# 2007 Swift Bolero 680FB Electrical Problems, advice needed please!



## Claudi Cooper (Oct 4, 2017)

We have a 2007 Swift Bolero 680FB which has been fitted with a solar panel (about 1m x 750mm) and two heavy duty leisure batteries. Quite some time ago we noticed that we were not able to use the control panel properly anymore; buttons were just not reacting when pushed etc. 
Then we noticed that the control box of the solar panel showed that the batteries drained extremely quickly whenever we turned the van’s control panel on to the point that we were left sitting in the dark after a couple of hours use of some lights and the TV.

Having spoken to a Swift engineer at one of the motorhome shows we had both the panel and the fuse box rewired (as this is apparently a known issue with this model) and refitted. However, we have just returned from a weekend away where we still experienced the same problems, in fact we actually watched the lights on the solar control panel showing that the batteries drained without anything even being switched on as we wanted to save the power for the evening! 

We are absolutely at our wits end and would appreciate any useful advice, many thanks.


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## mcpezza (Aug 16, 2008)

'm not too skilled in electrics but if the motorhome control panel is working fine then I would look at the solar installation. 

The solar regulator could be faulty. I built a small system recently and the battery kept draining. After a lot of trial and error I found it was a dud regulator. Also, I know that if the solar panels do not have a diode installed, (they are usually in the panel itself), electricity is generated in daylight but drained by the panels in darkness, so there is a possibility that they have burnt out. It would be a rare event for the diodes to fail, could there have been a lightning strike? Our building was struck some years ago and all sorts of electrical problems came to light, pardon the pun!

Good luck
Mike


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## powerplus (Oct 6, 2014)

hi not knowing what system your van has but possibly a sargent control panel

if it is have you spoken to sargent they are very helpfull

barry


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Could be several things.

What solar regulator do you have? Is it an MPPT type? Is it connected direct to the leisure batteries? Personally I think it best to keep the solar stuff separate from the main panel.

Does the solar regulator have a readout so you can see what is going into and out of the batteries?

Is the cabling of suitable size? 6mm²? Connected to the batteries properly? Positive to one battery, negative to the other. Presumably the leisure batteries are connected in parallel and not in series. That would put the voltage up to 24 volts which would blow something.

If one battery is dud, it will drag down the other. It would be worth getting them tested under load.

It would be worth investing a few pounds in a digital test meter which would help narrow down where the problem lies.


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