch Silver 019 from Halfords) on our Ace Firenze and then two days later travelled 144 miles (Blackpool to Barmouth). The charging light on the dashboard was on for the entire journey and the idle revs were over 1000 but we got there OK. When we arrived and hooked up to the mains we checked the battery voltages on the panel. The leisure battery was fully charged and the vehicle battery was showing 12.2v.
After 6 days we left Barmouth to travel to Chester. The engine turned over a bit slower than usual but it started. Again, the charging light was on the whole way. After about 30 miles we stopped for some diesel and it refused to start - dead battery. We got a jump start from the mechanic at the garage and continued. One after another warning lights were coming on; power steering, ABS, etc., even the speedometer stopped working, and then it died altogether in the middle of wildest Wales.
We managed to get it recovered to a Fiat dealer in Wrexham. They told us that the new battery was a dud. I got a lift to Halfords and I had to buy another battery. I fiited it myself in the Fiat dealer's car park.
The van started straight away and away we went - and then the charging light came on again! It stayed on for the rest of the journey!
I managed to get a refund on the original battery from Halfords, but the problem obviously wasn't the battery. I removed the vehicle battery when I got home and fully charged it.
The motorhome is in storage and doesn't get used enough (particularly in the winter).
Now what?
Anybody any ideas?
There is a possibility that the leisure battery could also be reaching the end of its life. Could this be causing the problem?
Any suggestions welcome.
Thanks,
Phil

 

[slobadoberbob]

that sounds more like an Alternator issue

If you have a charging lamp on then it sounds a lot more like an alternator issue than a battery.

suggest you check that out before you go changing the battery again. use a multi meter to check the output.

Bob

 

[Geo]

Check rear of alternator for small thin wire on a spade terminal and all other conections are good if all ok and light still on, suspect alternator failure
Geo

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[philipjackson]

Thanks for the replies so far. I plan to check the leisure battery next (probably tomorrow) and I will check the alternator connections. I'm going to bring it home, check its condition and see if it will charge. Do you know if there are any fuses that might have blown when I was trying (unsuccessfully) to jump start the old battery?

 

[bigmillie]

Thanks for the replies so far. I plan to check the leisure battery next (probably tomorrow) and I will check the alternator connections. I'm going to bring it home, check its condition and see if it will charge. Do you know if there are any fuses that might have blown when I was trying (unsuccessfully) to jump start the old battery?

No fuses in Alternator circuits you say idle revs are 1000 has your drive belt gone or loose ?

Otherwise it sounds very much like a faulty Alternator could have been damaged jump starting

 

[Gorsecover59]

Sounds very likely to be an alternator problem

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[Johno1]

charging

I had very similar symptoms on a L/Rover discovery when caravaning, it would be the erratic revs reading on the Tacho and days later a flat battery, the vehicle was new and I had powered a split charge relay from the back of the alternator, replaced under warranty and then same thing happened again, I then powered the relay from the fuse box and all was put right under warraty again, same alternator now 16 years old. Phil