Knaus Sun TI electrical problem HELP PLEASE ☹️

Spinksy50

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Hi all,
We’ve had our 2005 Knaus Sun Ti on a Renault Master base for a week. We took it away for the night to test, everything worked well off grid. However, on returning from the pub, the test button for the vehicle battery showed it only half-charged. The leisure battery remained fully charged. Curious.
The vehicle battery is now completely flat, having sat on the drive for 2 days. There is no internal power, despite the leisure batteries showing full charge.
I’ve checked Trip switches and Isolator switch, all fine. There is power to the panel, but nothing 12v.
Two new leisure batteries fitted just before we picked up... could it be wired to draw from vehicle battery by mistake???
We have it booked in for the dealer to look at, but it’s a long way and wondered if anyone had any ideas that might be an easy fix?
We’re booked to go away at Easter ☹️
Thanks for reading!
Lou:anyone:
 
There is usually a switch that allows the habitation 12 volt systems to be connected to either the leisure battery or the starter battery.

Make sure you have not selected the starter battery in error.

If the starter battery is faulty it may not be holding a charge, or it has been flattened due to incorrect selection.
 
POI Admin said:
There is usually a switch that allows the habitation 12 volt systems to be connected to either the leisure battery or the starter battery.

Make sure you have not selected the starter battery in error.

If the starter battery is faulty it may not be holding a charge, or it has been flattened due to incorrect selection.
Click to expand...

I’ve read that but couldn’t find anything obviously like a switch. Any idea where it would be and what it would look like please?
 
What charging system do you have. It could be Electroblock or Reich?

The first place I would look is the charging unit, check the fuses.

Second place is next to the engine battery. There could be some fuses near it, one of them is a small 2 amp fuse which is for the charging circuit. It could have blown.
 
Do you have anything (usually at or above eye level) that could be a control box.

If so can we have photos please.

Check your documentation to see if you have a manual for any thing that included the words control or distribution or anything electrical.

Check your main van manual for a section called "12v electrics".

I am of the school that thinks there is a switch somewhere.

Is there an owners club for our van. These are great sources of answers.
 
r4dent said:
Do you have anything (usually at or above eye level) that could be a control box.

If so can we have photos please.

Check your documentation to see if you have a manual for any thing that included the words control or distribution or anything electrical.

Check your main van manual for a section called "12v electrics".

I am of the school that thinks there is a switch somewhere.

Is there an owners club for our van. These are great sources of answers.
Click to expand...
Hi,
Thanks for your help all.
Update.. we left the fridge on 12v setting by accident when we parked up. Could this have drained the vehicle battery?although doesn’t explain why we now have no 12v power despite apparently fully charged leisure batteries...? Pic of control panel attached.

33BFA687-6EC5-4D6D-9CD8-37B0A54CBBD6.jpg
 
hairydog said:
If the engine battery is completely flat, whatever is powered from it will have stopped working. All the habitation stuff should run off the habitation battery. So they should all still work. If anything doesn't, that's the culprit!
The car radio in the dash probably runs off the engine battery. You haven't left that on, have you?
It may just be that the engine battery had died. Even more likely now: best get it charged and checked before messing with anything else.
Click to expand...

Absolutely nothing now works, lights/tv/pump... even when I’ve hooked up to 240v! It’s a mystery for the dealer I guess.
 
Spinksy50 said:
Update.. we left the fridge on 12v setting by accident when we parked up. Could this have drained the vehicle battery?although doesn’t explain why we now have no 12v power despite apparently fully charged leisure batteries...? Pic of control panel attached.
Click to expand...

Fridge running on 12v would flatten a battery in about 30 mins. However, Fridges 12v normally only connects to car battery and is usually connected only when ignition is on and often only when engine is running.

Thanks for photo, I don't know that particular panel but hopefully someone else might. Do you know the make or Model. Your symptoms sound like you are running all 12v off cab battery and that your charger is only connected to hab battery. Any other panels visible?

To get home you could consider swapping hab/cab batteries or jump starting from hab batery.
 
r4dent said:
Fridge running on 12v would flatten a battery in about 30 mins. However, Fridges 12v normally only connects to car battery and is usually connected only when ignition is on and often only when engine is running.

Thanks for photo, I don't know that particular panel but hopefully someone else might. Do you know the make or Model. Your symptoms sound like you are running all 12v off cab battery and that your charger is only connected to hab battery. Any other panels visible?

To get home you could consider swapping hab/cab batteries or jump starting from hab batery.
Click to expand...

Bless you, thanks. Luckily it went flat on our driveway, so could be worse. I thought the same as you, somehow things are wired to run off vehicle battery by mistake. The dealer has been fab on the phone, so fingers crossed 🤞
 
Knaus Sun TI

On a standard Knaus Sun Ti 650MF, there is NO switch, to select between starter/habitation batteries.
The charging/distribution circuits, are controlled by a Calira system. Unfortunately, there have been numerous issues, with this, for many Sun Ti owners.

Based on what you have said, I suspect, that the Calira, might not be charging, and, if this has been going on, for some time, there has been a steady deterioration, of both batteries, because they have only been receiving a charge, whilst driving. Also, depending on the batteries age, they might well be past their best.

If it is the Calira, then replacements are quite expensive, but they can be repaired, but, again, not cheap!

A number of owners, are now on their 3rd Calira. In my opinion, they are NOT robust enough, although a well known expert, disagrees, and blames the owners, for causing their failure.
Instead of renewing/repairing, a Calira, I would recommend replacing it, with a more robust charging system, but retaining the Calira control system, so that the "Bordcontrol" panel, would still work. I did this, myself, after 2 Calira failures, and everything has worked ok, for the last 8 years.
 
hairydog said:
The 240v hookup will probably only charge the hab battery, so if the hab power is coming from the engine battery, that won't help.
As you say, it really isn't your problem. The dealer needs to fix it.
Click to expand...

With the Knaus Sun Ti. The Calira, automatically, controls all the charging regimes, for both batteries,
i.e. When on hookup, or from the Renault Master alternator.
 
Hi.
I'm new to owning a Knaus and new to this forum. I know this is an old thread but it's the nearest I've come in my search to a match for my issue this morning. I am plugged into EHU behind my own house. I had a heater working and then plugged in my hairdryer - bad idea! I've tripped a switch somewhere. I no longer have power to my fridge and sockets. Lights working okay. I've checked the fuses and they all seem to be fine. I'm guessing there's a trip switch somewhere but I've looked and looked without finding it. Mine is a Knaus Sun Ti 650 MF first registered in 2011 - it's the Celebration 50 model. All help gratefully received.
 
Google "Knaus sun ti 650 mf trip switch location" led me to this, any use?


Knaus-Van-Ti-Plus-650-MEG-Platinum-Selection-021.jpg
 
As above, plug something else into the socket just to make sure the13A socket you're using is working. Then:
Check the 240V breakers and RCD inside the van. UP is ON.
Try the fuse in the 13A plug.
While you're in there check all the connections are inserted and the screws are tight.
Check the connections in the blue 15A plugs and sockets not forgetting the blue 15A socket on the end of he 13A-15A adapter I assume you're using.
 
The Lady has not been back since joining and making a post. We will just have to be patient. :giggle:
 
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