# Any ideas?



## nickoff (Oct 11, 2005)

The good lady Bill and me went away a few weeks ago and spent a long weekend in the van near Filey, Yorkshire. We were on hook up the full weekend. When it came to leaving on the Monday morning the van wouldn't start :-( Eventually I got the AA out and the nice fellow got me going again. He checked the battery and it was fairly flat but once the engine got going it was charging well. 
The van has been left in its compound since we got back. Today I went to check on it and to drain it down etc ready for winter. It started straight away and the gauge on the interior meter showed that there was plenty of charge still in both main and leisure batteries.
Not sure what is going on.

Nick.


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

A strange one.Initally it sounded like a faulty starter battery but if so would have struggled after being stood in the compound.

Does your charger charge the engine battery automatically?


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Clearly something was still using power from the main battery over your long weekend and the drive back charged it up.

For some reason the drain on the battery hasn't occurred since you got back.


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## nickoff (Oct 11, 2005)

wakk44 said:


> A strange one.Initally it sounded like a faulty starter battery but if so would have struggled after being stood in the compound.
> 
> Does your charger charge the engine battery automatically?


Have stayed on hook up for over a week in the past with no problem starting when leaving. In August 3 of us, all lads, parked up in Budapest for a week with all lights etc on well into the night. No problems after.

Nick.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Clearly something was still using power from the main battery over your long weekend and the drive back charged it up.

For some reason the drain on the battery hasn't occurred since you got back.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

The base is not a sprinter by any change is it?

Dick


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## nickoff (Oct 11, 2005)

Glandwr said:


> The base is not a sprinter by any change is it?
> 
> Dick


No Dick, it's based on a Peugeot 2.2 ltr Boxer.

Nick.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Did you use the cab radio, cab lights or accessory sockets whilst on site? Does your control panel allow you to switch to either battery for the habitation electrics?


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## Melly (Jul 5, 2007)

I had a similar problem to you a few years ago in France and it turned out to be the hookup was reverse polarity.
Now I know they say these zig units in our vans sort it out automatically but the charger did not work.
I always use a polarity checker now and keep a small lead to reverse it back the right way.


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## nickoff (Oct 11, 2005)

Melly said:


> I had a similar problem to you a few years ago in France and it turned out to be the hookup was reverse polarity.
> Now I know they say these zig units in our vans sort it out automatically but the charger did not work.
> I always use a polarity checker now and keep a small lead to reverse it back the right way.


All 3 lights lit up on the circuit tester. I also have a spare cable wired up the " wrong way around" for use when we encounter reverse polarity.

Nick.


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## janet1 (Feb 10, 2012)

WE have just sorted polarity checker and circuit tester today as our new Elddis Autoquest doesn't have where the old Swift Bolero did.


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

As an alternative thought.... what was the weather like when the battery 'failed'? Is it at all possible that the weather was wet, foggy or damp?
Could it be that a poor earth caused this problem? After a hefty charge the van starter worked and once warm and dry, the problem went away.
It could still be worth tightening the main earth terminals to the battery/chassis.

Alan


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## nickoff (Oct 11, 2005)

rosalan said:


> As an alternative thought.... what was the weather like when the battery 'failed'? Is it at all possible that the weather was wet, foggy or damp?
> Could it be that a poor earth caused this problem? After a hefty charge the van starter worked and once warm and dry, the problem went away.
> It could still be worth tightening the main earth terminals to the battery/chassis.
> 
> Alan


-----------------------------------------
Wouldnt have thought it was that Alan. It was the weekend before we got the back end of that hurricane from the States. It was fair blowing a gale all the time that we were parked up, but no rain. Having said that I take on board what you are saying and next time I'm at the van I'll try the earth terminals.

Nick.


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