Electrical question. Please help newbie pulling hair out

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Newbie2021

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Swift Bolero
Still trying to get to understand the electrics in my swift bolero.
Ive got the ehu plugged in at home on the drive whilst I get used to everything
Leisure battery is hovering around 9/10v
Sockets work fine but as the leisure battery is below 10v the control panel keeps turning off and the lights go out.
I can’t get my head around this?
Sockets keep working.
I thought when plugged in everything would work all the time
Basic I know but to much for my tiny head.
 
If you are plugged in and your battery voltage is at 9/10v then something is wrong somewhere. Did you use a multimeter to read the actual voltage of the battery itself? Or are you using the onboard info panel reading? If your battery is taking a charge, it should be at around 14.6-14.8 volts for the bulk charge (which it should be taking at that voltage).

Either A - your charger is not connected or is knackered or B, Your battery is absolutely knackered.
 
Newbie2021 said:
I thought when plugged in everything would work all the time
Click to expand...
The reason that your 240v sockets work and your 12v sockets/systems aren't is as follows.

You don't have a 12v system fed directly from the mains. You have a 12v system fed from the battery. In normal use, this adds up to pretty much the same thing as your 12v, battery fed system is constantly being charged and so you have "unlimited" power while you are plugged in.

What is happening for you is that with either the charger or battery buggered, that 12v ring doesn't have a supply. The 12v isn't charging and so has no power to give to you. Your 240v sockets are fed from a completely different feed and so don't need the battery in the loop. Because of this, they are working fine.
 
RubyOptics said:
If you are plugged in and your battery voltage is at 9/10v then something is wrong somewhere. Did you use a multimeter to read the actual voltage of the battery itself? Or are you using the onboard info panel reading? If your battery is taking a charge, it should be at around 14.6-14.8 volts for the bulk charge (which it should be taking at that voltage).

Either A - your charger is not connected or is knackered or B, Your battery is absolutely knackered.
Click to expand...
Even if the battery was knackered and the charger not working should everything not still work when connected?

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imagine it like this. you have two loops of pipe being fed by a pump. The pipe is your wiring. The pump in one loop is your mains plug. The other "pump" is your 12v battery. Your 240v loop is fine because your pump is fine. Something is wrong with your 12 "pump" and that is why you are having problems.
 
Newbie2021 said:
Even if the battery was knackered and the charger not working should everything not still work when connected?
Click to expand...

no, the 12V side needs either a charged battery Or a working charger to give enough volts

AFAIK even a totally goosed battery will still show 14V when charger is working 👍
 
Or - without the analogy if its more useful. You are plugged into the mains. This does 2 things...it powers your 240v sockets through a domestic breaker box. It also powers a charger connected to your battery. Your 12v systems are STILL, even when on mains, being powered by the battery. It's just your battery is being constantly charged so it never runs out. It appears you have a problem with either the charger or the battery, which is causing problems with your 12v ring.
 
Check to see if there is a switch on the batter charger .


Sockets will work because they are 240

No 12v will work because the leisure battery is flat.and charger not putting power into it
 
74DCD4F7-5E3E-46EC-8362-52B490D6AE91.jpeg
This is what it shows for about a minute before turning off

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do you have a multi-meter?
 
You need to find the charger

It is just possible the charger may work off it’s own breaker, so checking nothing has tripped on the mains side might be easier 👍
 
Ok, you need to read the voltage of the hab battery when you are plugged in. It should read above 14 volts if it is accepting a charge. If it isn't, my next step would be to check that your charger is actually switched on. I don't know what this will look like on your van. It might be a biggish blue box named "Elektro block" or it might be a smaller black box. If you see either of those things, check it is switched on if it has a switch on it. The next thing would be to check your fuse panel and check all the fuses are good.
 
I don't this control panel but is that 20.1 Amps coming out of the leisure battery?
Have you got anything running on 12v ?if so turn it all off and see If the voltage goes up

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Look under the seat and see if the battery charger is turned on.
 
As others have said.... Your charger isn't working.
If it was it would show somewhere between 12.6 and 14v.
Even without a battery the 12v system would still work from the charger.... IF IT WAS WORKING, which yours clearly isn't.
 
Also, check this thread as well as it seems to deal with your problem

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

swift bolero flat battery

Hi I have a bolero 680fb....I do not think my onboard battery charger is working...I have charged both batteries up with an independant charger, but after a couple of weeks the battery goes low.I have plugged mains lead in, and the onboard battery (living area) is always showing a discharge...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
 
image.jpg

Still trying to find where the battery charger is 😢
 
Well, wherever it is it is turned on. Unless it has another switch on the actual unit of course.

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Your charger is either off or buggered.
 
If you find the battery charger it should have a mains on light on it to show it is being powered but I think the problem could either be the charger or the 12v fuse/power supply panel (NE184 ? )due to that high amp discharge being indicated on the display. If you speak to Apluljack Engineering about your problem (01278 588922) they should be able to advise you as they repair the Nordelecttronica systems and know them well.
 
Turn the charger breaker in the fuse board off then on again. Just in case.

But apart from that, as others have said, you need to find the charger electroblock. Then see if that has a switch on it, is connected, and if yes to those what voltage it’s producing.
 
I would bet good money your charger has given up the ghost. See the thread I linked. It describes near identical problems and displays on your control panel. Diagnosed as a faulty charger.
 
I'd also suggest you put 20-30 liters of water into your tank before you start mucking about, as you don't want your boiler trying to heat up an empty tank.
Make sure water flows through hot and cold taps before the boiler is switched on.
 
7402974D-1067-49C4-90CA-84271769F4A9.jpeg

Is this the charger? I’ve had to pull the cover off the consumer unit to locate it

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