Starter battery was flat when I pulled in for fuel

[Redken]

When I came to start off the battery was flat. I turned the fridge off from 12v if this was causing it (only thing I had turned on) and checked the EC100 which showed the starter battery completely flat and the leisure batteries 2 green lights so about 2/3rds charged. Its a autotrial tracker fitted with a Sargent EC225 panel. Green Flag came out very quickly and connected a booster and it started and he said that it was charging. Got home and connected it to mains power and after 1hr is now showing fully charged. I thought that the Sargent was supposed to stop this happening and to start the engine on the leisure batteries if the van battery dropped low. Anyone had this happen to them or suggestions on how to fault find this would be most welcome.

 

[Clivefog]

Fully charged after 1 hour sounds like a duff battery to me. Get it tested.

 

[rb62]

After 1 hour did you disconnect the EHU,wait half an hour then test the battery voltage?

 

[David and Sally]

Duff connections to the battery??

 

[Stealaway]

As above Check starter battery terminals are tight

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[Revolvor]

You certainly can't start the engine off the leisure battery on an Autotrail - or any other make, unless they have been specially customised, or you use jump-leads.

 

[Clivefog]

I did it, I assumed Green Flag would have checked terminal tightness, my motto never assume anything and there I go assuming!

 

[PhilandMena]

First thing being first! You cant fully charge a flat battery in one hour. What you were seeing on your display was the charge going into your battery and not its actual state. If the battery is totally flat it will need at least 24hrs on your charger. Some Autotrail's have been wired up so that the fridge will run off the cab battery when 12 Volts is selected and the engine is off. Mine was one of them and I had to switch two wires round in the floor panel after discussing with Autotrail. Now it only works on 12 Volts when the engine is running.
The solution to your problem is to confirm when 12 Volts is selected and the engine is off, the cab battery is supplying the fridge. Hopefully, this is not the case as Autotrail told me they addressed this problem a while back. Its possible something else is drawing current from you cab battery. Some more investigation perhaps.

 

[Redken]

After 1 hour did you disconnect the EHU,wait half an hour then test the battery voltage?

Just disconnected EHU and it’s not fully charged yet. Will take battery out and put my opticheck charger on it overnight. Battery only 18 months old. Will also check earth point

 

[GeoffnDee]

It could also be worth checking the engine to body earth connection as well as the battery to body one.
The Sargent EC225 will switch the power supply from starter battery to leisure battery but only if the starter battery is being used to run the leisure equipment ,as it can be when parked up , it will switch over to the leisure battery if the starter battery starts to get low enough that the battery could be damaged or too low to allow the engine to start when required. As Revolvor has pointed out It will not allow the Leisure battery power to be used to operate the starter through the Sargent EC225 system.

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[Speve]

From memory of our 2013 FB tracker isn’t there a switch on the sergeant that changes from leisure to vehicle battery I seem to remember on a trip in France that we had depleted the starter battery overnight and that was the problem I luckily had jump leads with me and was able to start from leisure batteries never had that problem again

 

[Redken]

Thanks everyone the battery + terminal was resting on the post so hopefully that is it

 

[jockaneezer]

You certainly can't start the engine off the leisure battery on an Autotrail - or any other make, unless they have been specially customised, or you use jump-leads.

My Burstner will siphon battery power from the leisure battery to the cab battery if it's low, once you have turned the ignition on.

 

[pappajohn]

Makes you wonder why folks pay for breakdown cover if the clown that came out to you missed that.
He would have to put the leads on the battery clamp.....surely he saw it was loose!

 

[Phill D]

Makes you wonder why folks pay for breakdown cover if the clown that came out to you missed that.
He would have to put the leads on the battery clamp.....surely he saw it was loose!

he would have jump started through the fixing under the bonnet not directly to the battery, and probably used a clamp meter to check charging. so perhaps went nowhere near the battery.

not defending him but just sayin!

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[Redken]

yes , battery is under the floor, it was jump started at the connections under the bonnet

 

[L' Hobo]

You certainly can't start the engine off the leisure battery on an Autotrail - or any other make, unless they have been specially customised, or you use jump-leads.

My Murvi is supposed to have the facility of starting assist from the leisure batteries, I've never tried it but according to the Murvi instruction book, it's there without extra modification?
When travelling, it also uses the engine circulation to heat habitation water. (never understood why other makes do not?)