Battery charging confusion

[Bacup lad]

Hi all and a Happy new Year
Could anyone shed any light on the following ?
I have a Bailey Approach se 745 (2012) which I have parked on the drive, so I switch on the EHU now and again to keep the batteries topped up.
After a few weeks 5-6, the engine battery is flat but the leisure battery is ok.
The control panel over the door gives the battery readings for both batteries being the same.
Should the on board charger charge both batteries or not ?, with the EHU on I have checked at both batteries and got 13,6v at the leisure battery and 2.2v at engine battery (even when I switch the panel to display engine battery information.
Any information on this would be most welcome.

 

[Chris356]

If your engine battery is at 2.2 volts then it may not recover it will need a full 48 hour charge then it can be tested to see if it’s fooged would have thought that the onboard charger would charge both batteries but would need to check

 

[Okta]

Should the on board charger charge both batteries or not ?,

Some systems do, some systems don’t and some systems seem to have been designed primarily for caravans and make it complicated.

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

We are Bailey 740 owners .
If you go in to setting on control panel you can see if it is switch to charge cab batts.
..the Bailey motorhome group is good for info. On fb.
That's how our seems to work.

 

[mjvw]

If your engine battery is at 2.2 volts then it may not recover it will need a full 48 hour charge then it can be tested to see if it’s fooged would have thought that the onboard charger would charge both batteries but would need to check

I would agree could be time for a new starter battery if it been discharged to 2.2volts a few time it could be goosed, however i am no expert.

 

[trevskoda]

Most old type only charge led batts,you can put in a extra wire and switch to pit charge to starter batt,if it were mine i would be fitting a 5 stage smart charger.
Think your starter batt is goosed,12.2 v is the lowest id go down to ,14.4 on charge and 12.7 after a rest with no charge is correct for lead acid batts.starter and less batts are charged on my home build and i can see at a glance in cockpit.

 

[Markd]

I think you should be very wary if leaving a mains charger on any battery for an extended period unless you are sure that it settles down to a low float voltage c13.2V is recommended.
As suggested you will need to check whether your charger can do both batteries - it ought to.
I once took cab battery to 3V and whilst mains charger wouldn't touch it a jump start and several hours on alternator did.
Amazingly it recovered and us still ok 3 years later

 

[Sharpie]

It's quite simple, if it is a Fiat Ducato base van, as I think it may be, the starter battery will be completely drained in under a month. That's what the Fiat electrics drain. Poor design, but that's just how they are.

Unless you take the trouble to disconnect it, they do at least make it easy, lift the hatch, flip the lever on the negative connection.

I wouldn't know whether your Bailey charges the starter battery when plugged in

 

[QFour]

It's quite simple, if it is a Fiat Ducato base van, as I think it may be, the starter battery will be completely drained in under a month. That's what the Fiat electrics drain. Poor design, but that's just how they are.

Unless you take the trouble to disconnect it, they do at least make it easy, lift the hatch, flip the lever on the negative connection.

I wouldn't know whether your Bailey charges the starter battery when plugged in

We had a Swift Bolero that had a red button next to the steering lock, pressing the button enabled you to turn the lock one more stop and switch off the cab electronics. The only problem being that the onboard computer was turned off and it lost all the data like date and time. Once you had used the button and exited the vehicle you needed a key to get back in as it stopped the remote locking function from working. Bit of a gimmic and I wonder if it was an option, certainly supplied by Fiat as I have seen it on a none Swift MH.

 

[trevskoda]

I think you should be very wary if leaving a mains charger on any battery for an extended period unless you are sure that it settles down to a low float voltage c13.2V is recommended.
As suggested you will need to check whether your charger can do both batteries - it ought to.
I once took cab battery to 3V and whilst mains charger wouldn't touch it a jump start and several hours on alternator did.
Amazingly it recovered and us still ok 3 years later

Most moderen one are 5 stage float and maintainence type and can be left on 24/7

 

[trevskoda]

We had a Swift Bolero that had a red button next to the steering lock, pressing the button enabled you to turn the lock one more stop and switch off the cab electronics. The only problem being that the onboard computer was turned off and it lost all the data like date and time. Once you had used the button and exited the vehicle you needed a key to get back in as it stopped the remote locking function from working. Bit of a gimmic and I wonder if it was an option, certainly supplied by Fiat as I have seen it on a none Swift MH.

Fait and iveco have far to much sparky stuff and 70% of it not required,italian m bikes were the same and gave lots of electrical troubles,i would love to rip all out of my van and start again.

 

[Bacup lad]

If your engine battery is at 2.2 volts then it may not recover it will need a full 48 hour charge then it can be tested to see if it’s fooged would have thought that the onboard charger would charge both batteries but would need to check

Thanks Chris356
I was thinking that the battery would be US But will try recharge and have it checked, was hoping to get to the bottom of why it's on the contrl panle as charged ?

 

[Bacup lad]

We are Bailey 740 owners .
If you go in to setting on control panel you can see if it is switch to charge cab batts.
..the Bailey motorhome group is good for info. On fb.
That's how our seems to work.View attachment 75467View attachment 75468

Hi Thanks for your reply
My controller is very similar to yours apart from mine doesn't have the (Chg V batt ) option and also has a ( standby <30secs )what this does I have no idea ?
What is the year of your 740 ? maybe that's why they differ

 

[Mr and Mrs Tupcox]

Hi Thanks for your reply
My controller is very similar to yours apart from mine doesn't have the (Chg V batt ) option and also has a ( standby <30secs )what this does I have no idea ?
What is the year of your 740 ? maybe that's why they differ

2015 I thought the control panels was the same .
Have you checked 40 amp fuse next to eng batt. On cable from batt to consumer unit.

 

[mjvw]

Fait and iveco have far to much sparky stuff and 70% of it not required,italian m bikes were the same and gave lots of electrical troubles,i would love to rip all out of my van and start again.

Off topic but my Moto Guzzi had wiring like a spaghetti it even change colour half way down the loom , it also used to electrocute me when it rained normally if left leg got too close plug lead.

 

[in h]

Hi all and a Happy new Year
Could anyone shed any light on the following ?
I have a Bailey Approach se 745 (2012) which I have parked on the drive, so I switch on the EHU now and again to keep the batteries topped up.
After a few weeks 5-6, the engine battery is flat but the leisure battery is ok.
The control panel over the door gives the battery readings for both batteries being the same.
Should the on board charger charge both batteries or not ?, with the EHU on I have checked at both batteries and got 13,6v at the leisure battery and 2.2v at engine battery (even when I switch the panel to display engine battery information.
Any information on this would be most welcome.

I would buy a small smart charger for the engine battery and wire it in so that it runs automatically* whenever mails power is connected.
*This limits your choice of smart charger: many need you to press a button to start them charging: not what you want.