Battery isolator switch

[MarkJ]

When I picked my van up (Hobby 600) the dealer said to take out the battery isolator key when I'm parked up for storage. He said this would make sure the leisure battery stayed in good nick. Makes sense. I assumed it was isolating the leisure battery.

But the other day I decided to charge up the vehicle battery via EHU since it was getting a tad low and found the vehicle battery doesn't get charged unless the key is in. The battery is obviously still connected to the vehicle, since everything works, but just not connected to the charger.

Is this a surprise to anyone?

Second problem: the charger is a CB 516 (very common I believe). It has a persistent problem with the on/off switch fouling the casing and popping on and off..... Anyone found this?

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 5816]

The battery isolator switch does what it says isolates the battery that's why it won't charge,when charging by hook up turn the switch on, Are you parked at home is so leave on hook up with the charger on.

When on hook up power to the lights etc are from the mains power unit not the battery

Alf

When I picked my van up (Hobby 600) the dealer said to take out the battery isolator key when I'm parked up for storage. He said this would make sure the leisure battery stayed in good nick. Makes sense. I assumed it was isolating the leisure battery.

But the other day I decided to charge up the vehicle battery via EHU since it was getting a tad low and found the vehicle battery doesn't get charged unless the key is in. The battery is obviously still connected to the vehicle, since everything works, but just not connected to the charger.

Is this a surprise to anyone?

Second problem: the charger is a CB 516 (very common I believe). It has a persistent problem with the on/off switch fouling the casing and popping on and off..... Anyone found this?

Thanks

 

[MarkJ]

Thanks, Alf. When it's at home I do leave it on EHU, but I store it off-site if I'm not going to be using it for a few weeks.

I suppose I was confused because the switch isn't really isolating the vehicle battery (all vehicle electrics still work) but it does seem to isolate it from the charger.

 

[Deleted member 5816]

It sounds as if the battery isolator is just for the vehicle battery this saves it from going flat and not being able to start the van.

Alf

Thanks, Alf. When it's at home I do leave it on EHU, but I store it off-site if I'm not going to be using it for a few weeks.

I suppose I was confused because the switch isn't really isolating the vehicle battery (all vehicle electrics still work) but it does seem to isolate it from the charger.

 

[TJBi]

Thanks, Alf. When it's at home I do leave it on EHU, but I store it off-site if I'm not going to be using it for a few weeks.

I suppose I was confused because the switch isn't really isolating the vehicle battery (all vehicle electrics still work) but it does seem to isolate it from the charger.

I believe that there may be an order of priority when charging through EHU, with priority 1 being the habitation battery and priority 2 being the vehicle battery. I'm no expert, but I assume that the wiring system is such that if the habitation battery is isolated then nothing gets charged.

Tom

 

[Deleted member 5816]

What control panel do you have fitted

Alf

I believe that there may be an order of priority when charging through EHU, with priority 1 being the habitation battery and priority 2 being the vehicle battery. I'm no expert, but I assume that the wiring system is such that if the habitation battery is isolated then nothing gets charged.

Tom

 

[witzend]

With a isolating switch in OFF position I'd have though nothing would get charged depending on where the switch is of course. Try a multi meter on both batterys with charger on

 

[trevskoda]

I believe that there may be an order of priority when charging through EHU, with priority 1 being the habitation battery and priority 2 being the vehicle battery. I'm no expert, but I assume that the wiring system is such that if the habitation battery is isolated then nothing gets charged.

Tom

Sounds daft to me it should always be the engine battery then the leasure so you will always get the donky going to charge the lot.

 

[molly 2]

Sounds daft to me it should always be the engine battery then the leasure so you will always get the donky going to charge the lot.

not so trev cb 16 amp charger charges the hab battery first then switches to engine battery .The cb system also controls the hab battery charging from the engine .

 

[MarkJ]

Thanks for all the comments. Seems to me like one of the commenters said: the isolation switch isolates both batteries from the charger, not just the leisure battery like the dealer suggested.

As it happens, there's a separate fault on the charger so I think I'm going to have to change the on/off switch on it. While I'm doing that (seat out, wires everywhere) I think I'll do a bit of cable tracing, just for piece of mind.