Whats the Life of a Battery Leisure or Engine (1 Viewer)

[DAVWOD]

I know things don't last forever but

I have a 2015 Fiat Ducato based MH and when not on holiday or weekends away is parked on a secure
storage unit. Periodically I check the status of the battery/s Engine and Habitation and only 2 weeks ago
took the MH out for a run and had no problems starting however today had diddly squat
not even an ignition light.

Is it time I changed the battery ?

 

[Just smiffy]

It’s time you got solar....

 

[busby]

How longs a piece of string,,depends on quality and use,,BUSBY,,

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[DuxDeluxe]

It’s time you got solar....

Yes, my solar keeps everything nicely topped up, even when I forget to switch things off

 

[Lenny HB]

If treated properly starter batteries these days normally last at least 6 years. Leisure batteries, AGM anything over one year is a bonus, Gel 6 to 10 years, not used ordinary wet cells but I would expect at least 4 years out of a quality branded one like Exide or Varta, cheaper ones are often starter batteries with a leisure battery label stuck and wont last long.

 

[DAVWOD]

Cheers Gy's , I forgot , I have Solar which , I guess adds to the mystery. The Solar (I'm told ) puts power to the engine battery 1st then the Habitation Battery
I'm just bewildered as why I have a flat Engine battery just two weeks after it started 1st time ... confused.com

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[Lenny HB]

Cheers Gy's , I forgot , I have Solar which , I guess adds to the mystery. The Solar (I'm told ) puts power to the engine battery 1st then the Habitation Battery
I'm just bewildered as why I have a flat Engine battery just two weeks after it started 1st time ... confused.com

Other way round. Sounds like your starter battery isn't getting any solar charge. How long a drive did you do after you started the van last time as if the battery was faily flat then it would need a good few miles to get the battery charged.
What Solar regulator do you have?

 

[TerryL]

Left something switched on?

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Could be yr answer especialy if you have solar, have a read

http://www.johnscross.co.uk/products/vanbitz-battery-master.html


Peter

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[DAVWOD]

I go through the routine of making sure the Habitation panel is switched off , and I assume that when the engine ignition is off that nothing stays on
even if I had the radio / Satnav on. I do know that on our last 5 week tour I drove down to Canterbury and found the habitation battery had hardly any charge
so I had a new battery fitted .. Now its the engine battery ...

Can anyone also advise me that when on electric hook up can a battery be overcharged as occasionally when time allows I put the MH on EH up
which maybe left on for 2-3 days at a time would this be the reason that I have overcharged ?

 

[Lenny HB]

Can anyone also advise me that when on electric hook up can a battery be overcharged as occasionally when time allows I put the MH on EH up
which maybe left on for 2-3 days at a time would this be the reason that I have overcharged ?

Should be OK to leave on permanently providing your charger is set correctly for the type of battery, the starter battery may be a different type to the leisure battery but still ok as the starter battery only receives a small trickle charge.

 

[Xabia]

Have you got an inverter? I had a similar problem a few years ago, discovered that the inverter had been left switched on and it was drawing a standby current.

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[bigtwin]

My original Gel leisure battery (2006 vehicle) finally expired this year.

Quite pleased with a 12 year life. I’m hoping that the second battery that I fitted in 2009 still has a few years life in it yet.

An example, perhaps, that if you buy quality you are rewarded with decent performance. Certainly out performs AGMs that’s for sure.

Ian

 

[DAVWOD]

Thanks to all who have replied ..
This Friday I'm supposed to be heading off for a 6 week break into Europe , I will mull over wether to bring the MH back home and put it on Charge
until then but then I'm leaning towards the err side of Caution and have a new battery fitted ..

 

[DAVWOD]

My original Gel leisure battery (2006 vehicle) finally expired this year.

Quite pleased with a 12 year life. I’m hoping that the second battery that I fitted in 2009 still has a few years life in it yet.

An example, perhaps, that if you buy quality you are rewarded with decent performance. Certainly out performs AGMs that’s for sure.

Ian

i'd be chuffed with that performance , I'm guessing mine is Fiats own branded battery..

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[Lenny HB]

Certainly out performs AGMs that’s for sure.

That's not hard to do.

 

[Lenny HB]

i'd be chuffed with that performance , I'm guessing mine is Fiats own branded battery..

Talking about his leisure battery, Hymer group used to fit Gel's as standard until they changed to crap AGM's around 2012.

 

[bigtwin]

That's not hard to do.

No, indeed.

It’s no surprise that an £80 battery (or whatever folks pay for them) expires after only a few years.

Ian

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[bigtwin]

Talking about his leisure battery, Hymer group used to fit Gel's as standard until they changed to crap AGM's around 2012.

You might be right; mines a Dethleffs.

Ian

 

[Lenny HB]

No, indeed.

It’s no surprise that an £80 battery (or whatever folks pay for them) expires after only a few years.

Ian

Varta & Banner AGM's are around £190, The Banners in my last Hymer lasted 18 months. Current van changed the AGM and fitted 3 Gels.

 

[DAVWOD]

Have you got an inverter? I had a similar problem a few years ago, discovered that the inverter had been left switched on and it was drawing a standby current.

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[DAVWOD]

Halfords HB019 3 YR warranty has good reviews .. Its a minefield ! anyway off to get it sorted . Thanks all

 

[Bridget]

@DAVWOD, I notice in post 10 that you say you turn your hab panel off. Daft as this sounds, I have to have the panel switched on for the batteries to charge, might be worth checking out so that your new batteries do not come to the same fate?

 

[Ricardoe]

Good morning..my starter battery failed last week after no sun for 8 days in Wales..I was absolutely gobsmacked,so anyway the battery was changed and they pulled out a “magnetic marrelli” monster which was about 50% bigger than the replacement..Q.does anyone have any idea how old that battery was?

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[PhilandMena]

Cheers Gy's , I forgot , I have Solar which , I guess adds to the mystery. The Solar (I'm told ) puts power to the engine battery 1st then the Habitation Battery
I'm just bewildered as why I have a flat Engine battery just two weeks after it started 1st time ... confused.com

How much solar do you have ? Are you certain your solar charges both sets of batteries ? and if so is the switch over automatic or manually operated. I think you need to do a bit more investigative work before splashing out on another battery, you could be going into an expensive loop. (if you always do what you've always dome you will always get what you've always got!) Relying on your alternator to keep your batteries charged is not the best way to go and if your cab battery is totally flat, I would advise checking the Alternator is pumping out 14.4 V to the battery after start up. Your battery, if reasonably new may be recoverable if given a full charge (24 hrs) with a good quality charger. I think the way forward for you is more solar power and ensuring both sets of batteries are receiving a charge. However, do your investigation first and establish why your battery is going flat and correct it.

 

[PhilandMena]

Should be OK to leave on permanently providing your charger is set correctly for the type of battery, the starter battery may be a different type to the leisure battery but still ok as the starter battery only receives a small trickle charge.

This may well depend on the set up in his Motorhome Lenny. My Sargent system will put up to 14.4 V into my cab battery and then drop down to 13. 6 V float charge.

 

[PhilandMena]

Good morning..my starter battery failed last week after no sun for 8 days in Wales..I was absolutely gobsmacked,so anyway the battery was changed and they pulled out a “magnetic marrelli” monster which was about 50% bigger than the replacement..Q.does anyone have any idea how old that battery was?

I'm really looking forward to the answers to your question !

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[Lenny HB]

This may well depend on the set up in his Motorhome Lenny. My Sargent system will put up to 14.4 V into my cab battery and then drop down to 13. 6 V float charge.

Looking at his Avatar the van is on an X290 I so I assume the Motorhome bit has a modern multi stage charger.

 

[PhilandMena]

Looking at his Avatar the van is on an X290 I so I assume the Motorhome bit has a modern multi stage charger.

Agreed, but not guaranteed the solar panels and/or the charger is maintaining both sets of batteries.

 

[iandsm]

Obviously some have had bad experience with AGM however mine have been in use for four years and are still going strong. I keep them topped up throuout the year with solar and the occasional EHU though. Has anyone else had good experience with them?

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