# Bolero 680 engine battery flat in two weeks!



## 118189 (Nov 14, 2008)

Hi 

My mum has bought a brand new Bolerso 680FB and if the motorhome is not started in two weeks the engine battery will not start the engine.

I have checked the current being drawn and it varies 170ma in the day and 250ma at night, this brought my attention to the reversing camera. I covered the camera so the light sensor turned on the infrared LED's and the current went up to 250ma as expected. I have also now disconnected the radio circuit which supplies the power to the camera and the base load is now 60ma - 1.44amps / day

The theory - if the day is roughtly a 12 hour day (2amps are drawn) and 12 hour night (3amps are drawn) so in total 5 amps / day are drawn from the battery. The engine battery is say 100amp/hr so in theory forgetting the voltage drop and other factors in an ideal world the battery will be flat in 20days. Hey presto the engine will not start.

I would like to fit a relay which will come on on the first or second ignition position and will turn on or off the supply automatically to the camera, this means if my mum wanted to see the reversing camera it will only come on when the engine is either running or the ignition switch is turned on for that reason.


Has anyone else done this? if so where are the wires to the camera / control unit? has anyone else got any solutions?

The dealer has told my mum to disconnect the battery - this is not practical or should not have to be done if some thought was given to the initial installation. My mum is 65 year old and no one should expect her on a brand new motorhome to have to do this. This could have been avoided if a simple relay is fitted in the supply to the camera.

Any help on tracking the control unit or advise would be appreciated.

Kind regards

Chris


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes (Jul 21, 2007)

Hi,

If you ring Glenn Harris or Ian, they should be able to help you

Regards

Peter


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

I know this isn't quite what you asked.

However a similar thing was happenning in auto Trail mh's with their entertainment systems.

The flip down TV was also a reversing monitor. We found we had to make sure ALL switches relating to this system were turned OFF. they were in a cupboard next to the charger in our mh.

We also take off the radio as once the engine is turned off there is a RED light showing on the radio.

We also make sure the fridge is NOT on Auto or is off Completely as that can also have a battery drain.

Those simple measures have helped. The CANBUS now fitted to the new vehicles also causes a drain. Hence we have a solar panel and battery master fitted and that keeps leisure batteries topped up and also Vehicle battery.

We bought our MH Nov 07 and once didn't use for 5 weeks over Xmas and New Year but battery level on vehicle was fine and started first time.


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## Sargent (Feb 1, 2008)

Hi Chris if you could give our technical help people a call on Monday (01482 678981) they will be able to direct you to the unit or suggest how to minimise the current draw. 
As Zulurita has already pointed out the vehicle electronics draws current all of the time and best solution not only to overcome the vehicle discharge but also keep the leisure batteries topped up is using a solar panel.

I hope this is of use

Best regards

Ian Sargent


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## colian (May 11, 2005)

Chris,

Our 680 has the same problem and I contacted Swift, they have e-mailed me 2 pages of notes and pictures which show how to remove the camera wire from being permanrntly live to on the ignition. Its a case of removing it from one position to another within the same block.

I hope this helps
Ian


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

colian said:


> Chris,
> 
> Our 680 has the same problem and I contacted Swift, they have e-mailed me 2 pages of notes and pictures which show how to remove the camera wire from being permanrntly live to on the ignition. Its a case of removing it from one position to another within the same block.
> 
> ...


 Hi we have the same problem on our Bolero FB, although we didn't know it was the camera that was doing this.


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## Nickynoo (May 18, 2007)

Hi we are due to pickup our Bolero 600EK next Saturday. I wonder if it is worth my while getting the dealer to change the wiring on the reversing Camera before we pick her up! Hopefully they can get the info from Swift? Thanks for the info
Nichola


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

It seems that a vehicle(s) is supplied with wiring that causes a problem.
In Britain we go on to forums or ask friends or even strangers for a bodge to resolve the problem.

WHY???????

I never will understand my fellow Brits for not getting problems resolved at source. :roll:


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## Nickynoo (May 18, 2007)

We may well have got this sorted at source if we had known that there is a problem! Isn't it great that we have this forum to find out about these things, before we find out as we are about to leave home on a Friday night for a Weekend away!
I have personal messaged Swift Group and hope to have the said Email to Send to my Dealer so they can change the Wiring before we pick her up!


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