Removing a Tracker

[merl]

Been reading up on it. Apparently there are jump start points under the bonnet and some have charged from there.

Battery charging 2019 Fiat ducato 2.3ltr

Hi one and all, After 30 plus years of M/homing I should know the answer to my question?!. Can I safely use the jump start connections under the bonnet to charge the starter battery?, to save taking the floor up in the passenger footwell. I will be using the charger recommended by Derek. Cheers L...

forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk

Charging The Battery | FIAT Ducato

I have recently bought a new Carado Camper Van based on a 140 bhp Ducato Panorama with an auto-gear box and stop start. We took it to the nearest Fiat dealers for them to sort out a few minor niggles and no stop/start. The technician said the battery was only 45% charged & the top start will...

www.fiatforum.com

Seems to me the advice though is as clear as mud. Apparently in the Fiat Ducato handbook it says if you need to charge your battery take it to a fiat dealer!

Can that Ctek ms5 be connected to a battery while its connected then?

Can that Ctek ms5 be connected to a battery while its connected then?

Absolutely Yes. Probably best void any rejuvenating stage nonsense though.

 

[barryd]

Can that Ctek ms5 be connected to a battery while its connected then?

Absolutely Yes. Probably best void any rejuvenating stage nonsense though.

Rejuvenating stage? I watched a video and it seems to have a set of lights through various stages. Looks a good bit of kit. IF thats the answer and it can just be plugged into the battery then Ill get one. Kev seems to suggest he just leaves his connected presumably with the unit in the footwell of the van somewhere.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Rejuvenating stage? I watched a video and it seems to have a set of lights through various stages. Looks a good bit of kit. IF thats the answer and it can just be plugged into the battery then Ill get one. Kev seems to suggest he just leaves his connected presumably with the unit in the footwell of the van somewhere.

You just connect it and set it up, which is dead easy just a few buttons and let it strut its funky stuff.

I bought one a few years ago and it fucked up somehow (nothing is perfect) and it cost me a new battery from Alpha Batteries, Ctek replaced it under the five year warranty no argument, just pictures of the bar code and the Amazon original invoice, that one seemed to have failed to oafter a couple of days and they replaced that, I still have No 2 which appears to be working fine, I maybe read the output incorrectly, still I have a spare now, I may connect it to the LB in winter even though the 85w panel seems to just about keep it topped up, it is supposed to the the VB too but not enough current bun for that.

 

[merl]

Rejuvenating stage? I watched a video and it seems to have a set of lights through various stages. Looks a good bit of kit. IF thats the answer and it can just be plugged into the battery then Ill get one. Kev seems to suggest he just leaves his connected presumably with the unit in the footwell of the van somewhere.

FWIW Barry here's what I'd do.
Wait til you've sussed out what equipment's on the van. There will already be a mains charger for sure powered from the EHU. The van may already have a battery maintainer keeping the cab battery topped up from the hab batteries and if so then all you'll need to do is get power to the EHU socket. Plug in EHU before moving van into final position or possibly plug in a short 15A extension lead into the EHU before parking effectively relocating the EHU in a more accessible place at the front or rear of the van.
If there's no maintainer then you could fit the clive mott mod or better still a variation using a light bulb or better still an Ablemail maintainer, that way when you get around to fitting solar you'll be able to use that to maintain the cab battery while you're camping.

 

[barryd]

You just connect it and set it up, which is dead easy just a few buttons and let it strut its funky stuff.

I bought one a few years ago and it fucked up somehow (nothing is perfect) and it cost me a new battery from Alpha Batteries, Ctek replaced it under the five year warranty no argument, just pictures of the bar code and the Amazon original invoice, that one seemed to have failed to oafter a couple of days and they replaced that, I still have No 2 which appears to be working fine, I maybe read the output incorrectly, still I have a spare now, I may connect it to the LB in winter even though the 85w panel seems to just about keep it topped up, it is supposed to the the VB too but not enough current bun for that.

This doesn't instil confidence Kev!

I think what might be possible is what was suggested earlier. Plug the hookup cable in before driving onto the drive and run it tight along the wall. Then what I might do is stick the other end in the garage, hang it up. Then all I have to do is after a week or two, open the doors or a window at the back of the house and plug it in for a day. If the theory is that this charges the leisure battery AND the cab battery then that might work.

All of this of course is working on theory that the van will fit on the drive and ill be able to get out of the passenger door. That piece of the jigsaw wont be put to the test until late Monday afternoon I guess.

 

[barryd]

FWIW Barry here's what I'd do.
Wait til you've sussed out what equipment's on the van. There will already be a mains charger for sure powered from the EHU. The van may already have a battery maintainer keeping the cab battery topped up from the hab batteries and if so then all you'll need to do is get power to the EHU socket. Plug in EHU before moving van into final position or possibly plug in a short 15A extension lead into the EHU before parking effectively relocating the EHU in a more accessible place at the front or rear of the van.
If there's no maintainer then you could fit the clive mott mod or better still a variation using a light bulb or better still an Ablemail maintainer, that way when you get around to fitting solar you'll be able to use that to maintain the cab battery while you're camping.

Our posts crossed. Yes I think the hookup will be the best way but only if (IF) it charges the engine battery as well.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

This doesn't instil confidence Kev!

I think what might be possible is what was suggested earlier. Plug the hookup cable in before driving onto the drive and run it tight along the wall. Then what I might do is stick the other end in the garage, hang it up. Then all I have to do is after a week or two, open the doors or a window at the back of the house and plug it in for a day. If the theory is that this charges the leisure battery AND the cab battery then that might work.

All of this of course is working on theory that the van will fit on the drive and ill be able to get out of the passenger door. That piece of the jigsaw wont be put to the test until late Monday afternoon I guess.

the VB was on it's way out anyway Barry, it may have killed the charger (about three years old and about the best one you can buy anyway) as it needs to see at least 2v to work,

 

[Pudsey Bear]

This doesn't instil confidence Kev!

I think what might be possible is what was suggested earlier. Plug the hookup cable in before driving onto the drive and run it tight along the wall. Then what I might do is stick the other end in the garage, hang it up. Then all I have to do is after a week or two, open the doors or a window at the back of the house and plug it in for a day. If the theory is that this charges the leisure battery AND the cab battery then that might work.

All of this of course is working on theory that the van will fit on the drive and ill be able to get out of the passenger door. That piece of the jigsaw wont be put to the test until late Monday afternoon I guess.

Buy a good step ladder and go out the back window

 

[merl]

Rejuvenating stage?

Yeh, not all chargers have it, sometimes it can be turned off on some of those that do. It's a stage that's supposed to rejuvenate/maintain, basically it's supposed to knock sulphation off the plates. Gimmick and usually involves taking the battery to a higher than usual voltage, it basically overcharges it, it's a hit and miss and unreliable process.
TBF, you'd almost certainly still be fine but theoretically you'd want to avoid subjecting the vehicle electrical system to a voltage higher than necessary.

 

[barryd]

Yeh, not all chargers have it, sometimes it can be turned off on some of those that do. It's a stage that's supposed to rejuvenate/maintain, basically it's supposed to knock sulphation off the plates. Gimmick and usually involves taking the battery to a higher than usual voltage, it basically overcharges it, it's a hit and miss and unreliable process.
TBF, you'd almost certainly still be fine but theoretically you'd want to avoid subjecting the vehicle electrical system to a voltage higher than necessary.

I posted on the fiat forum and someone mentioned the over charging thing. Im not sure I will get a clear answer on this. Ive also posted just now on the Swift owners group on FB. See if it can be charged through the hookup.

 

[merl]

Buy a good step ladder and go out the back window

Or one of these out of the skylight.

 

[merl]

I posted on the fiat forum and someone mentioned the over charging thing. Im not sure I will get a clear answer on this. Ive also posted just now on the Swift owners group on FB. See if it can be charged through the hookup.

You wont get a definitive yes no on forums Barry, the psudo tekkies will tell you about overvoltage risk but practicality and common electronics knowledge says no issue. FWIW I have a 2013 Ducato and charge my cab battery from the EHU directly from the onboard charger. No iussues in 6 years. If it was an issue we'd have known about it because thousands and thousands do it and would have become a genuine known issue rather than a sort of urban myth.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I think Ctek as a worldwide well respected brand would be well aware of any overcharging issues and have sorted them a long time ago, go into any high end collectors garage and all their cars will have them on each car.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I'd be far more concerned about the dumb charger already fitted by Swift before Ctek.

 

[barryd]

One person has replied on the Swift group on FB. They say just select it on the Sargent control panel but I dont think there was a selector on there. There is however this unit above the van door and it clearly shows the state of both batteries so maybe its just automatic.

 

[RichardHelen262]

You can set it to smart charge and it will charge both batteries

 

[mistericeman]

Looks like Sargent Ec462 ....

Manual download on here ...

EC462 Control Panel | Shop | Sargent Electrical

 

[trevskoda]

My daughter (her and her family live with us) want me to buy this Trev (see the link) she even said that they would take out a mortgage to help buy it.

Check out this 8 bedroom detached house for sale on Rightmove

8 bedroom detached house for sale in Silver Lane, Needingworth, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 for £650,000. Marketed by Fine and Country, St.Neots

www.rightmove.co.uk

Looks fab but on front of a road, & all the rads are in the wrong place, dont buy it, beer is better.

 

[trevskoda]

I used to have to disconnect the solar in the winter on the drive as the controller used to train the battery as there was literally no sun on the drive. Robs dash mount panel might work on the front but only if it could be connected to the battery I suspect or I would have to find a way to get the hookup cable in down the side. Of course the easiest thing to do would be to just pop the bonnet and stick a charger on the battery every few weeks for a few hours in winter but I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that this would not be advisable on a modern vehicle with all the electrics connected. Can someone confirm?

Faulty control unit, should have no back feed.

 

[trevskoda]

I reckon there must have been an old Hammer Horror filmed there at some point.

There is a ghost, its fooked rob and now doors welded shut, was used ww2 for recover troops and later a old folks home, shut 1980 ish and stripped wothin 2 weeks by travelers.