- Apr 14, 2022
- 297
- 543
- Funster No
- 88,080
- MH
- Bavaria T71LP
- Exp
- 50 years of boating, just one on motorhomes.
I am sorry, this is going to be a bit long.
Urgent problem (as we are supposed to be going to Italy next week). This is a new motorhome to us but an eleven year old Bavaria T71LP which is effectively the same as a Pilote 71 from 2011. We picked it up from the dealer we purchased it from about a month ago it has appeared to work correctly (however possibly not!). We do know that the dealer replaced the electrical control panel and may have taken out the electrical panel during that diagnosis. I will obviously call them tomorrow but since they are 400km way its not a quick visit.
The installation has an EBL267 electrical unit and a Pilote box along side it.
So, here is the story.
I have noticed that the domestic battery voltage on the control panel voltage is always pretty constant at around 12.8v but the engine battery goes up and down. I really did not think about this very much as everything always worked. I have just fitted a Victron battery monitor and the recorded consumption made no sense however that does mean a local technician has been working on this (I suspect however it has always done this).
So, on Friday we took the camper out to pick up a bike from the local Decathalon. Came back, parked it, no problem. I probably left on the switches electrics and I 'may' have left a light or a fan on, not sure.
Came down to the camper Saturday afternoon. No central locking, opened it up, no electrics anywhere on the control panel or in the motorhome. Puzzled I checked the voltage on the leisure battery, 13.0v. Switched on the engine ignition, nothing, checked the voltage on the engine battery and had 1.8v (so at the end of this I am going to need a new battery!). Jump started the engine and immediately had 14.2 at both the leisure and the engine battery. Left the engine running whilst I sorted out electric and confirmed it was charging both batteries then left it on overnight.
Went to it this morning and noted that the voltage on the engine battery was slightly lower than the leisure battery. Put a clamp meter on the engine battery and noted a 3.5A discharge with the ignition off. Switched off the mains electricity and switched on a couple of lights and a fan. Put the clamp meter on the leisure battery and no discharge. Disconnected the leisure battery at the positive terminal and everything kept working. Switched off the leisure electrics on the control panel and engine battery discharge stopped.
As a final test with the fan and lights on I disconnected the negative on the engine battery and the motorhome control panel shut down (no power to anything)
Clearly there is either a reversal of the batteries or an interconnect I am not aware of. I have very little documentation and what I have is in French so not a lot of help.
Can anyone suggest what might be wrong?
Urgent problem (as we are supposed to be going to Italy next week). This is a new motorhome to us but an eleven year old Bavaria T71LP which is effectively the same as a Pilote 71 from 2011. We picked it up from the dealer we purchased it from about a month ago it has appeared to work correctly (however possibly not!). We do know that the dealer replaced the electrical control panel and may have taken out the electrical panel during that diagnosis. I will obviously call them tomorrow but since they are 400km way its not a quick visit.
The installation has an EBL267 electrical unit and a Pilote box along side it.
So, here is the story.
I have noticed that the domestic battery voltage on the control panel voltage is always pretty constant at around 12.8v but the engine battery goes up and down. I really did not think about this very much as everything always worked. I have just fitted a Victron battery monitor and the recorded consumption made no sense however that does mean a local technician has been working on this (I suspect however it has always done this).
So, on Friday we took the camper out to pick up a bike from the local Decathalon. Came back, parked it, no problem. I probably left on the switches electrics and I 'may' have left a light or a fan on, not sure.
Came down to the camper Saturday afternoon. No central locking, opened it up, no electrics anywhere on the control panel or in the motorhome. Puzzled I checked the voltage on the leisure battery, 13.0v. Switched on the engine ignition, nothing, checked the voltage on the engine battery and had 1.8v (so at the end of this I am going to need a new battery!). Jump started the engine and immediately had 14.2 at both the leisure and the engine battery. Left the engine running whilst I sorted out electric and confirmed it was charging both batteries then left it on overnight.
Went to it this morning and noted that the voltage on the engine battery was slightly lower than the leisure battery. Put a clamp meter on the engine battery and noted a 3.5A discharge with the ignition off. Switched off the mains electricity and switched on a couple of lights and a fan. Put the clamp meter on the leisure battery and no discharge. Disconnected the leisure battery at the positive terminal and everything kept working. Switched off the leisure electrics on the control panel and engine battery discharge stopped.
As a final test with the fan and lights on I disconnected the negative on the engine battery and the motorhome control panel shut down (no power to anything)
Clearly there is either a reversal of the batteries or an interconnect I am not aware of. I have very little documentation and what I have is in French so not a lot of help.
Can anyone suggest what might be wrong?
