Battery down

[MOJO]

Another problem. On mains since Sept but our Hymer engine battery shows flat on the control panel though its supposed to receive a charge from mains. I have not started the engine since Sept on advice its better not to protect exhaust system as can not drive it anywhere to get high enough temperatures. Leisure battery is fully charged.
No alarm on so what could have been drawing from the battery is anyone's guess.
I will have to remove and trickle charge for when it will be needed April/May hopefully. That will be eight months not running the engine! Any thoughts on the reason?

 

[mfw]

Are you certain it is getting charged when on hook up - and if the battery is low on voltage now it could well be knackered

 

[davep10000]

Doesnt sound like its getting any charge.
All lead acid batteries self discharge (usually over a couple of months).
Alternators often take a very small amount of current when off as well,
I suspect, as above your battery is goosed unfortunately.

 

[MOJO]

It's a 2014 Hymer Starline. I don't suppose the electric windscreen blind opened and closed each day takes its power from the engine battery? Anyway it should still charge enough to cover that.

 

[jagmanx]

Does the EB ger chargedoff EHU or solar..One of the conundrums of Motorhomelife.
Yes I think it should on EHU (maybe not solar).
aaargh The perils of lockdown !

 

[MOJO]

Pics

 

[trevskoda]

Take the van out every week, leaving it standing that long its going to have stuck brake cylinders and calipers plus flats on tyres.

 

[MOJO]

Just checked ignition. Red warning battery/alternator. Then all lights started flickering on & off. Flat battery for sure.
Have received some advice to use the jump start probe under the bonnet to connect charger and clip negative to body. Have jumped this van like that before. Would save getting to the battery?

 

[trevskoda]

Just checked ignition. Red warning battery/alternator. Then all lights started flickering on & off. Flat battery for sure.
Have received some advice to use the jump start probe under the bonnet to connect charger and clip negative to body. Have jumped this van like that before. Would save getting to the battery?

Make sure you use a smart charger which will not boil the battery.

 

[MOJO]

Make sure you use a smart charger which will not boil the battery.

Off to Halfords today then.

 

[trevskoda]

Off to Halfords today then.

Over priced.

 

[MOJO]

All fuses OK. Pics of battery & volt meter

 

[trevskoda]

All you require is a switch and 200ah relay from one battery bank to the other.

 

[Phantom]

Usually there is a fuse at SB from EBL charger, check if power is reaching it when on EHU.

 

[rugbyken]

my hymer has the same set up apparently a trickle charge goes to veh batt from ehu , mine flattened complety after 6 weeks kept at a farm undercover so no solar bought it back to house for 24hrs charged through ehu took it back gone again after 2 weeks this time when i bought it back put a charger directly to battery been a month so far but going to fetch it back next week & top it up

 

[MOJO]

my hymer has the same set up apparently a trickle charge goes to veh batt from ehu , mine flattened complety after 6 weeks kept at a farm undercover so no solar bought it back to house for 24hrs charged through ehu took it back gone again after 2 weeks this time when i bought it back put a charger directly to battery been a month so far but going to fetch it back next week & top it up

Did not realise cold weather has such a impact on holding charge

 

[rugbyken]

i think it’s all the little drains we don’t take into account the radio takes a tiny amount to hold tuning etc my van has 2 trackers and an alarm , it’s a third world problem as someone said in an earlier thread 20 years ago you could go camping for a week with just a 12 volt car battery for lights in our modern push button world we use power for everything,

 

[ricc]

my lidle smart charger has a cut off voltage where it wont charge a properly flat battery..... have to put the old school charger on with the needle vibrating against the 4 amp stop for an hour or so to bring the voltage up then put the smart on overnight.
not sure what the cut off voltage is but it wont play with a battery down to 10 volts

 

[mfw]

Did not realise cold weather has such a impact on holding charge

Cold temperature takes a failing battery out very quickly

 

[PatJ]

Another problem. On mains since Sept but our Hymer engine battery shows flat on the control panel though its supposed to receive a charge from mains. I have not started the engine since Sept on advice its better not to protect exhaust system as can not drive it anywhere to get high enough temperatures. Leisure battery is fully charged.
No alarm on so what could have been drawing from the battery is anyone's guess.
I will have to remove and trickle charge for when it will be needed April/May hopefully. That will be eight months not running the engine! Any thoughts on the reason?

Just running the engine is no good for anything, it needs a bit of a run out, it gets oil around the engine and turbo, moves the tyres, free's the handbrake and let's you have a play. There's no reason not to take it out and loads why you should. We fetched a new unit from Portsmouth last week,
360 ml round trip and never got stopped. There's going to be a lot of people with problems when things pick up, vehicles aren't made to stand around. There's going to be stuck brakes, corroded discs and drums, stuck brakes cylinders, the list is endless. Don't SORN, use it, it'll cost you less in the long run!