Battery Dead

[Jack TGA]

My starter battery has died for no apparent reason. A week ago it worked fine. This morning completely dead. No lights or anything were left on. 2008 Ford transit carado t337.
1. Do batteries just suddenly die like that?
2. Which battery in the attached picture is starter?
3. Can I jump start straight onto that battery? (I've tried jumping using the connections under the hood and no ignition lights came on.
4. If I get hold of an amp meter what should it show to tell me if battery is dead?
5. The control panel shows that the leisure battery is full and the starter battery empty.
6. Do I need to do a special procedure to remove and replace the battery?
Thanks!

 

[VXman]

I wouldn't see a problem in Jump starting it from the 'other' battery. If you are not sure which is which use a multi meter to test the voltage on each. If the starter battery is a problem it should show a lot less voltage than the other one. If no multi meter - anything that can show which one has power, 12 volt bulb and a couple of wires would do it, or disconnect one to see it the habitation side of your van stops working.

 

[Spriddler]

2. Which battery in the attached picture is starter?

It looks like the Yuasa one to me because it has the heavy (thick) red and back cables necessary to supply the high current drawn by the starter motor.

 

[Jev88]

What Connection Under Hood? Many vans have a POS post to avoid having to access battery.

 

[pappajohn]

4. If I get hold of an amp meter what should it show to tell me if battery is dead?

An ammeter won't show anything, you need a voltmeter or multimeter set to volts.
Put the leads to the battery posts. If it is dead it should show a single digit.

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[Jack TGA]

What Connection Under Hood? Many vans have a POS post to avoid having to access battery.

There are those under the hood. I tried jumping using those but the ignition lights still didn't come on.

 

[Jev88]

There are those under the hood. I tried jumping using those but the ignition lights still didn't come on.

Ok. Multimeter direct to battery shows what reading? If the jumper point shows no ignition etc .. then there is a connection missing somewhere.

 

[Jack TGA]

RESOLUTION: I put the negative jump lead on a better earth point and ran the other car engine for longer, which got enough juice into the battery to start then went for a 20 mile drive. Five restarts later it's ok for now. Time will tell if the battery holds power. I think the problem was running a laptop off the cigarette lighter for hours at a time over several days. I didn't realize the cigarette lighter was on the starter battery and anyway I also thought the solar would charge both batteries Lesson learned.

 

[Revolvor]

The Vanbitz Battery Master, top right of picture, shows that the Yuasa is the Cab battery, and that it is being charged by the leisure battery.

 

[Jev88]

I hope this doesnt confuse matters but just looked closely again at the image at the top and can see these two batteries are interconnected - this is NOT the usual way to have engine battery and leisure battery?
They may share a Negative earth but if both are interconnected on positive as well then you are using both batteries when you start the engine?

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[Revolvor]

I hope this doesnt confuse matters but just looked closely again at the image at the top and can see these two batteries are interconnected - this is NOT the usual way to have engine battery and leisure battery?
They may share a Negative earth but if both are interconnected on positive as well then you are using both batteries when you start the engine?

I think you are mistaken. I can't see any connection.

 

[pappajohn]

I hope this doesnt confuse matters but just looked closely again at the image at the top and can see these two batteries are interconnected -

Definitely no positive link between batteries.
Those wires would begin to melt when the starter was engaged

 

[gus-lopez]

My starter battery has died for no apparent reason. A week ago it worked fine. This morning completely dead. No lights or anything were left on. 2008 Ford transit carado t337.
1. Do batteries just suddenly die like that?
2. Which battery in the attached picture is starter?
3. Can I jump start straight onto that battery? (I've tried jumping using the connections under the hood and no ignition lights came on.
4. If I get hold of an amp meter what should it show to tell me if battery is dead?
5. The control panel shows that the leisure battery is full and the starter battery empty.
6. Do I need to do a special procedure to remove and replace the battery?
Thanks!

As said the Yuasa is the stater battery. On a transit even recovery won't use the jump start points under the bonnet. They sldie seat forward & connect direct.
Transit of that year requires the battery at 100% just for normal starts.
Also remember if you have a remote key fob that opening & shutting the doors using it whilst not moving for days on end you will end up with the remote not working as it charges the battery fromthe key being in the ignition.
*another thing to remember is that it is best never to attempt a tow start or a push start as the timing chain tensioner works off oil pressure & can jump the teeth if towed.

What Connection Under Hood? Many vans have a POS post to avoid having to access battery.

Never managed to jump mine using them on a transit eben when using a brand new battery. When recovery turned up he also said not to bother.

 

[Jev88]

That blue wire - thought at first look it connected positive battery posts - zoomed in and i think it is just conincidence as it curves past the right hand battery + post and goes to that inline fuse.

 

[GeoffnDee]

If you have solar that is connected to charge the leisure battery your starter battery should have also been kept charged up via the battery master, that seems to be fitted, (small black box with red light next to Yuasa battery) as long as it is working as it should be and has good connections to both batteries. ( Unless the items connected to the starter battery took more power from the starter battery than the Battery Master is allowed to transfer into it from the Leisure battery)

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[autorouter]

I hope this doesnt confuse matters but just looked closely again at the image at the top and can see these two batteries are interconnected - this is NOT the usual way to have engine battery and leisure battery?
They may share a Negative earth but if both are interconnected on positive as well then you are using both batteries when you start the engine?

Looks like that blue wire goes to a Maxi fuse, not to the starter battery terminal, so the batteries are separate.

 

[Jack TGA]

I hope this doesnt confuse matters but just looked closely again at the image at the top and can see these two batteries are interconnected - this is NOT the usual way to have engine battery and leisure battery?
They may share a Negative earth but if both are interconnected on positive as well then you are using both batteries when you start the engine?

No connection.

 

[Jack TGA]

If you have solar that is connected to charge the leisure battery your starter battery should have also been kept charged up via the battery master, that seems to be fitted, (small black box with red light next to Yuasa battery) as long as it is working as it should be and has good connections to both batteries. ( Unless the items connected to the starter battery took more power from the starter battery than the Battery Master is allowed to transfer into it from the Leisure battery)

Do you think running a laptop out of the cigarette lighter for four hours per day for three days, would suck more juice out of the starter battery than the battery master is allowed to transfer? (Without running the engine for a week) This is the only thing I have done differently in the last 18 months living in the van - prior to this week I just used a tablet.

 

[Tombola]

Do you think running a laptop out of the cigarette lighter for four hours per day for three days, would suck more juice out of the starter battery than the battery master is allowed to transfer? (Without running the engine for a week) This is the only thing I have done differently in the last 18 months living in the van - prior to this week I just used a tablet.

defo

 

[GeoffnDee]

The red light on the battery master should turn green when the leisure and starter battery have an equal amount of charge in them if your set up is working ok (Solar panel or EHU charging leisure battery and battery master allowing a trickle charge into the starter battery)