Does my leisure battery need replacing?

[Jim Schush]

Our vehicle is 42 months old and the Varta leisure battery came new with the van.
The last couple of days we have gone to bed at night and the battery has shown 12.5 volts however in the morning it shows 11.5 v and then the system cuts out.
The solar charged the battery yesterday and we used the lights and pump last night with no problems.
This morning the battery again was dead in a couple of minutes. We have just started the engine and moved to the waste disposal point and the battery now reads 12.7v. At night we have nothing on at all except the fridge which is on gas.
Is it time for a new battery?

 

[jockaneezer]

It certainly sounds like it's come to the end of its life.

 

[berni109]

Looks like it.
You really need to do a controlled test with the battery out of the vehicle. (Which I guess you cant do if you are using it.)

 

[WillH]

I find at this time of year solar cannot keep the battery in charge, I use EHU.

 

[Jim Schush]

Thanks for your replies, we are currently near Gibraltar so still getting plenty of sun for the solar. Just need to find a Motorhome dealer now to change the battery.

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[Spriddler]

The last couple of days we have gone to bed at night and the battery has shown 12.5 volts however in the morning it shows 11.5 v and then the system cuts out.
The solar charged the battery yesterday and we used the lights and pump last night with no problems.
This morning the battery again was dead in a couple of minutes.

The post-charge voltage is no indication of the health of the battery. If as you say it dropped from charged by solar to dead in a couple of minutes it's likely to be at the end of life.

 

[Lenny HB]

To get a full charge you need to get up to 14.2 - 14.7 volts voltage depending on type of battery, then it will need an absorption phase to fully complete the charge. Just getting it to 12.7v will not do the job.
Also continually discharging it will have done it in, so you do need a new battery and you need to look at your charging regime.

I notice you have a Hymer Group van so probably has an AGM battery, you have done well for it to last that long. Providing your charger has a Gel setting I would replace it with a Gel battery.