Battery dash light on but battery charging

[Peppadog]

As the title really. My 2007 Hymer B654, on a Fiat X244 chassis, has suddenly started keeping the red battery dash charge light on. I drove it today for an hour or so and its on at all revs. Once home I checked both van and house batteries voltage and tested the amperage of the van battery when running (a highish amperage to start with dropping steadily to a low one, as I would expect). I did not put the borrowed meter on the house batteries while running the engine though.
Any ideas? Have I dislodged something while messing with stuff in general. as I do?

 

[56193]

... I checked both van and house batteries voltage and tested the amperage of the van battery when running ...

What you need to do first is to check the VOLTAGE of the van battery, first with the engine off and then with the engine running. If all was well, you should expect to see around 12.8 - 12.9v with the engine off and 14.0 - 14.4v with it running. What do you get? If the voltage goes up when the engine is running, then it's unlikely to be a wire that's come off, but there could be one that's damaged or corroded. If the voltage doesn't go up with the engine running then check the connections around the alternator ... and make sure the drive belt for the alternator is still there (not sure if it drives anything else on your van). Switch the engine off before you do that though!

 

[Lenny HB]

Probably the alternator voltage regulator on its way out. Had the same on a car light kept coming regulator on the alternator finally failed 6 months later

 

[HandyAndy]

As the title really. My 2007 Hymer B654, on a Fiat X244 chassis, has suddenly started keeping the red battery dash charge light on. I drove it today for an hour or so and its on at all revs. Once home I checked both van and house batteries voltage and tested the amperage of the van battery when running (a highish amperage to start with dropping steadily to a low one, as I would expect). I did not put the borrowed meter on the house batteries while running the engine though.
Any ideas? Have I dislodged something while messing with stuff in general. as I do?

1. What have you messed with
2. What is the van battery voltage, whilst running with the lights on?
It's no good just glancing at some iffy amp meter in the hab section.
Open the bonnet and stab those test leads directly on the battery posts!

 

[jockaneezer]

Or could it be Fiat's dodgy dash doings, where the instruments play up ? As HA says, get a probing with the test leads.

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[Peppadog]

Thank you all. I probably didn't describe the testing clearly. A clamp on dc ammeter was used on the van battery (negative as easier to get to) to establish the charge amperage. A voltmeter then used on all batteries to prove voltages. All good and clearly charging ok. No hab section readouts used.
So, what have I messed with was the route to go. I retraced recent changes - re-fitting the avtex tv due to a cramped mounting cupboard. Replacing a cig lighter socket on the dash with a twin usb jobby and fitting and connecting a roof mounted tv arial with booster. Both in the wardrobe out of the way.
I have just found it. I powered the arial booster from the Oyster sat power supply, also in the wardrobe. I had tested these wires for a live and earth of course, but had not realised it was powered direct from the vehicle battery at the time. Not that that should make any difference. Low and behold, I disconnected the booster and the the dash battery light went out. I have no idea how that affected it, but I will now take a power for the arial booster from something else that is off the house batteries. That power supply is clearly doing more than just powering the Oyster!
Thanks again. Questioning my testing, but me knowing it was good saved me a lot of time, and HandyAndy questioning me again on what I messed with also reinforced what to look at.

 

[tonyidle]

You chose the wrong Oyster connection - at a guess the one that parks it when the ignition is turned on.

 

[Peppadog]

Yes, possibly

 

[Jaws]

Yes, possibly

If the wire you connected to was yellow or orange then it is the case..That is the auto retract wire

 

[Peppadog]

No, it red and black. But disconnected now and connected to a din socket. A metre or so away, but thats what I should have done in the first place.

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