# leisure battery charging problem on the move



## erdingerdrinker

Leisure battery charging problem 1992 eura mobil 550 (i believe)fiat ducato.
just came back from our first trip, new to motorhoming, went to germany,france luxembourg, covered lots of miles.
whilst plugged into the mains the leisure batteries charge fine, however they do not seem to be charging whilst on the move.
i have been powering a tv/dvd player using an inverter, but worked on the theory that if we used the power at night we would re charge sufficiently on the move...is this a flawed theory?
we came home with flat batteries in the van, but when the engine is running there was power to the rear, so it would seem that there is no issue with power reaching the inside (fridge lights,water pump all working fine) from the engine bay.
i traced the main +ive power supply from the engine battery to the main internal power off switch and then to a 12v 70amp relay ,power in from engine battery both with or without engine running but no power out of relay to leisure battery( tested relay separately, it is working) there are two other wires on smaller spade connectors on the relay, one to earth and another (blue)which i presume is the power to the switch. it is this wire which has me thinking that it should be live when the engine is running to allow the relay to open and power to go to charge the leisure battery and should close the switch (relay) when the engine is not running thus not draining the engine battery.
having traced this wire under the bonnet it has been scotch blocked to an unidentified black wire, my question long winded though it is , is should the relay live connection be connected to a wire which is only live when the ignition is switched on , thus working the relay properly.
i tested the relay by connecting a permanent live wire to the side that the blue wire was attached to and this opened the switch letting power through from the engine battery to the leisure battery.
sorry its so long winded but all i want is for the leisure battery to charge as i drive along.
everything else seems to work fine. any help appreciated.
thanks...mike ....a motorhome novice.


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## DABurleigh

The relay sense wire should go to the alternator. It sounds it does this via a scotchblock connector that tees into the alternator to dash idiot light.

These connectors often are troublesome after a while. 

Dave


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## erdingerdrinker

Dave....thanks for the prompt reply, should i try a reconnection to the same wire or is there a better place to connect it to....regards...Mike


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## DABurleigh

Provided it IS the wire to the alternator, another connection there will be fine. Sometimes it seems a converter cuts corners and taps off an ignition live wire, which then uses your leisure batteries to share the engine starting load. Tbis isn't a good idea unless they have also skimped on the leisure battery wiring thickness.

Dave


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## sideways

you need to reconnect to same wire so it only works when engine is running not when ign is on. does yor red battery light work?


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## erdingerdrinker

everything else seem to work fine, yes the red battery light works.
the set up when i bought the van was that there was an 85 leisure battery under the drivers seat which was connected to all the orginal?? wiring, relays, fuses etc and this was daisy chained to a 110 under the passenger seat. the 110 was also connected to two large solar panels on the roof, which when tested seem to be sending a charge, though there is no light or meter to indicate this , i simply put a volt meter across the wiring when the panels were not connected to anything else..13.5v was the reading...if i have done this correctly of course.
not knowing what was charging what ( or not as the case may be) i disconnected the 110 from the 85, thinking that it may be too much to ask for the alternater to charge 3 batteries. ( on the wiring diagram...in german.. it only shows the engine battery and one leisure battery).
at this stage i would be happy to get the one leisure battery charging off the engine whilst on the move.i can always ....pay to go on to a site with a hook up for a night.... if i have to..... to charge the other batteries.
once i have some sort of mobile charging going on then perhaps i can, with someones assistance ( muchly appreciated) figure out if it is possible to link up the other battery and the solar panels, as it was done when i bought it.
all the wiring looks professionally done with the exception of the one wire scotch blocked and i do not know if this is original eura mobil wiring, but on a van of this age who knows what tinkering has gone on and indeed so long as it works and charges the batteries i am not too concerned.


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## sideways

suggest you locate the alternator and check that the signal wire from the relay is connected tothe thin wire from the alternator this should live up when running thereby opening the relay to charge the leisure battery thers no reason why you cant connect your batteries back together.


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## erdingerdrinker

thanks for the help, the wire from the relay is connected to a noticably thinner blck wire which disappears off in a loom in the direction of the alternter, which is i pig to get to to see clearly...thanks again ..mike


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