Vehicle battery - advice please on holding charge

[MisterB]

Hi. After a night on electric hook up my vehicle battery us showing 12.6v and my leisure battery 13.7v while still connected to the on site electricity. When i turn the engine over the voltage increases to 14.4v on both, which i assume shows the alternator is fine and doing its job.

So the three scenarios seem to be that the vehicle battery is faulty or the on board split charger is faulty (or set up wrong) or both. Are there any non multi meter tests i can do to fund out what the issue is please? The vehicle is a swift bolero 2008, not sure of the age of the batteries though.

Thanks for reading.

 

[pappajohn]

Don't worry, everything is fine.

You engine battery is showing its resting voltage, it isn't being charged by anything other than the alternator when the engines running.

The leisure battery is showing the onboard charger voltage on hookup, the control panel meter would show this even if you took the battery off.
The voltage will be pre-set at 13.7v

14.4v shows the split charge is doing its job and charging the hab battery while charging the engine battery.
Split charge works one way... Engine to leisure batteries with engine running.

 

[Lenny HB]

Does your mains charger charge the starter battery?
Most units do but some need a switch on the control panel changing over to do it.
If it is charging the starter battery I would expect to see the battery voltage at 14.2 volts or 13.8v when it's dropped to a float charge.
You really need to spend 3 quid on a cheap meter to check it properly.

 

[MisterB]

Thanks. Have just driven for about 45 mins and the photo shows the battery levels. Can anyone advise as to what the vehicle battery should show after a few hours when parked up with no 'load'? I am just trying to make sure the vehicle battery isnt losing charge too quickly

 

[pappajohn]

Around 12.7v with no load after a couple of hours would be about normal.
Alarm/immobiliser/radio memory etc will take some power over time.

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[MisterB]

Around 12.7v with no load after a couple of hours would about normal.
Alarm/immobiliser/radio memory etc will take some power over time.

Thanks. Is your opinion that when the battery showed 12.7v this morning, it was correct and HADNT actually been charging up overnight via the EHU and was you would expect it to be?

 

[MisterB]

This is the reading 20 mins after the last. Just parked up in the supermarche nothing running

 

[Lenny HB]

Looks ok at the moment.
Need to find out why it's not charging on EHU.

 

[MisterB]

Looks ok at the moment.
Need to find out why it's not charging on EHU.

Thats the puzzle for me!! Unless i need to press the left hand button everytime which doesnt seem right. I thought being on hook up would automatically charge both batteries

 

[Lenny HB]

Thats the puzzle for me!! Unless i need to press the left hand button everytime which doesnt seem right. I thought being on hook up would automatically charge both batteries

Happenes on most vans these days but judging by your avatar yours is a bit older so may not.

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[MisterB]

I need to change that avatar !! Weve now got a 2008 swift bolero

 

[Lenny HB]

I need to change that avatar !! Weve now got a 2008 swift bolero

I would expect it do do it on that. If it's a Sargent unit and you haven't got the manual, they are avalible online.

 

[MisterB]

Yes it is. I will take a look. Thanks

 

[ramsthom]

If its the Sargent E450 unit it will have smart charging. While it is correct to say it charges both starter and leisure batteries it does not do it at the same time. On EHU it would normally charge the leisure one first at around 14.4 volts dropping to 13.6 volts when fully charged. This could take over 24 hours. If it was satisfied it was fully charged it would switch to the starter battery and charge it the same way. You can manually charge either battery by selecting that battery on the display control panel..

 

[MisterB]

If its the Sargent E450 unit it will have smart charging. While it is correct to say it charges both starter and leisure batteries it does not do it at the same time. On EHU it would normally charge the leisure one first at around 14.4 volts dropping to 13.6 volts when fully charged. This could take over 24 hours. If it was satisfied it was fully charged it would switch to the starter battery and charge it the same way. You can manually charge either battery by selecting that battery on the display control panel..

Thanks. Its a NE 183-mate panel but i think it probably works as you described after observing it for a few days. This morning the leisure battery is showing as 14v (as i assume its charging) and the vehicle battery is showing as 12.7v which it displayed when we arrived and before we hooked up last night. I didnt realise the leisure battery would draw power from the vehicle battery if it went below a certain value. I assume one option then would be to add an additional leisure battery to give a bigger bank of power OR it might be the leisure battery is the 'problem' and its failing to hold its charge overnight?

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[Neil Bedwin]

See that button with the cab of a van, bottom left? Press it.....it connects your leisure battery to your cab battery and then you charge both when on EHU! My Swift Voyager does exactly the same. The two batteries are not connected unless you press the button. Let's face it, you only need to charge the cab battery if you have left it sitting for a month or more. If you are travelling around then both batteries are being charged and you are only draining the Hab battery when you are stopped.