Hymer Swing with glowing ignition light.

[winks]

Bit of a long shot, but a shy bairn never gets a sweet!

I have a problem with the ignition light glowing even though the two batteries are charging o.k. This is after having a new alternator fitted. When the old unit died it took a 30A fuse with it and gave the classic ignition light glowing when engine is off. A sure sign of diode death apparently.

As of now the light glows when the engine is running but the charging looks good, both batteries showing about 14v when the engine is running. Charges perfectly from the mains and shows about 20mA drain from the leisure battery when everything is turned off. According to the handbook this is about right. I don't know if the charging unit, a Schaudt EBL 104, has been damaged when the old alternator went toes up, and I'm not minded to give Hymer U.K. lots of dosh without being belt and braces certain that the unit is faulty.

And now the cheeky bit.Is anyone able, or willing to let me try my elektrobloc on their van, or has anyone got more of a clue than I have about the fault. I'm up in sunny Cumbria.

Any help gratefully accepted.

Cheers

Harold

 

[Kontiki]

On a home built camper I made I found that after fitting a split charge relay the the ignition light would glow dimly even though both batteries were charging. Can't recall where I found the answer maybe somebody else can explain it. I did find this after a quick google:-
Wiring in a split charge relay system - Land Rover Zone
Relay current consumption and glowing lights:

As with all electrical loads, the relay will pull some current, the standard Bosch relay pulls about 150 milliamps, that's not a lot, but on a voltage sensitive circuit it can be.. and the alternator's no charge wire is voltage sensitive, you'll remember from above that the way the light works is to show any difference between the 2 voltages produced either side of the bulb, obviously at the extremes, when there's 12 volts on one side, and zero volts on the other, the light comes on at full brightness, BUT if there's 12 volts on one side, and say 10 volts on the other side because some voltage was being bled off.. like say through an old relay that's pulling more than it should, then the no charge light will glow.. maybe a little, maybe a lot.

 

[Nosha]

I had an old Volvo 245 estate that did this, only really visible at night; sorry never found out why - and like you it still charged perfectly!?!

 

[eky]

put your volt meter across the w and b+ terminals of the alternator and start the van up there should be zero voltage if there is a voltage then the new alterntor is faulty which would make your lamp glow make sure the conections to the alternator are not corroded as this will also give a voltage difference which will make the lamp glow

 

[Deleted member 207]

I think I'd be hunting a fault in the circuit to the charge light - usually a signal wire that goes to the dash light via a fuse - maybe 8amp at best. Its possible that the low amp fuse has failed as well and will give the appearance of no charge and the vehicle battery should still charge.

It may also help if you let us know which chassis/engine your van is based on, eg a Merc Sprinter T1N or Merc T1 etc.