Cab Battery flat

Vipar

Vipar

Joined
Jun 8, 2019
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Bexley Kent
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61,505
MH
Given up Motorhoming
Exp
May 2019
Had new battery fitted 20 days ago. It has now gone flat. My question is when I connected the battery charger it blew the fuse on my new charger (10amp) changed it, done the same again. Looking on YouTube guy said that because the battery is so flat the charger is trying to draw too much current, and that is what is blowing the charger fuse. He recommends that you should jump star the MH to put some charge in the battery and this will stop it blowing the fuse. Now if I can get it jump started should I then take it for a 30 mile run, come home then put it on charge? I have to take the MH for MOT on Thursday so have to make sure that it will start early in the morning.?
 
It isn't a very good charger if it can't limit the current flow to it's own rating ? if that makes sense.
I'd buy a new smart charger and leave it on charge.
 
I have one of those so once I get it started I will connect it up plug it into one of the sockets in the van and hopefully it will keep it topped up. I do have a modern battery charger says it is a smart charger as well. The van is plugged into the house electrics has been for 22 days.
It might make sense to you but nothing electrical makes sense to me☹
 
Other think to look for is a shorted cell in the batt. A battery will absorb as much as the charger can provide, and usually nothing happens if battery wants more than the charger can give, just extra time.
 
A starter battery 20 days old should not have a shorted cell.
When you bought the new battery was it not charged?
I would go down the same route as I did last week.
We started the engine from a battery pack, it started first kick, I then went for an 90 minute drive to the hospital to see Mary
I left the motorhome in a suitable parking place, it stood for 6 hours. When it was time to go home it started first time. Another 90 minute drive saw me back home. The battery tester suggest the battery is not the best so I'm going to get a new one fitted on Monday.
The main question must be, why was your 20day old battery flat?
Phil

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What make and model is your charger - is it the built-in one or an external mains charger? The charger won't work because the battery needs charging??? I'd get a smart charger, three or more stages, they're not expensive nowadays.

In the first stage of the smart charging profile, the charger will limit the amps to the maximum output, until the voltage builds up to the 'absorption voltage'. If the battery is very discharged then the limit on the current is definitely needed, as you have found out.

I'd suggest trying the charger again once you've jump started it, it might be charged enough to not blow the fuse. If you've got some spare fuses, that is. If it blows again then as you suggest take it for a run.
 
not having a good day me thinks!
what is the battery voltage now?
Has the vehicle been for a run for any distance since new battery?
why was new Battery fitted?
What's drawing current that flattens the battery, (leaving the (in our case) Sergeant controller on does that) Alarm, tracker, lights???

The cheap and cheerful chargers from Aldi & Lidl work just fine on flat but NOT absolutely Knackered batteries. Also fairly good at trickle/maintainer charge.

Lots of folks fit a solar panel and split charger to keep the vehicle & hab batteries alive in the rest periods.

Hope you get sorted and a fair wind with the MOT
 
Hi Raul

The battery was replaced 2 months ago free of charge by the dealership I know it was new because I marked the old to make sure that they didn’t just charge it up. It has held up for about 10 days. It went in for the aforementioned reason and I was told it was a radio fault draining it so they fitted my new radio FOC and now the cab Battery is flat again. Just wanted to know if the guy on YouTube was right
.?
 
Autorouter

When the new battery was fitted at Eastbourne it was about 60 mile return trip when I checked the battery meter in the van the next day it showed full charged. The battery charger came from Streetwise 8amp from Europarts yes have plenty of 10amp fuses once up an running I will attach my trickle charger. And leave it on hup. Any more problems SWMBO said the van has to go☹️
 
Vipar said:
Hi Raul

The battery was replaced 2 months ago free of charge by the dealership I know it was new because I marked the old to make sure that they didn’t just charge it up
Click to expand...
Do you know that it is new or that it is just a different one? Is there a date code on the battery they often have them stamped into the case, this would give you a clue as to the age of the "new" battery.

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It is new checked the date code has a 3 year warranty
 
I never had a battery blow the fuse of charger. This is new to me. But I did have a brand new battery delivered with a short. The terminal was slightly bent so either staking or other mechanical damage was to blame. The batt took charge till absorb ( CV) then it started to boil so I disconnected it. The voltage collapsed right down consuming it’s own power.
Im not saying you have a short, but it can happen and it’s worth checking.
You don’t want a shorted batt connected to the alternator pumping 100a in it. Hope it isn’t.
Best to try with a smart charger and se if any drop after rest;
 
if its only two months old I would take it back to the dealership and give them the problem to sort out. hope you get it sorted soon. It will be interesting to here the solution.

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Taking to the dealer next Thursday for MOT will speak to them about it then but I will ring them Monday to forward them that a storm is on it’s way ???? will a 60 mile trip charge the battery to full charged?
 
In one hr, your alternator can supply 1kwh with ease. You will get it out of bulk and some absorb, but if is depleted badly may take 6-8 hrs of absorb to properly saturate. It al depends on how healthy the batt is. Efficiency of charging decreases as you fill up.
 
When our cab battery kept going flat it turned out to be the unused tracker that was still connected.
 
That’s a new avenue to be traced or tracked down, pun intended ?
 
There‘s something draining the battery, methinks. I’ve just fitted a battery master and it’s made an instant difference.

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Vipar said:
The battery charger came from Streetwise 8amp from Europarts yes have plenty of 10amp fuses
Click to expand...
Looking at the video on the Screwfix web site, it shows that a 15A fuse is fitted to a Streetwize 8amp battery charger. Is it possible the wrong fuse was fitted?
<Broken link removed>
 
Regarding the charger it has a 10 amp fuse which is correct. I put some charge in the van battery from the wife’s car. Then put the charger on to the van and it charged the van up ok. So the guy on YouTube was right. I then connected the trickle charger to the van battery direct overnight. The van was booked in for a 2:30pm MOT at Eastbourne. But late last night I had a text message to say that the MOT was at 9am So I got up at 0630hrs ( I never knew that there was 2
6 o’clocks in a day) and it started ok first time. Drove down to Eastbourne. “What you doing here your MOT is not until 2pm. Showed them my phone. There must be a problem with the automatic text alert. Are you waiting until 2pm. No I ******* ain’t and by the way the cab battery went flat on me again!! When are you going to do the job properly? Andas it seems that I will be here for sometime you can sort the battery drain whilst I wait. 5 minutes later “Sir we have managed to get the MOT brought forward we will take it now. 1 hour later. Sorry sir the van has failed on the front n/s ball joint. If you pay £35 for the part we will fit it foc Do then (in a gruff voice). Must have worked as I am only 5’ 3” ). They then invited me into the workshop to watch as they fitted the ball joint and the newly employed solar expert showed me what was wrong it was a loose negative connection on the cab battery. That was draining it nothing to do with the radio see previous scribbling. I was then told that the solar panel only charges the leisure batteries. Not what I was told when buying the van. Tried to get a B2B supplied and fitted foc but that didn’t work. Perhaps the voice was not gruff enough. It was then pointed out that the charger under the bed was to be use when on eup only. And that I should use a trickle charger when at home. So MOT + ball joint £75. Bit of a long rant but good bedtime reading for gaining knowledge. No so bad as long as that is the end of the saga.

PS the butler done it ???
 
Last edited:
Vipar said:
They then invited me into the workshop to watch as they fitted the ball joint and the newly employed solar expert showed me what was wrong it was a loose negative connection on the cab battery. That was draining it nothing to do with the radio see previous scribbling.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I'm not convinced. I'd keep an eye on the battery voltages in case it's just as bad as before.
 

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