Compass Avantgarde electrics panel (1 Viewer)

[Brendan Stone]

Hi, My vehicle battery is going flat in under a week (when not being driven), done it a couple of times now and it's either a knackered old battery (don't know age), a dodgy radio which doesn't turn off properly (possible culprit) or some other shortage/usage i don't know about.

But what has surprised me is that on the vehicle panel (photo attached)when the switch is in the VEH or AUX position the battery voltage reads the same about 12v.

So, i'm wondering if i'm misunderstanding what the panel/switch is for? Is it to show the voltage of each battery?

Thanks

 

[MC 55 FUN]

In the AUX position the habitation power is provided by your leisure battery, in the VEH position the habitation power is provided by your starting battery,( not recommended for longer term use unless the engine is running ), when on e.h.u. & in the AUX position the gauge should read circa 13v+.

The vehicle battery should read circa 12.7v in charged resting state.

 

[Vanderek]

Do you have a battery switch near the step ...I had an Elddis 120...this would switch of 12 volt power

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[Brendan Stone]

Thanks MH55, that's a bit of a surprise! With 'car' batteries being built for high output over short periods, and leisure batteries low and slow, I guess leaving it on VEH when wild camping can be a bit dangerous!

When we last used the van ladt weekend we were on EHU all weekend, thrn had a 3hr 170mile trip home, and i can't remember if the switch was left on VEH when home. So it could be a shortage/usage on the habitation side rather than engine/radio as I suspected?

About to explore both batteries with voltmeter!

So the voltage needle only shows the AUX battery voltage even if switched to VEH?

Thanks

 

[Brendan Stone]

Hi Vanderek, yep little sitch near exit step, I didnt think this could do any damage to the vehicle battery?

Thought it just turned all AUX useage off?

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Nope, the gauge will show the voltage of the vehicle battery in the VEH position & the voltage of the leisure battery if in the AUX position, always drive with it in the VEH position if you have a fridge that is powered by 12v when the engine is running.

Both batteries should have a date of manufacture stamp / sticker on them.

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[MC 55 FUN]

I guess leaving it on VEH when wild camping can be a bit dangerous !

Leaving the switch on VEH whilst wilding will flatten your starting batter sooner or later, depending on how much current you're drawing.

 

[Vanderek]

Just remembered..when we drove ours home first time noticed heated rear screen warning light on..but there was no heated rear screen . It was a fault with management circuit board...on the day i was off to garage for a fix the battery was flat..

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Just remembered..when we drove ours home first time noticed heated rear screen warning light on..but there was no heated rear screen . It was a fault with management circuit board...on the day i was off to garage for a fix the battery was flat..

The heated rear screen switch operates the heated mirrors if fitted.

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[Brendan Stone]

Ok,

AUX battery looks pretty new but has no visible date other than a 'recharge date' of 03/2016, so i'm guessing that was new in 2015? Voltmeter shows tgag bsnging out a healthy 12v

VEH hax no discernable date, but looks old, voltmeter shows that as a miserable 1v but the reading when the panel switch is on VEH still shows 12v?

 

[Brendan Stone]

No such problems with heated screens and heated mirrors on my 51 plate compass

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Ok,

AUX battery looks pretty new but has no visible date other than a 'recharge date' of 03/2016, so i'm guessing that was new in 2015? Voltmeter shows tgag bsnging out a healthy 12v

VEH hax no discernable date, but looks old, voltmeter shows that as a miserable 1v but the reading when the panel switch is on VEH still shows 12v?

A battery showing 12v is literally flat / discharged.

http://carbatteryworld.com/car-battery-voltage/

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[MC 55 FUN]

Ok,

AUX battery looks pretty new but has no visible date other than a 'recharge date' of 03/2016, so i'm guessing that was new in 2015? Voltmeter shows tgag bsnging out a healthy 12v

VEH hax no discernable date, but looks old, voltmeter shows that as a miserable 1v but the reading when the panel switch is on VEH still shows 12v?

Start the Moho up & put the voltmeter across the vehicle battery terminals & record the voltage & compare that with the reading when the engine is turned off

 

[Brendan Stone]

Gotta jump start it first which requires waiting for the car parked in front to disappear! The joys of on street parking since the local council banned MHs from the local car park!

Will report back with readings

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Hi Vanderek, yep little sitch near exit step, I didnt think this could do any damage to the vehicle battery?

Thought it just turned all AUX useage off?

When you switch the master switch by the step off does the control panel show zero volts ?

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[chaser]

I have this van and the same panel, in practice I never use the van position and you do not need to switch it to van for the 12 volt fridge to work , this is entirely different circuit and works off the alternator, there is a solanoid or something somewhere under the seats and if you switch your aux switch on and off you can hear it tick, never found out what it is but the battery will go flat in a week or so, whichever one you have switched to, but there is a middle point on the switch and if you put it there it switches everything off and your battery's will be ok.
Hope this helps

 

[Brendan Stone]

Thanks chaser, will try and find that 'mid point' on the switch. We've had the van for about 4 months and have only had a flat battery twice recently, but i suspect the most likely problem is the idiot who left the lights on when it was last parked up (me), as i noticed as soon as i jump started it just now!

So which position do you put the switch to when;

Laid up at home?
Driving?
On a site with EHU?
Camping without EHU?

MH55, no, switching the 12v switch by the door makes no difference to the panel readings. And the battery voltage once jump started and running shows in the photo, it's only a needle not digital but looks pretty healthy

Im still a bit bemused by the panel showing the VEH battery at about 12v whereas a handheld volt meter showed about 1v.

Now i've seen you link to battery testing though i realise that "about" 12v can mean the difference between good and useless!

 

[MC 55 FUN]

The Moho's voltage panel gauge could be stuck if it reads 12v on VEH when there's only 1v across the battery terminals, switching the master off by the door should make the panel gauge read zero.

Try the central position as chaser suggested - again it should read zero volts.

The 12v when the engine's running isn't healthy I'm afraid, should be over 13v if the alternator's working & charging the battery.

At 1 volt the battery is definetly unserviceable.

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[MC 55 FUN]

This is what we've done with our old 145 Autoquest which is similar to your setup :

Laid up at home off e.h.u. - master off & AUX / VEH in central / off position.
Wilding / no e.h.u. - in AUX ( leisure battery ) position.
On e.h.u. - in AUX position.
Driving - in VEH position - but I do acknowledge chasers comment on this.

 

[chaser]

This is what we've done with our old 145 Autoquest which is similar to your setup :

Laid up at home off e.h.u. - master off & AUX / VEH in central / off position.
Wilding / no e.h.u. - in AUX ( leisure battery ) position.
On e.h.u. - in AUX position.
Driving - in VEH position - but I do acknowledge chasers comment on this.

Yeah same but I think you will find , makes no difference when ignition switched on as in traveling all the rear switches off anyway

 

[chaser]

The Moho's voltage panel gauge could be stuck if it reads 12v on VEH when there's only 1v across the battery terminals, switching the master off by the door should make the panel gauge read zero.

Try the central position as chaser suggested - again it should read zero volts.

The 12v when the engine's running isn't healthy I'm afraid, should be over 13v if the alternator's working & charging the battery.

At 1 volt the battery is definetly unserviceable.

Just noticed this one , when the engine is running as in my last post , nothing will show on the dial wherever it's switched to.

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[MC 55 FUN]

Just noticed this one , when the engine is running as in my last post , nothing will show on the dial wherever it's switched to.

Agreed, although I wasn't talking about with the engine running - just with the master & / or AUX / VEH in the off position, trying to determine if the panel gauge is stuck

 

[chaser]

Agreed, although I wasn't talking about with the engine running - just with the master & / or AUX / VEH in the off position, trying to determine if the panel gauge is stuck

Sounds like it to me

 

[MC 55 FUN]

And the battery voltage once jump started and running shows in the photo, it's only a needle not digital but looks pretty healthy

Im still a bit bemused by the panel showing the VEH battery at about 12v whereas a handheld volt meter showed about 1v.

!

Ideally you need a voltmeter that measures more than 12 volts, because at 12v your battery is severely discharged.

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[chaser]

Ideally you need a voltmeter that measures more than 12 volts, because at 12v your battery is severely discharged.

Just to repeat myself the dial in the van should show nothing when the engine is running, if it is there is something definitely wrong.

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Just to repeat myself the dial in the van should show nothing when the engine is running, if it is there is something definitely wrong.

I was referring to the measurements Brendan took on his hand held voltmeter across the battery terminals with & without the engine running - in order to determine whether the battery is being charged or not.

But at just 1 volt or even 12 volts off charge the battery is almost certainly unserviceable i.m.o.

 

[Brendan Stone]

Thanks guys all very helpful advice, will need to take more notice of tjings on the next couple of trips, judt debatkng whether i need to buy a new vehicle battery to be on the safe side?

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[MC 55 FUN]

Thanks guys all very helpful advice, will need to take more notice of tjings on the next couple of trips, judt debatkng whether i need to buy a new vehicle battery to be on the safe side?

Given those voltage readings I would say yes you do

 

[Brendan Stone]

New battery purchased and digital voltmeter on the shopping list!

I've fiddled with the Aux/Veh switch but there is no middle "off" position, just up or down. So when i drive up to Scotland on monday 7+ hrs does it make any difference what position the switch is in to get max juice going INTO the leisure battery? (Fridge will be off during this journey).

I take it that when driving you get a trickle going to the leisure anyway and so the Aux/Veh switch is just to decide which battery to draw power from.

When driving with fridge on the switch should be in Veh position? so not to draw from leisure battery?

Thanks