# Swift Sundance charger



## phil4francoise

I while ago a member asked the question ,"does the on board charger ,charge the vehicle battery as well as the lesuire battery, The response was to suggest not ,that it would only charge the lesuire battery.I checked in my users manual and agreed.
However on Wednesday this week I went outside to start my sundance after 2 weeks and the vehicle battery was so flat that it would not even operate the alarm. As it was hooked up to the mains I flicked the switch to run the habitation area from the vehicle battery and this morning the vehcile battery was fully charged . So whoever said NO including myself and the users mamual are wrong :roll: :roll:


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## gnscloz

they were wrong my sundance x250 chassis, when you direct power towards starter battery on control panel you see the voltage going up, use clive motts bridging idea, you can then charge starter and leisure battery on ehu at same time

mark


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## Charisma

*Re: swift sundance charger*



phil4francoise said:


> As it was hooked up to the mains I flicked the switch to run the habitation area from the vehicle battery and this morning the vehcile battery was fully charged . So whoever said NO including myself and the users mamual are wrong :roll: :roll:


Can I just clarify what you have said please? Your van was hooked up to the mains and the leisure battery was fully charged, but the vehicle (engine) battery was dead.

Where was the control panel battery switch at that time? I understood that the mains will charge the leisure battery with the switch in any position, and onsite we normally leave it in the middle which is off.

You then said that you moved the battery switch to the vehicle (engine) position and it charged the engine battery up. Is that right?

Thanks Dave


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## philjohn

Hi,
Yes, the switch in the down position is the leisure battery, in the up position it is the vehicle battery. There is no position to charge both at the same time.

Phil J


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## Sargent

Hi, the vast majority of Swift Motorhomes can charge both batteries, but the method to do this does vary from range to range and between different years.

On vehicles with an analogue control panel (with a needle volt meter) then the vehicle/leisure battery switch (on the control panel)performs this function, as the charge current from the mains charger is directed to the relevant battery. 
On later models with digital controls then this is again done by selecting the relevant battery from control panel but this is done in differing method depending on the exact type of electronic system fitted to the vehicle.

If you can let me know the age or the system type i hope we can clear up any confusion.

Best regards

Ian Sargent


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## Charisma

Sargent said:


> If you can let me know the age or the system type i hope we can clear up any confusion.
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Ian Sargent


Mine is a 2005 Swift Suntor (Sundance) with an analogue volt meter and a three position switch to choose which battery to use when off mains supply. I understood that the mains charger would charge the leisure battery when in the middle (off) position and the leisure battery position. Is that right? And presumably it will charge the vehicle battery when in that position?

Thanks

Dave


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## Sargent

Hi Dave on your vehicle the charger will provide the van power when in the centre position, but with the charger on and if you select the vehicle battery this will be charged, similarly if the leisure battery is selected this will be charged.

I hope this is okay but please do not hesitate to ask.

Best regards

Ian S


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## SurferScotland

Hi there,

Please bear with me as I'm quite new to this.

I also have a 2005 Swift Sundance with an analogue voltmeter. On hooking up to mains I've always set the switc to the middle setting (ie not down for leisure battery or up for vehicle battery). However, I find that after 2 or 3 days hooked up to mains that the vehicle battery has gone flat. A jump start rectifies this.

Should I in fact have the switch set to the vehicle battery when I'm hooked up to mains on a site?

If the motorhome is parked up while being stored (ie with no mains connections or anything running in the living area) it will start 1st time every time. So the vehichle battery seems to be okay.

Any advice much appreciated.

Cheers,

Niall


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## Charisma

Welcome to the Forum

Like you, we generally only go on sites with mains hookups and have left the switch in the middle position which I understand allows the habitation electrics to be powered direct from the charger (and I understood also charged the leisure battery but I may be wrong)

I have since found out that with the switch in the vehicle battery position and with a mains hookup it will chrge the vehicle battery and run the internal habitation electrics but not charge the leisure battery.

I have never had a problem with the behicle battery going flat when on mains hookup, so it would seem that there is a drain on the electrics that shouldn't be there. Perhaps a problem with the relay that cuts off the habitation electrics when the engine is running? 

Any electricians got any ideas?


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## Sargent

Hi Naill, the symptoms are very curious, as Charisma has suggested it does appear that a load is connected to the vehicle battery.

I think the best way to identify why to find out what, is to locate the fusebox under the bonnet, this can be in one of two locations. First location would be next to the battery, the second is under the black cover in the centre of the engine compartment.

Once you have located the fusebox, it should contain the following fuses, 20A, 20A and 15A.

Fuse 1 20A should be the leisure battery charge supply, the wire colour is (Brown/Blue)
Fuse 2 20A should be the vehicle battery supply, the wire colour is (Brown/Green)
Fuse 3 15A should be the fridge supply, wire colour is (Red/Yellow)

If you remove the vehicle battery fuse, then try the various devices in the motorhome. I would start with the radio and heating.

If you either report back on here or contact our technical people (I promise to post when we find out what is causing it)
they can be contacted on 01482 678981

Best regards

Ian Sargent


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## SurferScotland

*Same problem continuing*

Many many thanks for all the advice from everyone so far. Will check the fuses etc as suggested - thanks Sargent.

Latest: Have had the motorhome hooked up to mains outside home for 4 days with fridge running & the battery switch on the control panel selected for leisure battery. (I always used to have it in the neutral middle position)

Surprise surprise - unhooked the ehu today & tried to start the engine & the vehicle battery is flat. I have reconnected the motorhome to the mains & now selected the vehicle battery on the contol panel. I'm hopeful that this should recharge the van battery. (Any idea how long this would take?)

Obviously I'd like to get to the bottom of this, however in the short term the solution may simply be for me to select vehicle battery on the contol panel whenever I am on ehu. Presumably this might ensure that the vehicle battery remains charged?

Longer terms I need to find out what is taking power from the vehicle battery when I'm on ehu.

If you are kind enough to respond to this post please keep the technical stuff simple. I'm a surfer with very little mechanical/technical know how!!

Cheers,

Niall


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## adonisito

Hi there,
As a fellow surfer, I am pretty sure you should select auxiliary when on hook up and run all your stuff from it. I can't see any reason to select vehicle battery when on hook up, we never have. It may be that the vehicle battery is, in fact, knackered. Take it to Halfords and have a free test. Other than that , I always thought that selecting vehicle battery on a control panel, was simply there if your leisure batteries have run down - or am I wrong?


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## SurferScotland

Cheers Adonisito. Like you I thought that I'd rarely need to have the vehicle battery selected on the control panel. But I've learned from other posts that if the vehicle battery is selected whilst on ehu this should charge that battery. This could provide me with a temporary solution until I find out what is covertly taking power away from the vehicle battery when I'm on ehu.

To explain a bit more, when the van is not on ehu the battery doesn't go flat. I've had it tested & it is fine.

Put it this way if I can park up on a site & know that in 3 or 4 days the van is going to start I'll be happy. I don't care what the solution is.

Cheers,

Niall


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## adonisito

From all this, i reckon it's clear you have to check the electrics. Like you I wouldn't have a clue where to start, I'd just want the thing to work! Take it to a specialist and go surfing! Or fishing. Or the pub, Or something. 

Not much help , but owning a van is often frustrating! The plusses far outweigh the negatives!


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## SurferScotland

4 1/2 hours later on ehu, with the control panel set to vehicle battery this time, has completely recharged the flat vehicle battery. So at least I now have a remedy for the problem when it occurs.

Starting to think that it may be the fridge that is somehow taking power from the vehicle battery when ever I'm on EHU. This is maybe simplistic but it is the only appliance which I had running.

Short term at least I think I'm safe when I'm on sites if I always select vehicle battery on the control panel when I hook up. If anyone thinks this will cause problems for me please let me know?

Cheers again.


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## Zebedee

SurferScotland said:


> . . . if I can park up on a site & know that in 3 or 4 days the van is going to start I'll be happy. I don't care what the solution is.
> Cheers,
> Niall


Hi Niall

This may be the answer to your prayer. :wink:

http://www.outdoorbits.com/battery-master-p-32.html

Dave


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## bigbazza

We always select leisure battery whilst on hook-up then on the last night we switch to the vehicle battery.


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## SurferScotland

bigbazza said:


> We always select leisure battery whilst on hook-up then on the last night we switch to the vehicle battery.


Cheers. Sounds like a good tip. I don't want to be stuck in Durness with a flat battery again. Lovely place, but pretty far from anywhere else..................


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