Flat battery (1 Viewer)

[monzer]

Hi guys. Hoping for some advice before I call out the local garage.

I'm on site in Benidorm and have been here since Sunday. I had my electric hooked up but yesterday noticed the lights flickering a bit and my Iboost didn't seem to be drawing power from the cigarette lighter socket. Thought I'd better check the van would start and lo and behold - flat battery.

I checked control panel and noticed I must have knocked the main power switch to off (the other 2 options being aux/car battery). Now I am presuming as I hadn't told it to take power from Aux. it has been draining the car battery.

My power sockets are working and obviously drawing mains power but how come my lights were still working if the control was set to off?

Couple questions.

Am I right in presuming now I have switched it to aux power it should be charging my leisure battery only?

When I try to turn it over will it try to use charge from leisure battery as car battery is dead?

Any other ideas?

 

[Wagoneer]

Can't help but perhaps others with a similar van may be able to help.

I believe you have an Elddis Autostratus.

 

[maxi77]

Unless you are desperate to move, which would indicate a jump start from some one, i would leave it with it now switched on for 24 hours before trying to start the engine. It was switch off and you have now switched it on so it should be ok just keep an eye to see if something trips again.

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[PhilandMena]

As your on hook up this can be resolved very quickly. Beg borrow or steal a battery charger and connect to your cab battery. Better still if you can do this with the set up you already have in your van. I'm fairly certain you have switched your power source for your habitation services from your habitation batteries to your cab battery and that's why you have a flat battery. It should be fine once re-charged. Just make sure it gets a good long charge in. If it's an intelligent battery charger all the work will be done for you. Otherwise check with a volt meter.

 

[ambulancekidd]

It's not much help to you just now but, we always carry one of these below. A bit expensive, but very small, ours lives in the glovebox. Wouldn't leave home without it & it'll charge your mobile phone in an emergency too.
There are cheaper versions of the same thing or just cheaper starter packs out there.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Noco-Gen...696619&hash=item36272e0bec:g:8ykAAOSwr8xaAwIs

 

[monzer]

Thanks guys just to confirm, now that I've switched to mains power this should be charging leisure and car battery? I thought perhaps it only charges leisure battery leaving me to find a way to charge car battery in order to have power to turn engine over.

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[monzer]

Gotta give this a wee bump.

I can safely say that the engine battery does not charge if I am plugged in to the mains. I can only hope that the leisure battery has took a charge.

So can I simply get a set of jump leads and connect the leisure battery to the engine battery and hope that is enough to get me going?

Failing that I will have to find a charger.

 

[PhilandMena]

Gotta give this a wee bump.

I can safely say that the engine battery does not charge if I am plugged in to the mains. I can only hope that the leisure battery has took a charge.

So can I simply get a set of jump leads and connect the leisure battery to the engine battery and hope that is enough to get me going?

Failing that I will have to find a charger.

If your on site, there will be some brits about who will lend you a battery charger. This is your best option. When you say the engine battery is not charging when on hook up, is this the way your system was designed to operate. Most modern motorhomes have both sets of batteries maintained by their on board charger. ? (has a fuse blown ???). Anyway, your operating manuals will provide the answer to that question.
You can connect the leisure battery to the cab battery and again read your manuals on how to do this. Modern motorhomes have a connection point in the engine bay and connecting directly to the battery may blow some important fuses. If your an old motorhome you should be OK just connecting pos to pos then wait for a hour or so to get enough juice into the battery to start it.

 

[mikebeaches]

Gotta give this a wee bump.

I can safely say that the engine battery does not charge if I am plugged in to the mains. I can only hope that the leisure battery has took a charge.

So can I simply get a set of jump leads and connect the leisure battery to the engine battery and hope that is enough to get me going?

Failing that I will have to find a charger.

Sorry to hear about your battery woes. I'm not very technical or able to offer much helpful advice. But what I can say is that on some vans the electric hook-up only charges the leisure battery (which I think you've just discovered), but on others it does both.

Our first van, a 2004 Rapido did both, our next van a 2010 Chausson only charged the leisure battery; and our current 2016 Rapido charges both batteries.

So if you could get your hands on a separate charger, that should solve your problem. But can't advise on connecting leisure battery to cab battery. Somebody else who knows the answer will be along soon hopefully...

Trust you get it sorted.

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[gus-lopez]

If you haven't set the control panel to 'car' then the van battery would not have charged when set on 'Aux' ?

 

[Larby]

Picture of control panel and picture of relevant page in manual will probably get better help from those that know.

 

[jockaneezer]

If your van only charges the hab, how about swapping the cab battery into the hab position for a few hours to get some charge into it ?

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[monzer]

If your van only charges the hab, how about swapping the cab battery into the hab position for a few hours to get some charge into it ?

Yeah good shout although I am short on the appropriate tools to undo said connections. I'll have a quick squizz at the manual. Plenty Brits here so I'm sure I could find a charger if I need it.

Here's a photo of my control panel.

 

[Larby]

Can I suggest, put ignition on which you said will be dim, flick switch on Zig to car battery and see if the ignition light glows brighter, if so sorted, if not, erm...............

Just had a look on Google, seems setting to car only draws, not charges, however, there was suggestion that there will be a separate charger hidden in in a wardrobe !