# Leisure Battery melting and Fuse box very hot.



## C0rnerbr00k (Nov 22, 2017)

Bought this Elddis new from the NEC with Preston motorhome & caravans March 2016. Away on holiday when the carbonmonoxcide alarm kept going off followed by the most awful smell !! Soon found out the smell was coming from the fuse box !! This was too hot to touch ! When looking at the leisure battery this was melting !!.Got in touch with Preston's and was asked to fetch it back to them, this would be a 300 mile round trip so they told me to go to my local Elddis dealer. No one is interested !! We have found out that the motorhome has No Charger to the leisure battery ! for some reason the fuse box is trying to charge the battery without the facility to do so !!!! You just end up with a U.S battery !! Has anyone else had this problem ?:frown2:


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

C0rnerbr00k said:


> We have found out that the motorhome has No Charger to the leisure battery ! for some reason the fuse box is trying to charge the battery without the facility to do so !!!! You just end up with a U.S battery


That makes absolutely no sense to me.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Me neither. Overcharging boiling the battery sounds more likely. Can't be done without some kind of charger, and who'd make a motorhome without a charger?

Does it have a solar panel?


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

The handbook for 2017 models shows a combined AC/DC switch panel which contains the charger unit. It has a switch for Fridge/charger and a 20A fuse to the leisure battery.
It appears to me that the OP is confused and that there is a charger but there is obviously a problem in the battery/charger system.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Surely it’s still under new warranty?

Andy


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Mrplodd said:


> Surely it's still under new warranty?
> 
> Andy


I think so if it was serviced at year 1. The dealer wants to have a look at it, the OP thinks that a 300 mile round trip is a long way and he cannot find a local Elddis dealer prepared to look at it.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Pull the plug and tell the dealer it's up to them to collect and repair. They should arrange such a thing with Eldis that is NOT your responsibility. Check the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act (or whatever it is called now). 

That system is unfit for purpose and the gases coming off a battery that is overheating could be potentially lethal - they could include sulphur dioxide - so disconnect that battery immediately and do not use.

The vehicle is unfit to be used and should not be connected to the mains. If you have a solar panel or more fitted pull the fuse on that too but start by disconnecting the LB AT ONCE. I other words isolate all of the leisure side of the vehicle electrics.

The dealer can send a low loader or an electrician - you have reported it to them and it is now up to them to sort. Or they can arrange for a more local dealer to sort it at their expense - which is why no local dealer will accept it from you IMO.

Please keep us informed how things pan out. What is the length of the vehicle warranty that yuo got when you purchased it? It is now 20 months old so urgent action needs to betaken and that MUST involve the manufacturer. But YOUR contract is with the dealer (unless you paid any of the purchase price on a credit card as that gives you extra protection as the CC company woud also be liable and may well act faster than the dealer.......


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Penquin said:


> Pull the plug and tell the dealer it's up to them to collect and repair.


The responsibility of the owner to return the motorhome to the supplying dealer is explicit in the warranty T&C's. 
The OP can argue about 'sale of goods act' but one thing for sure is he will not get his MH repaired any time soon.

http://www.elddis.co.uk/help-support/help-advice/warranty

Still I think that is enough effort for now to a response to a first post from a new member so will wait and see


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

unfair terms and conditions can be set aside and a 300 mile journey may well be considered an unfair restriction on the warranty but that would require a Court involvement - and it cannot be small claims as the value of the likely claim is greater than the current limit of I think £5k.

It will be of interest to all of us to hear what happens but I do agree for a first post he has got his money's worth - hopefully seeing the willingness of members to offer advice he will invest the further £12.50 and join and then actively participate. It's good value to get responses like he has IMO.


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## Joeo's (Dec 11, 2016)

Overcharging? Faulty Charger?
Short Circuit (or close to that) somewhere in a circuit connected to the Leisure battery?

Would it be worth getting (saying) a local mechanic/garage/electrician to measure the output voltage of the charger and battery voltage?
Are the electrics ok when EHU disconnected?

Probably only cost a tenner to do basic voltage check
I presume this was on EHU, as the OP mentioned that the fusebox was hot. 
If it was mine I think I'd probably should check the voltages anyway to be sure the it can be driven safely and that nothing odd is happening when being charged from alternator....... or am I misunderstanding the problem?


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## Joeo's (Dec 11, 2016)

(saying.) ... meant to write Paying


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

There is also the risk of explosion from the charging gases, so no naked lights.


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## powerplus (Oct 6, 2014)

hi all


definitely leave of of hook up till solved

well at the end of the day there is a potential fault on the van i say potential as it has not been confirmed

it needs to get back to a dealer and the dealer that sold it needs it back

if it was mine as suggested would take all precautions by dis connecting the said battery ( for safety reasons ) and returning it to the dealer

if the opp feels he is not competent to do this i would drive it a little way from home and get the breakdown cover that i expect his insurance to have and get them to take it to the dealer

just wondering if it has had a solar or something else added in correctly


barry


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> There is also the risk of explosion from the charging gases, so no naked lights.


agree as it gives off hydrogen from the breakdown of the water content

Hydrogen is lighter than air so will rise and if mixed with air is potentially explosive........ that could be triggered by simply turning a light on......

so it all adds up to disconnecting the battery and returning to the original dealer asap.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I asked about solar, but no reply.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

We are definately buying our next MH close to home. 

All of a sudden the saving made (presumably) by buying somewhere 150 miles away doesnt look like such a great saving now:frown2:

Graham:serious:


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## bc109 (Sep 17, 2016)

I am surprised that no low voltage warning is fitted. If a battery cell goes short circuit, then this is dangerous.
a. The output voltage is low, a warning should be given. Check battery for overheating.
b. The charger will try in vain to bring it up to the normal voltage
c. Then the charger will pump more and more current into the battery and it will overheat. Why didn't the fuse blow ?
d. Another cell is likely to short out and the result is as described, a runaway problem.
Looks like a lot of damage has been done for the sake of no low voltage warning system fitted, and fuse too large.
Poor design. 
Bill.


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## Joeo's (Dec 11, 2016)

OP gone very quiet..........


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Possibly working Joe.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Joeo's said:


> OP gone very quiet..........


At present it is looking like a "One Post Wonder" and we are all left to wonder.......

from what I can see he has not been back since....

original post done at 2206 (on my clock) and he last visited at 2207 all on the same day so who knows.....

odd to say the least.....:frown2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

It seems to happen often Dave, usually on a subject with little interest to most, but I think we'd all like to know what was/is going on with this one.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

It is been going on for some time now, they register but never fill in their profiles, and their questions are either ridiculous or completely ludicrous.

I kept a log for a few months as did Jan, I thought that it was the same person logging in trying to be funny but I now believe I was mistaken.

Drew


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