# 12V electrics cutting out /how to check what is wrong?



## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

Can anyone advise me how to check what is wrong with my 12V electrics?

I have a 10year old Hymer B644, which I am using as a base while studying in Zurich. I have been here for a month on a site with 240V mains hookup, and also have a solar panel. However, although the 12V leisure battery seems to be charging OK according to the control panel, it also seems to be discharging very quickly, and repeatedly cuts out when the voltage drops.

The only apparent drains are the lighting (all LED, and I don't have many switched on at any time), wifi booster, piezo electric ignition for the gas rings, water pump, and the fan for the Trumatic gas powered heating. I haven't used that much as I also have a small 240V convection heater, and the weather has been warm, but today it has started to snow! I understand that there is normally some drain on the 12V leisure battery, to stop valves freezing etc, but most of the time the control panel is indicating a drain of around 1 amp or so max.

The problem is that (according to the control panel) the charge of the leisure battery repeatedly drops below 10.5V, and the 12V system cuts out until it has recharged.

I wondered if the battery itself had packed in, but have borrowed one from another camper, and it doesn't seem to be any different. Is there anything else I should be looking at? My experience and technical expertise is limited, as are my foreign language skills, and I have yet to discover anywhere locally for repairs. I would just like to identify a bit more clearly what the problem is, ideally to see if there is anything else I can do, but also so that I can if necessary explain to a repairer if/when I find one.


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## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

Maybe obvious, but are you sure the control panel is switched to run off EHU or has the switch tripped that controls the EHU and the van automatically switched to leisure battery ?
In the scenario you describe (hooked up) the leisure battery should be charging and not be powering your equipment.


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## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

No, I'm not sure, where is this switch?


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

Hi,

Does a light show on the control panel when you are plugged into the EHU?
What sort of Electroblock (power distribution and charger) have you got and do you know where it is?


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

If the EHU is switched on the voltage reading should be in excess of 13.5, I suspect you have a flat battery that is being recharged partially by the solar panel but not enough to completely charge it.

1. Check the EHU is plugged in correctly at both ends and the supply end is switched on (some in the UK require a 30 degree twist clockwise to turn them on once plugged in). If you have a plug in mains tester does this work (I have one which shows whether the live/neutral and earth are all correct with orange lights) It is possible that the EHU mains lead has a fault in it - either at the end or a wire broken/disconnected. The only way of checking that is to switch to another lead to try.

2. check inside where the EHU lead plugs in - the mains charger is often located close to that point, if it is then there may be a switch on top to turn it on (ours lights up orange once on and the second switch does the water heater and glows green), on ours as soon as it is switched on a cooling fan starts so it is easy to tell when it is operating,

3. then check the reading on the panel - if it now says in excess of 13.5v you have found the problem.

4. If not then check that the control panel shows the leisure battery is connected not the vehicle battery, then
5.check the fuses/trips on the mains unit - if these are all OK then check elsewhere (not so easy to describe) for a blown fuse between the charger and the battery).

I suspect the fault lies with the mains charger either not being switched on due to a blown fuse, switch in the wrong place or just plain not working....

I hope that helps you locate the problem,

Dave


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## clive1821 (Mar 27, 2010)

I would say from the face of it the batteries need replaceing.....


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## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

Thank you for all these suggestions. As far as I can see, there is no switch or indicator light on the control panel to tell me when EHU connected, but the fridge is running off mains power, and so are my 13A sockets, and there is a rocker switch for mains electrical water heating that glows green.

I have looked at the inside of where the EHU is connected, but there are no indicator lights or switches that I can see. I think the mains charger is part of the Electroblock unit.

In the Hymer manual it does say that on mains power, 12V consumers are supplied via the leisure battery (which should however be being charged by the 240V). 

The Electroblock is next to the passenger seat and is an EBL100. 

I am trying a different battery now, but have not yet seen that the problem is resolved.

I will see if I can check all of the fuses. ?
Possibly it is only the solar panel which is keeping the battery topped up, though I have doubted this, since the voltage indicated on the control panel did sometimes seem to recover to some extent at night. If this is the case, possibly the mains charger in the Electroblock is not operating due to switch/fuse/fault?

This is the first time I have used the van for more than a few days.

I have re read most of the manual, but a lot of it seems misleading since it refers to so many different options, and few of the electrical switches or control panels look like the ones fitted to this van. Still confused, but learning...


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Looking at a pic of the EBL 100 on Google images, there is a black switch on the face on the unit marked 'battery' which it appears should be in the 'up' position to charge the batteries. Can you confirm you have that switch?

http://camperukonline.co.uk/product...urers_id=43&osCsid=77fu40he0magq6r2j3v8le4i35


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## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

Thanks, yes the switch is there. If you switch it the other way to 'Aus' then everything is switched off, including the Control Panel.


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Just been looking at the instruction manual here
http://www.acpasion.net/foro/archiv...ales/Schaudt_Electroblock_EBL100-2_Ingles.pdf

In the fault-finding section 10, the first problem is what you seem to be experiencing. It says to 'switch on the automatic fuse in the vehicle.'

Now I can't be sure, but that sounds like they mean a 'circuit breaker'. This is a fuse that can be reset by pushing a wee button. Do you have anything like that? Maybe near the EBL, of near the water heater switch, maybe even in the cab area somewhere? Have a look at the cables running to and from the EBL, see if one of them has a little box with a button on the face of it.


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

Hi,

On mine with, an EBL99 electroblock, there is a LED light which lights up on the control panel near the battery condition indicators.
The reason that this is important on mine is that Hymer use the battery charging logic, in the EBL, to power the LED and it is a simple and cheap way to indicate that mains power is connected to the EBL.
If the charging logic has failed (the most common fault on EBLs) the rest of the EBL continues to work but the batteries don't get charged and the LED on the control panel does not light up.


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## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

Thanks, this sounds quite promising, and useful to know that this manual available online... but where this possible 'automatic fuse' might be, is currently elusive! Will take another look in the cold light of day.


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

- could the button be on the base of the EBL unit ? On mine there is a small slider switch to change from gel to wet battery


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## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

I have the small slider switch, but this 'automatic fuse' is supposedly in the vehicle. I could try lifting out this whole Electroblock and check underneath, but think I had better wait until daylight!

The control panel in this vehicle is entirely LED, so unfortunately no useful LED indicator lights (or anything else as far as I can see) to indicate if mains power being delivered to it. This 'failure of charging logic' sounds as if it might well fit the symptoms. Sounds expensive.


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

LED or LCD? LEDs are like small light bulbs.


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## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

I meant, my display is digital or liquid crystal LCD, so no helpful little LED light bulbs...


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

Get someone to check the battery voltage across the terminals. If you are on hookup, it should read at least 13 volts. This would be best done after dark unless you can cover your solar panel. If it is lower than this then your charger is not working. Go out and buy a cheap mains powered battery charger and use it to keep your batteries charged. As long as you are on hookup you should be OK. If your charging circuit is not working, check the small fuse which should be somewhere near your leisure batteries. There are usually 2 of them. A large one of around 40 or 50 amps and a small one of about 2 or 3 amps. The small one is in the charging circuit and could have blown.

I also cannot believe that you do not have a small light on your control panel that illuminates when 240 volt is supplied by hookup. My van has a small amber light for this.


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

SallyGDP, The last couple of Hymers I've owned had the LB was initially located under one of the front seats (driver/passenger). I have moved them each time so that they are easy to get to and so that I can have two. I say this because the two fuses mentioned by 747 have been left in situ under the seats so not knowing the layout of your van if the battery isn't under the front seats it may be worth just checking under the seats for the fuses. 
We have used a small 12v battery charger in an emergency to charge the LB's (as suggested by one of the other posters) and this worked very well without causing any damage.

Generally there isn't anything located under the ELB just the connections for wires to enter and leave the unit. I can actually see under mine by lying on the floor and looking up under the ELB cabinet.
Good luck.
Terry


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## uncleswede (Apr 16, 2010)

Hi. On my LCD control panel (DT201) on our B544 there is an EHU indicator icon on the top right if EHU is on...










Do you have the same panel and is the EHU icon present (and not flashing)? If not, then you may have a faulty cable or, more commonly on sites anyway, the EHU power has tripped on EHU supply post.

Rgds
CD


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Blimey, CD, that's a bit posh!  

The OP mentioned that her mains sockets are working so the power is getting into the van, just not charging the LB. It sounds rather as if she's getting some charge from the solar panel, but that's rapidly running out.

When your EBL100 is charging is there a fan running that you can hear, as the OP has not mentioned hearing anything from it?

Fuses or CBs in line somewhere may be a possibility too, if the charger is running but not getting power to the LB.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Blimey, CD, that's a bit posh! Surprised 



Well, it is a Hymer 8) :lol: 

tony


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## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

Thanks particularly to tugboat and others for pointing me in the direction of the Elektroblock. I will do some more fuse testing tonight, but (perhaps it's fate or something) the manual indicates that the Customer Services for Schaudt is at Markdorf, quite close to where I have to go for an interview tomorrow. I have been in touch, and they are going to take a look at it for me.

I just knew there was some sense in buying a _German_ motorhome for Zurich!


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## uncleswede (Apr 16, 2010)

Tugboat:

We've got the EBL 101c rather than the EBL100. I've never heard a fan running and, looking at the manual there's no mention of a fan :-(

Rgds
CD


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Agree no mention of a fan in the manual;

http://www.acpasion.net/foro/archiv...ales/Schaudt_Electroblock_EBL100-2_Ingles.pdf

it says that if you have the fault that you have to contact customer service and gives a telephone number at the end (in Germany) and an e-mail address;

Customer service address;

Schaudt GmbH, Elektrotechnik & Apparatebau
Daimlerstraße 5
D-88677 Markdorf

Phone: +49 7544 9577-16

E-mail: [email protected]

I hope that might help.

Dave


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## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

uncleswede said:


> Hi. On my LCD control panel (DT201) on our B544 there is an EHU indicator icon on the top right if EHU is on...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes mine is similar to this (DT 200) but doesn't appear to have any of the fancy icons around the edges. This may be an earlier midel, or perhaps it is related to a fault. There is definitely no indicator showing on the panel to show mains is connected.
I will let you know how I get on in Markdorf.


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## SallyGDP (Jan 12, 2013)

*Elektroblock*

I am pleased to report that the nice people at Schaudt in Markdorf have replaced the mains charger in my Elektroblock, and my van is transformed. Leisure battery voltage now shows 14.3V, which was previously unheard of. The elusive EHU indicator has appeared on the LCD Control Panel (with LCD you wouldn't know if it is NOT there, unless you vaguely remembered that it should be, so thanks for this advice!) I now have electric heating, more than one light on at a time, and piezo electric ignition and taps working even at night, and everything! 
I even managed to stock up on (relatively) cheap groceries at Lidl in Markdorf before returning in to Switzerland.
Thanks to all on the Forum for talking me through this difficulty. Another spinoff, is that I do now understand a little bit more about the normal operations, so hopefully will be better able to spot when something is faulty in future; it has all been a useful learning exercise.
8)


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

They didn't sell you a mains surge protector then?


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

That's fantastic, Sally, glad they sorted you out. Your MHing life will be so much better now. Hope the work didn't hurt the finances too badly!

All the best with your studies.
TB.


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

SallyGDP said:


> Thanks particularly to tugboat and others for pointing me in the direction of the Elektroblock. I will do some more fuse testing tonight, but (perhaps it's fate or something) the manual indicates that the Customer Services for Schaudt is at Markdorf, quite close to where I have to go for an interview tomorrow. I have been in touch, and they are going to take a look at it for me.
> 
> I just knew there was some sense in buying a _German_ motorhome for Zurich!


.................................and did you get the job?


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