Dim glow?

[extra300]

Hi folks!
We have a weird problem on our 2006 Lunar Roadstar 786.
We were away over the new year for four nights, on EHU, and when it came time to head for home the starter batery was dead. The battery is only a year or so old, started fine when we set off, and had a steady 80 mile trip with only marker lights on. The campsite owners got us going ASAP, and we got home OK. With the van back in very secure indoor storage, we disconnected the battery earth lead. (Funny, Fiat recommend this if the Ducato is to be left more than two weeks!) A fortnight ago we checked the vehicle, refitted the battery lead, and it started no problem. Now, when the ignition is on, the habitation electrics switch off. This is correct. The strange problem is that with the ignition on, you can switch on the habitation light fittings, and there is a very faint glow from the LED's fitted. Now, being reasonable with electrics (radio amateur for 29 years) this suggests that the flat cab battery may be connected (no pun intended) with this fault. Any bright ideas (no pun that time either)?

 

[pappajohn]

Yes it is normal on British built vans for the habit electrics to be isolated with ign on.
Some stupid idea to be compliant with the brit builders "club"..
.the national caravan council.

Led light question....no idea except as the power requirement is so low it could be an induced current from adjacent wiring near the fusebox.

 

[hilldweller]

Time to put those 29 years to good use.

First pull off the cab battery ground and measure the current with everything off. It will NOT be zero due to the ridiculous electronics on new vehicles which appears to flatten the battery in two to three weeks.

When finished leave ground off so that battery is doing nothing. Do you still get the LED glow ? If no there is some tiny leak between batteries, if yes there is a leak across the isolation relay. This leak could be something like a detector for voltage, indicator, alarm. Find it is your next job.

 

[DanielFord]

The power is certainly cut from habitation in ours when the ignition is on, however, the LED downlighters can still be switched on over the dinette. I suspect for the passengers to read whilst in transit.

 

[mitzimad]

if the dinnette lights are on the vehicle battery was you using them whilst stopped this could explain your flat battery put those lights on and remove the earth from batteries in turn to confirm where they are fed from

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[extra300]

Thanks folks. I guess those 29 years will have to be tested this weekend hilldweller! It has been stood for around three weeks now with battery ground disconnected, but I reckon it will start OK. Then to find the problem! I will look at the isolation relay, as that could be easily pulled out to check if the "dim glow" is still there. It could be that we left the interior lights switched to the cab battery, but the on-board display shows which battery we are on. All in all, as the van is 9 years young, it would not be a bad idea to give the electrics a good looking over.
I will report back next week!

Safe travelling folks!

 

[gus-lopez]

Some led's do that on mains. most don't . I have 2 in a bathroom that glow gently . If I swop for 2 others , they don't. I also have another in a reading lamp. Touch the base & bulb glows; swop for another bulb no problem.

 

[extra300]

Hi folks. Had a look at the van electrics. As predicted, re-connected the cab battery, and she started first turn. On board computer showed healthy 13.2 volts. Checked leisure battery with EHU, and that also showed 13.2 volts. And guess what? the LED's showed no wish whatsoever to glow when the ignition was on! Pulled the habitation relay, and that works fine. Only thing we noticed when changing back and forth between circuits was a brief chattering sound from somewhere behind the instrument pod. Any ideas? Full 13 degrees forecast for this weekend, so van will be getting a wash, then away for a few days weekend after, so will report back if we have the same problem of flat cab battery. (Taking my trusty C-Tek charger with us, so no embarrassing jumpstarts.......).
Drive safe!