Main battery drain.

[Bluescuby]

Hi all purchased a swift Sundance 2009 couple months ago. Strange things are happening with electrics. On the display above door it seems batteries are reversed IE leasure is main and main is leasure. To go with that the inside electrics seem to be running of the main battery and running it down. I know this as I pulled fuse from leasure battery to electrics and all the inside lights etc. Are still on as if main battery is running them.
What happens is main battery runs low and just about starts.
Any help please

 

[pappajohn]

Maybe too new a model but is there a rocker switch on the panel?
If so it will have a symbol for the hab part and one for the cab part.....or maybe just the words HAB and CAB
Switch it to the hab position

 

[Stealaway]

What happens is main battery runs low and just about starts.

You will need to keep charging them both. Your engine start battery can be flattened by your alarm and the vehicle ECU.
You are taking a chance on the air bag ECU failing if you let it run too low

 

[Bluescuby]

Maybe too new a model but is there a rocker switch on the panel?
If so it will have a symbol for the hab part and one for the cab part.....or maybe just the words HAB and CAB
Switch it to the hab position

Hi thanks for that . But you are right mine is to new to have that.

 

[autorouter]

I'm not familiar with this motorhome, but does it have a separate fuse/distribution board for the 12V electrics, as well as the display panel above the door? If so, what is the make/model of the distribution box? It is very unlikely - but possible - that the leisure and starter battery connections are interchanged. The details depend on the make/model of the box, but it's possible to check if they are correct or not. Or a photo of it, someone will recognise it.

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[Bluescuby]

I'm not familiar with this motorhome, but does it have a separate fuse/distribution board for the 12V electrics, as well as the display panel above the door? If so, what is the make/model of the distribution box? It is very unlikely - but possible - that the leisure and starter battery connections are interchanged. The details depend on the make/model of the box, but it's possible to check if they are correct or not. Or a photo of it, someone will recognise it.

Hi thanks for that picture attached.

 

[autorouter]

Does it have a 12V fusebox somewhere, in a locker or under a seat maybe? That's where the two battery feeds will go to.

Do you have a multimeter? A cheap one from a DIY store will be fine for this. You could for example measure the voltage at the terminals of each battery, and see if they correspond with the voltages on the display. Usually the voltages are very similar so it's hard to tell, but in this case it should be easy to distinguish between 12.2V and 12.7V

 

[GeoffnDee]

That is a Nordelectronica electrical system and you should have a NE184 fuse / distribution system, the starter battery should be connected ( Red cable) to J1 inside the rear of the unit and the leisure battery (Brown cable) connected to J2 with the black cable going to J3

 

[Bluescuby]

That is a Nordelectronica electrical system and you should have a NE184 fuse / distribution system, the starter battery should be connected ( Red cable) to J1 inside the rear of the unit and the leisure battery (Brown cable) connected to J2 with the black cable going to J3

Thank you much appreciated.

 

[Bluescuby]

Does it have a 12V fusebox somewhere, in a locker or under a seat maybe? That's where the two battery feeds will go to.

Do you have a multimeter? A cheap one from a DIY store will be fine for this. You could for example measure the voltage at the terminals of each battery, and see if they correspond with the voltages on the display. Usually the voltages are very similar so it's hard to tell, but in this case it should be easy to distinguish between 12.2V and 12.7V

I am a boiler engineer so have checked this already and it corresponds with what I have already said thanks.

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[GeoffnDee]

Bluescuby Just to add that I do not know if you are aware , but The cab button on the display (NE183 control) is used to connect the starter battery into the leisure electrics if needed (it should have a red light on when selected) also if you press the tick button it should display ( battery levels are shown at the moment) discharge amps and from which battery the discharge is going from.
If everything is connected ok it would be worth a call to Apuljack engineering 01278 588922 who service / repair these systems and are normally very helpful and know their faults.

 

[Bluescuby]

Thank you much appreciated.

When I took the panel of the top covering PCB I found a small screwdriver that had been left there. So some one had been tinkering with it. It would be great if cables are around wrong way. It is in storage at mo so will find out sat.

 

[GeoffnDee]

Bluescuby If you find that the battery cables are fitted correctly , It would be worth checking for any messing with the relays or wiring at the PCU and control panel , in particular anything to do with the starter battery to leisure supply power switching system (post #11) as this could also be the source of your problem if it is somehow remaining connected all the time.
There is a wiring diagram for your Swift ( 2008 , but I think it should be the same) in the resources section, on the top line on here, that may be some help in tracing wires to the PCU.

 

[Bluescuby]

That is a Nordelectronica electrical system and you should have a NE184 fuse / distribution system, the starter battery should be connected ( Red cable) to J1 inside the rear of the unit and the leisure battery (Brown cable) connected to J2 with the black cable going to J3

Thank you so much you sir I am indebted to you at least a case of beer. The connections were round the wrong way. So I am over the moon. Thank you.

 

[cyberyacht]

Might be a good idea to acquire a handbook or at least a PDF from the web.

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[Bluescuby]

Might be a good idea to acquire a handbook or at least a PDF from the web.

Hi I already have all the relevent handbooks etc. But they would not of told me that 2 wires were around the wrong way. God knows why they were.

 

[cyberyacht]

Very true but at least a handbook tells you where the bodies are buried.