No power (1 Viewer)

[Shirley]

I wrote yesterday re my leisure batteries, I have now discovered they are fully charged, the problem is the control panel doesn't work, neither does anything else in the van, unless I switch the engine on, ? Please any ideas

 

[Boringfrog]

What make and model of Motorhome? How do you know batteries are fully charged?

 

[Shirley]

It's a fiat dulcato, and when I put my engine on I check the panel that shows water tank level, loo, and leisure battery, but as soon as I turn the engine off, the panel isn't lit up, there is a TEST button on the panel as well, but that won,t light either x

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Boringfrog]

As I said previously, how do you know your leisure batteries are charged, have you got a multi meter?

 

[ambulancekidd]

I suspect that your batteries are dead & that when your engine is running, the alternator is powering the hab side as opposed to the batteries. A multi meter costs pennies & have a wee browse on youtube, that'll tell you how to test your batteries & hab charging side.

 

[Shirley]

When I put the engine on, the panel is showing the leisure batteries are full, the panel only seems to work when engines on? Never heard of multi meter, so I'll check utube said you say, thank you

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ambulancekidd]

When I put the engine on, the panel is showing the leisure batteries are full, the panel only seems to work when engines on? Never heard of multi meter, so I'll check utube said you say, thank you

The volt meter in your Motorhome is showing the power of your alternator & not the leisure batteries. Hope you manage to get it fixed soon.

 

[vin0114]

When my engine is running, the panel is totally dead - as it should be. What year is your van Shirley?

 

[Phill D]

assuming your batteries are ok... if its a UK van they often have a relay which prevents use of the habitation 12v while the engine is running, could it be its faulty ? has it worked ok since you have had the van.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MikeD]

Hi Shirley

My Autotrail tracker has a "power" button. Unless you press this all the 12v systems are dead. It is on the EC500 power supply unit and has a logo of a circle with a vertical line through to its centre from the top.
It has a light on it to show its energised.

It is also repeated on the panel over the door.

There is also a "shut down" switch which is just a "lighted" switch that needs to be pressed in and lit. This isolates all 12v systems.

The power supply unit is the bit with the 12v fuses and 240v breakers in it.

 

[denisejoe]

Only on english vans is the panal vans is the panal isolated when the engine is running on mine it gives the charge being put in by the alternator yo u still haven't said what van you have unless it's a panel van conversion

Joe

 

[angusboy]

When engine running on mine panel dead

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Shirley]

My van is a fiat dulcato roller team, 2002, I've only had it this summer, and everything was working fine, until December, then the main battery kept going flat, so we had to jump start it several times, whether this has knocked something out maybe ? There are 2 12 volt leisure batteries and a solar panel on the roof, not being tech minded me n my hubby have got a clue, I plugged the van into our house electric to see if it did anything, left it all day. While it was plugged in the power panel showed everything working, s soon as I unplugged it, nothing. Even the test button didn't light up, it looks like a trip to an auto electrician,

 

[DavidG58]

For peace of mind get it checked maybe, but it does sound like something has been switched off

But on the other hand it sounds exactly like the 'perfect condition' used motorhome we bought three years ago, perfect on hook up, nothing when we stopped on way home, I nearly cried

Turned out in our case one battery was totally dead, but that made them both appear to fail, if the batteries are quite old, they might even be original, (there is usually a date on them somewhere) change both or just one, but you might get lucky with the auto electrics man, if only one battery has failed take that off for now, use the one battery (most still use one only despite all the things you might read on here) then save up for new ready for the summer

 

[Shirley]

Thanks everyone, I'll check back in when it's sorted, in case anyone else has same problem, I really want to get using the van again as I've been quite poorly, but now feeling good again and raring to go, even got a puppy to take along

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

Is your battery charger turned on at the charger itself.
Are all the 230v mains breakers turned on.

It sounds like the charger hasn't been working and all batteries have gone flat.

Therea isnt enough sun at the moment to produce any usable current and any alarm etc will take more out than solar can replace.

 

[K9Brian]

I suspect the main in line fuse near the battery might have blown if the power is switched on in the van and nothings registering

 

[peaps]

Hi I years ago I had a 2003 roller team that did exactly as you describe being an idiot and not caring about the guarantee if my 6 week old motorhome Is going to stop working when I am away anyhow started taking things to pieces under the drivers seat is a conector system with fuses etc checked all the connectors one was larger than the rest and when I moved it and all the lights came on.I still don't know what I did but in three years of ownership never had any more problems. Don't know if yours is the same but it might be worth having a look.

Hope this helps

Pete

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Bobby22]

I would check all the habitation fuses that you can find first and foremost.
If something is going to fail it may well be something as simple as a fuse.

Try the simple things first.

 

[Jaws]

I see a clue here !
The cab battery went flat and you jump started it
Pre 2007 Ducatos have a right messy old way of doing the connections to the cab battery
They use a standard negative connection but a big plate goes on the positive side
That plate has several connections going to it and several HUGE fuses
If the positive jump lead was inadvertently connected not to the actual battery post but to one of the fuse feeds it would blow the fuse as soon as you tried to start it
Most folk would simply think the lead was not making a good contact and move it ..

I know all about this as I have been called out twice vans that have had the same issue !

Basically you need to check all the big fuses on the positive connector plate

 

[Stealaway]

Check the battery connections.
I once had to rescue a French motor home due to exactly that.
I had a good 12 v reading with the multi meter on the positive battery terminal but zero at the first (fuse) connection.
Ten minutes after removing and cleaning the battery terminal he was up and running.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}