Ducato Battery light on , tickover increased (1 Viewer)

Aug 20, 2020
946
5,379
Cheshire
Funster No
74,740
MH
Lunar Home Car P59
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I'm a newbie
Yet another problem

Saturday the alarm registered battery at 20% so I connected a charger on to the under bonnet connections

Set off this morning for a week away , I noticed when I started it the revs were higher than normal , got about a mile and I noticed the battery light was on

Turned round and drove home , checked the battery , voltage looked ok but dropped rather than increased when the engine was started , alternator doesn't appear to be charging

Put a ctec on the battery then noticed the hab charger was clicking so disconnected the earth from the starter battery

I've found someone who'll have a look at it tomorrow but they're 35 miles away so I've charged another battery hoping I can make it before they both die

If it's not fixed by lunchtime that'll be 2 nights out of 4 we've lost

Been away 4 times in it , 2 minor problems 1 ok and now this

Could me putting a charger on it have stuffed the alternator rectifier up

All the fuses on the leisure charger are ok as are the ones on the starter battery + terminal
 
OP
OP
W
Aug 20, 2020
946
5,379
Cheshire
Funster No
74,740
MH
Lunar Home Car P59
Exp
I'm a newbie
I'm just clutching at straws , I bought another battery to see if it wasnt accepting a charge but still the same

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Jan 19, 2014
9,322
24,578
Derbyshire
Funster No
29,757
MH
Elddis Accordo 105
Exp
since 2014
I'm just clutching at straws , I bought another battery to see if it wasnt accepting a charge but still the same
On our Lupo car there was a regulator module on the end of the alternator that went faulty, was very easy and cheap to change, so it might be something as simple as that 👍
 
OP
OP
W
Aug 20, 2020
946
5,379
Cheshire
Funster No
74,740
MH
Lunar Home Car P59
Exp
I'm a newbie
I have read about problems with water dripping on it so it might be something to do with that

Expect a post from me while I'm waiting for the AA tomorrow 😅

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Jun 17, 2012
2,919
9,817
North Essex
Funster No
21,517
MH
Autotrail Delaware
Exp
>12 but <13
Alternator had it. It will tick over faster on EHU. The ÉCU is confused. You should have around 14.4v across the battery terminals with engine running.
 

marchie

Free Member
Mar 9, 2021
2,279
6,140
Funster No
79,651
MH
Burstner
Charging it shouldn't have done any harm just sounds like the alternator has packed up.
Lenny, this was the sort of advice I was thinking about when I suggested a Technical Reference/Fault Finder Job Sheet to save you and others typing out a repeat, yet again, of the initial things to check to solve common problems. IIRC, someone who couldn't attend your Battery Masterclass at Woodside Field asked if there was going to be a video or 'Idiot's Guide' issued so that people like me who wouldn't know an ohm from a watt, can start the fault find for themselves. The Guide could include which Multi Meter Lead to put in which socket, and whether to select ohms or volts etc [my technical 'knowledge'or lack of it now exhausted!], and whether the connections made before/after/without switching on ignition etc. The sort of thing where you do it on autopilot, so when you are asked to do a step by step process, you may have to stop and think because Steps 1-3 don't register in your consciousness, but for us 'virgins' the steps need to be spelled out in fine detail!

To give an ideaof what I'm driving at, I was deployed on a Job Evaluation Scheme and the first question we were asked during Training was: 'What's the first thing you do in the morning?' and we all answered 'Have a pee'. In fact, the first thing is that the brain wakes up, then the eyes, then the brain registers the need to pee, then you sit up, then you look for your slippers, then you stand up and walk to the bathroom and then you arrive at the bog and begin to pee, so the 'first thing' is Step 8 or 9 because these have taken place on autopilot!

So a Checklist/Reassurance Guide that tells the inexperienced Motorhomer what they can and cannot do would be worth its weight in gold and help us to begin to learn some of the practical steps for ourselves!

Cheers

Steve
 
OP
OP
W
Aug 20, 2020
946
5,379
Cheshire
Funster No
74,740
MH
Lunar Home Car P59
Exp
I'm a newbie
Made it on one battery , I've got 4 in here counting the leisure battery , wonder if that'll satisfy greater Manchester's low emission requirements , it has to be a hybrid at least

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Aug 6, 2013
11,941
16,533
Kendal, Cumbria
Funster No
27,352
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Le-Voyageur RX958 Pl
Exp
since 1999
Lenny, this was the sort of advice I was thinking about when I suggested a Technical Reference/Fault Finder Job Sheet to save you and others typing out a repeat, yet again, of the initial things to check to solve common problems. IIRC, someone who couldn't attend your Battery Masterclass at Woodside Field asked if there was going to be a video or 'Idiot's Guide' issued so that people like me who wouldn't know an ohm from a watt, can start the fault find for themselves. The Guide could include which Multi Meter Lead to put in which socket, and whether to select ohms or volts etc [my technical 'knowledge'or lack of it now exhausted!], and whether the connections made before/after/without switching on ignition etc. The sort of thing where you do it on autopilot, so when you are asked to do a step by step process, you may have to stop and think because Steps 1-3 don't register in your consciousness, but for us 'virgins' the steps need to be spelled out in fine detail!

To give an ideaof what I'm driving at, I was deployed on a Job Evaluation Scheme and the first question we were asked during Training was: 'What's the first thing you do in the morning?' and we all answered 'Have a pee'. In fact, the first thing is that the brain wakes up, then the eyes, then the brain registers the need to pee, then you sit up, then you look for your slippers, then you stand up and walk to the bathroom and then you arrive at the bog and begin to pee, so the 'first thing' is Step 8 or 9 because these have taken place on autopilot!

So a Checklist/Reassurance Guide that tells the inexperienced Motorhomer what they can and cannot do would be worth its weight in gold and help us to begin to learn some of the practical steps for ourselves!

Cheers

Steve
You are asking something that's close to impossible to explain within a written description. And even if it were possible the chances of a simple error or misinterpretation are too high. The thought processes when approaching a fault, particularly an electrical fault, are, after years of experience, almost instinctive. You may have noticed that a question on here often requires half a dozen posts, or more, simply to obtain an accurate description of the symptoms. On the way to eliciting that information there will have been several attempts by various people to offer solutions. I couldn't hope to write down the information you suggest. Lenny might be a better man than me.
 
OP
OP
W
Aug 20, 2020
946
5,379
Cheshire
Funster No
74,740
MH
Lunar Home Car P59
Exp
I'm a newbie
Well this has all turned to crap , I asked them to fit a more powerful alternator to cope with an inverter in the future , they didn't start it until 4pm and they've sent the wrong one so it's not likely I'm getting it back today
 

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