Zig unit quick question. (1 Viewer)

[redstar]

Hi all,
In my new (read old ) 'van, I have a zig fitted. I noticed that the
main switch would not stay on, so sourced another, and heres the
problem.
Everything appears to be ok, i.e. on hook up, 12v things on, battery
hovering around 12v. when it drops below this, say 11.89v, it appears
to then trickle up to 12v again. is this right?

i only ask as my old unit in the vw used to 'kick in' around 11.5v and
charge to 13.05v. am i worrying about nothing? should i start to
worry 'bout something else.....

its just the new ( old van ) thing that you dont trust anything!!
any help would be great, thanks!

 

[Terry]

Hi don't take much notice of the gauge you are looking at ( the reading you give are not right )this is probably down to the gauge Try it out on your drive or a local site to see if everything is working :thumb: and/or if you run out of power Most old zig units can be heard buzzing when charging,listen via a empty loo roll. If still not happy I suggest buying a digital meter for around 5 / 10 £ to get a more accurate reading. You are probably nattering about nothing get out and enjoy :thumb:
terry

 

[American Dream]

Too Right...

Sounds like the voltmeter to me too.It sounds like it's sensing the battery and charging when required.Do the hab lights brighten very slightly when the zig unit is turned on?

Can you check with a cheap multimeter?:thumb:

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[redstar]

That was with a cheap voltmeter!

Looks to be ok, and if not, will soon see. just gotta try it now!

 

[Phil]

The voltages you quote are much too low and if the meter you are using is known to be fairly accurate I think you have a problem.

First I would try an alternative multimeter to see if you get the same sort of readings. A charged battery at rest should read at least 12.6v and nearer 12.8v is normal.

When charging, the battery should read 13.8v, although some modern chargers will charge at 14.4v and drop to 13.8v once the battery is fairly well charged.

If you do not get these figures it sounds like you either have a faulty charger or a faulty battery. The fact that you get a different reading depending if you are on charge or not seems to indicate that the fuses are ok.

Phil.