i may have damaged my engine battery

[delicagirl]

one day last week i think i left the radio on in my camper-van cab overnight. i may have switched the volume down when i arrived home rather than switched it off. The engine battery measured 10.2 the next morning and the battery only turned over the engine once when trying to start it and then died. i jumper leaded the engine battery to one leisure battery to get it started successfully and went for a half hour drive. Since then i have had it on EHU intermittently at home and have been measuring the engine battery and the hab batteries. i believe i have a split charge relay but am not certain. over several days of measuring all batteries..... the hab battery ranges from 13.7 (while on EHU) slowly dropping to 12.8 over 4-5 hours when off EHU. But the engine battery today (off EHU) went from 13.5 to 12.3 in a couple of hours - it has done this a few times...

i have taken the van out twice on decent runs since it would not start and when i return the readings are sometimes over 14 dropping to 13 in about a hour...... so it looks as if the alternator is working.....

have i damaged my engine battery by accidentally letting it get so low? thanks

 

[mark61]

Probably a bit of damage caused. I wouldn't worry about it though, battery could still last for years. My battery is just over 3 years old, and only holds about 12.2 volts, thanks to stupid smart alternator.
If you have a smart charger, may be worth charging on a reconditioning mode.

 

[MarkJ]

I think , and no doubt someone wiser will correct me, but I think that 12.2v typically represents 50% charged. It’s not a precise science and depends on temperatures, but while I expect it quite possibly will last for ages it might not be working fully.

Is it maintenance free or the sort you need to unscrew caps off and check each cell? If the latter perhaps just check each cell had enough (distilled) water in it still.

 

[delicagirl]

Probably a bit of damage caused. I wouldn't worry about it though, battery could still last for years. My battery is just over 3 years old, and only holds about 12.2 volts, thanks to stupid smart alternator.
If you have a smart charger, may be worth charging on a reconditioning mode.

thank you - i have a hard wired battery charger in the van attached to one of the leisure batteries.... so it operates when i am on EHU - this is it https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amperor-Stage-Leisure-Battery-Charger/dp/B001CVUXKI

the only switch i can see is either on or off.... unless its round the back where i cant look anyway.....

 

[delicagirl]

I think , and no doubt someone wiser will correct me, but I think that 12.2v typically represents 50% charged. It’s not a precise science and depends on temperatures, but while I expect it quite possibly will last for ages it might not be working fully.

Is it maintenance free or the sort you need to unscrew caps off and check each cell? If the latter perhaps just check each cell had enough (distilled) water in it still.

none of my three batteries need topping up with distilled water

maybe i did not leave it on charge for long enough.....


i have never let my batteries drop below 12.4 in the last 4 years when i am out in the wild... i move on and get the alternator to do its job rather than let the battery fall that far. - i bought all new batteries 3 years ago

 

[Nesting Zombie]

Hey DG,
Just a rough guide but I’ve had lower just after fitting a brand new start Battery last year on a few occasions over a month or so due to a parasitic draw that I couldn’t find.
I put an isolator on it now, But the battery is still ok & Holds it’s Own just fine now (Fingers Crossed).
If it’s an old battery just replace it for piece of mind & have done with the worry

 

[delicagirl]

View attachment 72636

Hey DG,
Just a rough guide but I’ve had lower just after fitting a brand new start Battery last year on a few occasions over a month or so due to a parasitic draw that I couldn’t find.
I put an isolator on it now, But the battery is still ok & Holds it’s Own just fine now (Fingers Crossed).
If it’s an old battery just replace it for piece of mind & have done with the worry

HI NZ the fact that my battery went down to 11.something may have damaged it irreparably.... even though i am trying to recharge it now. i have been discussing it with a neighbour today and we may have identified the mysterious "draining device" the presence of which has always puzzled me - because i could not stay out for as many days as others could in poor cloudy conditions.... if i can get this fully removed i may have a better charge-holding capacity with nothing draining the batteries.... fingers crossed

i hope you are well - where abouts are you these days ?

 

[ricc]

daughter recently left her pug 306d untouched for 5 weeks, engine wouldnt turn over, i jump started it , after a 2 mile run it would restart the car unaided. then did a 3 hour run , 3 weeks on it hasnt caused any further problems.

 

[Nesting Zombie]

HI NZ the fact that my battery went down to 11.something may have damaged it irreparably.... even though i am trying to recharge it now. i have been discussing it with a neighbour today and we may have identified the mysterious "draining device" the presence of which has always puzzled me - because i could not stay out for as many days as others could in poor cloudy conditions.... if i can get this fully removed i may have a better charge-holding capacity with nothing draining the batteries.... fingers crossed

i hope you are well - where abouts are you these days ?

Well let’s hope it’s all ok for you
Having done North & South Yorkshire & Anglesey, I’m Shuffling around Wales at the moment, Done the North, Done the West So am now Kinda ‘Mid Wales’ for a spell, But Probably Still going to head North Scotland again for the Winter, You Ok ?.

 

[delicagirl]

Well let’s hope it’s all ok for you
Having done North & South Yorkshire & Anglesey, I’m Shuffling around Wales at the moment, Done the North, Done the West So am now Kinda ‘Mid Wales’ for a spell, But Probably Still going to head North Scotland again for the Winter, You Ok ?.

Ah shuffling from donut shop to donut shop then !!! i am off for a longish trip as soon as i get this battery business sorted... but have not decided where to go.....

 

[trevskoda]

HI NZ the fact that my battery went down to 11.something may have damaged it irreparably.... even though i am trying to recharge it now. i have been discussing it with a neighbour today and we may have identified the mysterious "draining device" the presence of which has always puzzled me - because i could not stay out for as many days as others could in poor cloudy conditions.... if i can get this fully removed i may have a better charge-holding capacity with nothing draining the batteries.... fingers crossed

i hope you are well - where abouts are you these days ?

Del that is not a true smart charger as such,your batterys when charging should top of at 14.4 with the charger or when running on engine alt,if its gone down below 12.2 then you may well have lost 50% of total output,also remember once you start a engine you will have to drive about 40 miles to get battery back up to full.
You should also have a switch fitted to snap on the charge relay which in turn will let the charger do both batterys.:wave:
Next time buy a proper numax or similar chinese unit.

 

[delicagirl]

Del that is not a true smart charger as such,your batterys when charging should top of at 14.4 with the charger or when running on engine alt,if its gone down below 12.2 then you may well have lost 50% of total output,also remember once you start a engine you will have to drive about 40 miles to get battery back up to full.
You should also have a switch fitted to snap on the charge relay which in turn will let the charger do both batterys.:wave:
Next time buy a proper numax or similar chinese unit.

thank you trev .... i have looked back at all the readings i have taken over the past few days and the engine battery did go up to 14.3 on one occasion when stationary. when i jumper started it after it went down to 11 i went for half an hour run and then put it straight back on EHU at home.. My charger is always switched on and so automatically starts work when i connect to EHU. One of the problems is that my new repair man does not think i have a split charge relayl - i thought i had !! the plot thickens... he can install one this week. Clearly i cant go on my trip till this is sorted.

My latest discovery, i think, is that the draining bit of equipment could be the original japanese TV screen on the dashboard which is linked to a rear view camera. This camera installation has a bad cable connection somewhere and the picture is unreliable so i had a new one installed - but did not take the old one out. My neighbour realised yesterday that this bit of kit is always on.

this van huh ? one puzzle after another...... hope mary is ok... kids back at school yet ? x

 

[bullfist]

How old is the battery? If there is no known drain on the battery (e.g. camera or radio) when parked-up, then figures like those you quote would say to me that the battery is old and on the way out (i.e. it will charge, but doesn't hold much charge).
-steve

 

[trevskoda]

thank you trev .... i have looked back at all the readings i have taken over the past few days and the engine battery did go up to 14.3 on one occasion when stationary. when i jumper started it after it went down to 11 i went for half an hour run and then put it straight back on EHU at home.. My charger is always switched on and so automatically starts work when i connect to EHU. One of the problems is that my new repair man does not think i have a split charge relayl - i thought i had !! the plot thickens... he can install one this week. Clearly i cant go on my trip till this is sorted.

My latest discovery, i think, is that the draining bit of equipment could be the original japanese TV screen on the dashboard which is linked to a rear view camera. This camera installation has a bad cable connection somewhere and the picture is unreliable so i had a new one installed - but did not take the old one out. My neighbour realised yesterday that this bit of kit is always on.

this van huh ? one puzzle after another...... hope mary is ok... kids back at school yet ? x

Kids back on thu 29,abby is going for A,Q.E. in about 12 weeks so she can go to a high school,i have told her not to worry as we all get through life one way or another,cheers

 

[delicagirl]

Because several of you are wondering about battery integrity - i will dig out the paperwork for my battery purchases tomorrow and see when i bought them. They weren't cheap ones.

 

[ricc]

you said in post one that you jumped the starter battery off a leisure battery to get going, so stop faffing around, get going take the jump leads with you. if the engine battery fails you can get yourself to a battery shop and replace it. but its highly likely itll be fine :have fun:

 

[delicagirl]

i am faffling about i know..... i have been measuring all 3 batteries for several days and it seemed that the engine battery was not being charged by the internal-EHU charger. i had a split charge relay fitted today and so all 3 batteries are now connected to each other and to the solar panel. Ther engine readings have gone up already..... i had been using that tiny portable USB/volt meter and eventually began to think it was not reliable... so i got out the lovely multimeter that Alf gave me ages ago to get correct readings.... My repair man (ex Truck mechanic who loves mitisubishis and now qualified on campers as well) does not think the battery is duff.... But i will leave it on EHU overnight and then do more measurements....... Fingers crossed everything should be ok... thanks everyone for the different ideas.... as always...

 

[trevskoda]

i am faffling about i know..... i have been measuring all 3 batteries for several days and it seemed that the engine battery was not being charged by the internal-EHU charger. i had a split charge relay fitted today and so all 3 batteries are now connected to each other and to the solar panel. Ther engine readings have gone up already..... i had been using that tiny portable USB/volt meter and eventually began to think it was not reliable... so i got out the lovely multimeter that Alf gave me ages ago to get correct readings.... My repair man (ex Truck mechanic who loves mitisubishis and now qualified on campers as well) does not think the battery is duff.... But i will leave it on EHU overnight and then do more measurements....... Fingers crossed everything should be ok... thanks everyone for the different ideas.... as always...

Hope you have a switch to disconnect the starter battery when you camp out,if not then it will be run down along with the hab batts,there are a lot of clever folk out the but not all are smart.:idea::rolleyes2:
The correct way is to have all the hab batterys connected together with thick battery cable,then the relay connected between the starter batts and the hab batts,but it only comes into play when the engine is run,it is swithed in and out by the altanator wire which runs to the red dash lamp,you can put a switch in line with a connection to live engine battery which will allow you to connect all batterys together when charging of ehu or solar,but you must switch this of after use or engine batt will run down if using lights etc,it is only for the above charging use only.

 

[Hymie]

I did something similar 2 years ago when illness meant the van was left untouched for 6 months, only had a 40w solar and forgot to isolate the TV booster.

The 2 Hab & the Cab batteries were down to 10.4v, I was a bit pissed as I'd already lost 1 of each the previous year in the same circumstance and these were only 10 months old

I bought a battery charger/conditioner from Lidl for about 40 quid, took them home and put all 3 through 2 weeks treatment, cab on recon charger, 1 hab on halfrauds charger, 1 idle, moved the chargers up after 24hrs, so 1 idle, 1 on recon & 1 on halfrauds, did this for the fortnight.

2 years on, now have 300w solar, the 2 original 110amp + 1year old 110amp addition and a battery master feeding the cab, Habs are back up to 14.2v by about 11am each day then settle after the float to 12.9v whatever the use the previous day, and although the Cab battery never shows over 12.4 on digital readout it starts her up on the first spin every time.

Cost about a hundred quid for the charger and battery master but saved another two hundred quid replacing the lot would of cost.

Hymie