# Fiat Ducato electric shutdown when stored



## gillianf

I have a Bessacar E435 2012. Travelled in France for over a month, but for about a month it has not been used. Hooked up to mains since then but nothing is working - ignition, lighting, control panel etc. I have had a small heater working off the mains to stop damp and freezing. Is there an automatic shutdown and if so how do I cancel it? I am a complete technophobe so any answers in plain language please.


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## rayc

gillianf said:


> I have a Bessacar E435 2012. Travelled in France for over a month, but for about a month it has not been used. Hooked up to mains since then but nothing is working - ignition, lighting, control panel etc. I have had a small heater working off the mains to stop damp and freezing. Is there an automatic shutdown and if so how do I cancel it? I am a complete technophobe so any answers in plain language please.


Did you have the DC control panel and battery charger switched ON? Not a silly question a friend of mine thought that when you connect the MH to the mains supply that it would charge the habitation and cab batteries automatically, which is does but only if the charger is switched ON { at least on a CBE system}.


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## poleman

You need the black isolator button turned on and there will be some script in the LCD window, without this the battery charger will not work. If your batteries have gone flat the charger will not recover them on its own, if I remember correctly it will not charge batteries below 9 volts.


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## gillianf

Thanks for that. The leisure battery was OK when I pressed the charger button but the main battery showed flat. I've left it on hook up to see what happens. I'm a novice with MHs so appreciate al the help I can get.


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## happytraveller

I have a 2007 Bessacarr E460. With this normally only the habitation battery charges when on electric hook up. I have to press a button on the control panel to enable the cab battery to be charged instead of the habitation battery. Is your's the same?


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## cabby

Never be afraid to ask any question, not only will you get the answer or pointed to the answer, it will stop you making a mistake that could cost you lots of money as well. Do let us know how you get on please.

cabby


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## gillianf

Thanks for that reassurance. Being a 'newbie' I may be a frequent visitor to the site. 

I've switched the charger on and the control panel above the door is showing the habitation battery as full but the main one as flat. I'm leaving it on to see what happens but advice I've is possibly that it won't charge.

Keep your fingers crossed.


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## rosalan

Good luck and welcome.
If this fails, Halfords and others do sell a battery reconditioning charger for around £50 but if the plates have buckled, it cannot work and sadly a new battery may be required.

Alan


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## poleman

If you press the view levels button it should show you the tank levels and battery charge levels. If you press the button on the control panel for the battery you want to charge, the charger will change to that one. The 'smart' function of the battery charger swaps between the batteries to keep them topped up. On the Sargents PCU unit with the shutdown switch on, in the menu functions you can select smart charging or not, you may have this switched off. You may have to consult the Sargents manual for clarity.


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## rayc

gillianf said:


> Thanks for that reassurance. Being a 'newbie' I may be a frequent visitor to the site.
> 
> I've switched the charger on and the control panel above the door is showing the habitation battery as full but the main one as flat. I'm leaving it on to see what happens but advice I've is possibly that it won't charge.
> 
> Keep your fingers crossed.


Do what happytraveller said.

The instructions for the Sergeant 400 controller say:
"Battery Select. By default, the leisure battery is selected as the power source if no mains supply is present, or as the battery to be charged when the mains supply is available. To change the selected battery, press the battery select button. The selected battery is 
indicated by an LED adjacent to the caravan or car logo (for caravans) or the LED situated in the centre of the leisure and vehicle battery gauges (for motorhomes)."

It would therefore appear that to charge the engine battery you must select it with the 'battery select' button.


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## gillianf

I tried to swap the batteries on the view levels on the control panel and it wouldn't change from leisure to vehicle. I'll try the shutdown option that you suggested. Thanks


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## rayc

gillianf said:


> I tried to swap the batteries on the view levels on the control panel and it wouldn't change from leisure to vehicle. I'll try the shutdown option that you suggested. Thanks


If the engine battery has gone down to the protection voltage, then perhaps charging it with a normal battery charger will bring it back up high enough to allow the control panel to see it. Thent it can be selected to charge by the on board charger?


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## gillianf

The EC400 doesn't have the 'smart charging ' facility on the menu so not able to swap via the control panel. The vehicle battery is showing 2.3v - does that mean it's terminally ill !!?

Covered by RAC breakdown - any point in calling them?


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## gillianf

A good result I think !! Thanks for all your suggestions. 

The RAC charged up the vehicle battery and I was able to change from the leisure battery to the vehicle battery via the control panel. I now have mains connection running again which I hope will prevent the same happening again. 

I will however suggest to Swift that they make this clearer in their manual and to the dealers.

So grateful for all your help and advice. No doubt I'll be back on the site again soon !!!!


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## Tucano

I LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS


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## teensvan

Hi.

Glad you got the problem solved. It is such a pity British converters do not fit a decent charger that charges the starter battery once the leisure battery is charged. Most European vans have this system built in. Most British converters are still in the dark ages when it comes to wiring. I helped a friend last weekend change leisure batteries in a British van & was appalled at the tiny wiring from the leisure batteries to the main 12 volt system. Would have been ok on a pushbike. This would also explain while he always had trouble with his inverter. Very big volt drop. What converter in their right mind would use 4mm link wire between batteries and the 12 volt feed to the main system. 

I have now got to rewire to the inverter for him when I can.

steve & ann. ---------- teensvan.


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## rayc

teensvan said:


> Hi.
> 
> Glad you got the problem solved. It is such a pity British converters do not fit a decent charger that charges the starter battery once the leisure battery is charged. Most European vans have this system built in. Most British converters are still in the dark ages when it comes to wiring. I helped a friend last weekend change leisure batteries in a British van & was appalled at the tiny wiring from the leisure batteries to the main 12 volt system. Would have been ok on a pushbike. This would also explain while he always had trouble with his inverter. Very big volt drop. What converter in their right mind would use 4mm link wire between batteries and the 12 volt feed to the main system.
> 
> I have now got to rewire to the inverter for him when I can.
> 
> steve & ann. ---------- teensvan.


Tut! Tut". Are you suggesting that UK manufactured motorhomes, which all have been approved by the NCC, are inferior in some way.
They even switch off the habitation electrics when the engine is started, which continental manufacturers do not see a need for.


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## teensvan

Hi rayc.

Yes if the charger does not charge the starter battery once the leisure batteries are charged the charge units are inferior one should not have to keep remembering to change the charge position over from one battery to the other. I have met so many motorhomers who have had this problem. Our van is a 2004 and we are still on the original starter battery. This is all down to a very good charger unit.

steve & ann. teensvan


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## hymertastic

the battery terminals may be corroded remove the terminals with a 10mm spanner and clean with a piece of sand paper till shiny then pop a smmear 
of vaseline or petrollum jelly on all surfaces and dont forget the inside of the terminals . the battery may be sulfated if the terminal voltage and charge have been low , you can recover this by charging at a higher voltage than the normal trick;le charge, some battery charger have a boos switch which will charge a wet cell at around 14.6 volts, Check also the habitation charger fuse marked up as battery one or engine battery to see if it is blown, replace with the same amperage.


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