# Motorhome Electrics Problem?



## Lesley47 (Jan 21, 2010)

*Motorhome Electrics Not Working*

Hi, don't know if anyone can help me. I have just reluctantly sold my Swift Sundance 500 Lifestyle, 2001. However, the person who bought it has phoned me to say that the electrics only work on hook-up. He wants to go away tomorrow to an exhibition, where there is no hook-up. He has no lights and the water pump won't work.
Everything was working fine last time I used them a couple of months ago. So I don't know what to suggest. Being a woman probably doesn't help, as I am not really technically minded.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Lesley


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

could it be that the leisure battery is kaput? First thing to check - especially if it hasn't been used for a while.


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## timbop37 (Jun 28, 2006)

Lesley47 said:


> Hi, don't know if anyone can help me. I have just reluctantly sold my Swift Sundance 500 Lifestyle, 2001. However, the person who bought it has phoned me to say that the electrics only work on hook-up. He wants to go away tomorrow to an exhibition, where there is no hook-up. He has no lights and the water pump won't work.
> Everything was working fine last time I used them a couple of months ago. So I don't know what to suggest. Being a woman probably doesn't help, as I am not really technically minded.
> Any help would be appreciated.
> Thanks
> ...


See my recent thread: http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-82227.html

I found the problemn to be a fuse near the charger.


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

Sounds like a Leisure battery problem, has it been charged ??


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## cater_racer (May 1, 2005)

Leisure battery connection??


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Hook up to the mains and see if the battery charges.
Check fuses and switches.

Did everything work when the purchaser inspected and took delivery.
I am sure he would have wanted to see everything worked ok.

Dave p


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## Lesley47 (Jan 21, 2010)

Hi, Thanks very much to all who have offered suggestions. I have phoned him and told him, but he insists that it is not the leisure battery. When he switches the switch in the wardrobe to van battery or leisure battery nothing works on either. He said if it was the leisure battery, then it would work when switched to the cab battery. 
The cab battery was new a few weeks ago, and they tested the leisure battery then. But knowing how fast batteries go, I thought he should have it checked. But he said he will go to a dealer and get the electrics checked there.
He only had a test drive and checked the engine. As everything was working fine two weeks ago, I don't know why it has gone wrong now.
Thanks
Lesley


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## SueandRoger (Apr 14, 2008)

I had a similar problem last week after I had been 'jump started' by Mr Brittania Rescue having left my fixed sat nav on for 4 days without EHU. Everything worked with the EHU connected but no 12v when EHU not connected. Display showed full cab battery but no reading for leisure battery!

After a little while I found that the 50 amp fuse next to one of the leisure batteries that fed the ELB had blown and after replacing it, all worked fine. There was another 50 amp fuse next to the leisure battery that fed the ELB from the cab battery that was not blown so perhaps if they were both blown, you would get your problem. but why this would happen in your case, I wouldn't know, just a 'stab in the dark' but might give you some ideas?


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## philoaks (Sep 2, 2008)

Assuming it was a private sale and that you aren't a dealer then (to be blunt) it's his problem not yours. If you sold it in good faith and didn't try to conceal any problem with the electrics then the story ends there.

As other have said, it's probably something fairly straightforward to sort but it's not your responsibility.

Caveat Emptor!


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Have to agree with that,if you sold it and thought that all was well, then it is up to the buyer to check it out before buying.
Do not let him bully you into paying for any work he has done.
This could be the thin edge of the wedge possibly and he is trying it on.

cabby


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## FoweyBoy (Dec 7, 2006)

Also check that the split-charge relays are securely plugged in. I lost 12v supply on our first Aire in France on the way to Spain in February. Big panic - no lights, no fridge gas ignition, no water pump! Went to check leisure battery voltage with multimeter and found loose relay. Panic over!


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## PFJ (Feb 16, 2007)

*LEISURE BATTERIES*

Evening all,

No doubt you're all out having fun this weekend. Our van is, with wife, but toyboy here gets left behind to earn the camping fees and make these enquiries... 

We've had the pre 2006 Ducatto Tribute 4 years now and still don't seem to be on top of the leisure battery (LB) management.

Winter 1 - we didn't use it or plug it in at home. went flat, died, new battery

Winters 2: installed an outside elect socket at home at great cost, now regularly plug in for 48 hours, especially when cold.

Summer 3: started using removable LEDs to cut down on consumption. seemed to extend time LB stayed alive

We still seem to get a very minimal life when camping with no hook-up electricity esp in winter. Just last week despite only using the electric fan (on the diesel habitation area blown air heater) & mains lights for about 20 minutes in the evening and following morning, the next evening there was no power left. That cant be right can it? But does it also rule out problems / things like Fowerboy's loose split charge relays (whatever and wherever they may be)

So some Qs for you knowledgeable lot:

1. is there room under the driver's seat to put in a 2nd leisure battery?

2. the present LB is an 85 amp, no room for anything bigger; are there better 85 batteries than others? we paid Fiat Service Dealer £49.99 for this one. (And I just remembered the one they replaced was sealed and this one wasn't but I haven't checked electrolyte level but it gets serviced every 12 months - just checking to see if they include it - yep they did and was charging off engine at 13.7v and 14v off hook-up)

3. How would we know if the control panel was lieing: it shows the LB depleted when there's no power and it shows it charging when plugged in and fully charged but could that be hiding a non-charging problem?

Many thanks in advance

Paul


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## cater_racer (May 1, 2005)

Hi PFj,

what's the point of having two LB's when you can't maintain one?

Sorry being fascitious, there's a serious problem when a new LB doesn't stay up for more than 40 mins. 

You need to check the charge levels and the current drawn, even a 85 AH battery should keep internal lights and a small fan running for 4-10 hours. .i.e someone moving on every two days should never see a flat battery.

Lights should be 10-20 watts each that relates to 2AH for every hour on.

You've 6 lights each at 20W, thats 120 Watts with 12v batter thats 10 amps, on for an hour 10 ah.

Allow 50% efficiency, that equates to 20 ah. about a quarter of your battery.

Your battery would then last 4 hours....................................

Use only 2 lights then three times that.

The fan on the heating is the big question, it may be a 100w fan in which case, there is you're problem.

HTH

cater


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## chapter (May 1, 2005)

i have a 500


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## chapter (May 1, 2005)

sorry sent the wrong one but there more or less the same 
tell him to check the 3 fuses under the driver side wing they are behind and above the engine battery and the inline fuse near the 
Leisure battery
and to remove the plywood lid in the wardrobe and check the fuses 
near the charger 
chapter


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## sheringham (Mar 24, 2006)

Has he selected a battery from the control panel above the door?


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## Spooky_b329 (Jan 24, 2009)

PFJ...are you sure something isn't drawing power, like the fridge trying to run on 12v? Or an invertor turned on (even if its not being used).

Get yourself digital multimeter and have a poke around to see if you can identify anything that is drawing current.


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## PFJ (Feb 16, 2007)

Thanks all espec Cater for the calcs

Didnt really understand Chapter and Sheringham's reply - were they meant for me?

SO NOBODY with an old Trigano can advise on getting a 2nd battery under drivers seat then?

Regards Paul


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