Is this normal. Seeing Red!!

[Torchy]

We had 2 new 110ah Yuasa leisure batteries and 110ah vehicle battery fitted at the end October. As the MH is in storage we have been going down a couple of times a week to start it up and air it out due to Covid-19. This week we went out for a drive of about 50 miles on Monday to charge batteries, etc.
Today when we went down I checked the control panel and this was shown.

I am a bit concerned anytime I see red. Is this normal or is there a problem. Everything was turned off on the control panel.
This is all new to us as we upgraded from a year 2000 to a year 2011. The electronics are something else.

 

[berni109]

I am sure someone who knows the Sargent control panel will be along to help you out shortly.
12.8v is fully charged so with new batteries ah capacity should be up near 100%. Was the panel reset after the new batteries were fitted?

 

[Jim]

With a hookup and or a solar panel attached and working the voltage reading is not an indication of the charge state.

 

[two]

You should've looked at the capacity% before your trip, as well as after.
It should have risen.
You're right to be concerned, as 23% is too low unless it started from near zero.
Maybe you're not charging the habitation bank from the engine.

 

[DBK]

As two says you need to look at the readings before you start the engine, while the engine is running (above idling speed) and then again ten minutes or so after you have been for a drive.

The amp readings in your first picture don't make much sense, 0.2A solar might translate to 0.3A going into the batteries, assuming it's an MPPT charger. I'm not sure where the 0.9A is coming from but I suspect its just an measurement error. Probably nothing to worry about.

But you shouldn't need to go down twice a week to start it unless there is a steady draw from something? If this is the case and the batteries are being discharged you won't fully recharge them with a 50 mile drive - it could take 4 or 5 hours of driving unless you have a B2B.

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[tonka]

Autotrail ?????
If so they have a very small but constant drain and in winter will drain batteries over a few weeks.
My Apache 700 had 120w solar and 2 X 110amp leisures. In winter it always needed a top up on EHU now and again.

 

[tonka]

Also on that control panel there is a way to re-calibrate after batteries have been changed or disconnected. Do a fun search as it's been discussed before, info may even be posted in the resources section. At worst case call Sargent as they are usually very helpful.

 

[Lenny HB]

Difficult to make much sense with the solar connected but the leisure battery voltage is showing the solar charger voltage as it would be nearer 12.0v with only 25% charge.

As DBK says the o.9amps draw is a bit misleading but if the panel is on the system will be drawing around 0.4 to 0.5 amps enough to run the batteries right down over 2 weeks.

Sargent normally fit a cheap PWM solar regulator in the back of the unit& with the weather we have had lately & knowing the unit can only handle 120 watts I assume you don't have much solar and will do naff all at the moment.

A 50 mile drive will not do much if the batteries were down 25% at the start, you will need to drive for 300 to 400 miles to charge them.

 

[Just smiffy]

Starting the van will take more out of the battery then a 50m drive can put in.... so every time your starting it the battery is depleting and won’t be putting back in the power you had in the first instance...

Try and get it somewhere where you can plug it in for a few days to get the batteries topped up..

 

[Lenny HB]

Starting the van will take more out of the battery then a 50m drive can put in.... so every time your starting it the battery is depleting and won’t be putting back in the power you had in the first instance...

Try and get it somewhere where you can plug it in for a few days to get the batteries topped up..

Wake up boy, the leisure batteries are not used to start the engine.

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[tonka]

Just to add a further point.
You need to check that the control panel is set up for "solar smart charge" this then does both engine and leisure batteries.
HOWEVER.
If you turn off the Sargent unit the solar will only do the leisure batteries, the shutdown switch must be left turned ON for smart charge to work.
All info is on the Sargent website in the manuals.

 

[Just smiffy]

Wake up boy, the leisure batteries are not used to start the engine.

Ok old boy.... but if he keeps staring it up he’ll have a problem with the starter battery too.... ya gotta read between the lines Lenny..

 

[Spanner]

I think you need to check in the EC480 control panel that you battery capacity is set correctly, 220ah in your case, if the leisure batteries were really at 23% I don’t think the voltage would be reading 12.8 V

We’ve got a very similar setup to yours, 2x 110A Yuassa leisure batteries and a Sargent EC480 control panel, I changed the original cheap solar controller for a Victron MPPT, 160 Watt solar panel, added a B2B charger and and a genuine “Battery Master”
No problems when the sun is shining but at this time of the year I still need to use the hook up to keep all three batteries topped up.
With a battery master fitted I usually leave the Sargent EC500 switched off which reduces the parasitic drain.
With the EC500 switched off the original mains charger still charges the leisure batteries when on hookup.
I hope this helps