# Oh dear! MH on EHU, batteries down to 55% ?



## Snunkie (Mar 21, 2011)

I've just been out to our Motorhome on the driveway as I always have a check every few days and we thought we might pop out in it this afternoon.

Just checked the battery level and it's at 55%. It's plugged into the electric and the fridge is on electric and the electric is all working, but the batteries are showing a drain instead of a charge. 

Why would this happen? We always have it plugged in when parked up on our drive so that it's always ready to go. We put 2 new batteries in in August before we went away for 3 weeks and they have been working fine.

What should we look for?


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## Snunkie (Mar 21, 2011)

Have checked the fuses on battery, they're fine. Batteries aren't hot or anything. Panel is showing that electric is connected. Trip switches all fine.

Stumped!


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## justdoitviv (Apr 30, 2010)

I had similar problem WHEN I HAD A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED after a habitation check. 4 local garages later..... and a lot of unnecessary investigations.....It turned out the battery had a dry cell. Drove a total of nearly 4 hours back to the garage to have another fitted........turned out that was was dud as well. grrrrrrrrrr best is to go to quickfit. They will read the battery for free and give you a print out of the condition.


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## Snunkie (Mar 21, 2011)

But it's been charging fine for 6 weeks though?


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

You have a voltmeter and ammeter on your control panel.

What is the voltage when you press the switch and what is the ammeter reading?


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## justdoitviv (Apr 30, 2010)

my 2 new batteries also charged fine on electrics and charger and driving. But shortly after parking up the battery drained. after 2 months the battery drained after half an hour of not even using it!!!!!! and I had it on charge for 3 days. The garage told me as its a NEW battery that had gone flat....it needed 72 hours of charging. I did the 72 hour charge a few times, but battery still died a death once it was off electrics. All the local garages I went to did not bother checking the battery as I told them it was a new battery and I had the paperwork to prove it. 

I even had a brand new installed heater taken out and sent back as faulty.......cause no one bothered to check the battery!!!!


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Is the charger switched ON? You said the batteries are showing a drain so presumably not or their is a fault with it or its supply to the batteries.


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## Snunkie (Mar 21, 2011)

Before I could get back out to motorhome to tell hubby what to try, he had unplugged the Block and plugged it back in again which reset the panel to show 100% with a ? after it and it was show a charge rather than a drain. He then unplugged the EHU and plugged back in and the ? has gone. So now I don't know what to do. Wish he'd left it so we could work out why it was only showing 55% with a drain.


Panel is showing
100%
+0.3A
14.4v

Could it just have been some sort of glitch where the panel wasn't reporting it properly or is it incorrectly showing the battery voltage and percentage now?

Sorry, we're total novices when it comes to electrics!


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## Snunkie (Mar 21, 2011)

747 said:


> You have a voltmeter and ammeter on your control panel.
> 
> What is the voltage when you press the switch and what is the ammeter reading?


Erm, what's an ammeter?

Panel shows 14.4V 0.3A if that helps?


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## Snunkie (Mar 21, 2011)

Sorry if silly question but, does the Electroblok just distribute 12v or 240v also?


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## Snunkie (Mar 21, 2011)

rayc said:


> Is the charger switched ON? You said the batteries are showing a drain so presumably not or their is a fault with it or its supply to the batteries.


Can't see why it would be off. We fitted the batteries ourselves and they've been working fine for 6 weeks and we've not touched anything. In fact can't even see any sort of on off switch?

It all seems to be working ok now. Panel is showing 100%, charge of 0.3A and 14.4v - can't understand why it showed only 55% earlier. Something went wrong somewhere


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

There are so many possible causes. As already mentioned, some batteries can be less than perfect but no worries here as they are usually guaranteed for a couple of years.
The battery terminals can produce a dry joint effect one minute, yet be fine the moment you touch them.
Providing they did not fall below 11% (I think the figure is), no damage should have taken place.
Keeping an eye on their performance and the receipt for the battery on hand, I would be inclined to carry on as if nothing much had occurred.

Alan


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## bigcats30 (Aug 13, 2012)

Snunkie said:


> rayc said:
> 
> 
> > Is the charger switched ON? You said the batteries are showing a drain so presumably not or their is a fault with it or its supply to the batteries.
> ...


The EHU circuit breaker could have blown and not even be your van....


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## dpsuk999 (Mar 25, 2012)

Sounds like you have a BM1 monitor which displays the battery status? (square LCD display). Most Bustner MH are fitted with a Reich e-box which controls all your electrics. Depends on the year of your MH it may have a built in charger which are notorious for failing due to lack of cooling.

Intermittent problems with charging, especially if you have increased your battery bank AH will cause the charger to fail. They are rated at approx 200AH.

Do you have a separate charger connected to your battery bank? I do as I've got 450AH battery bank and the built in charger in the e-box could not cope with this.

Shame your not closer to Leeds I could have taken a look for you.


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## Snunkie (Mar 21, 2011)

We have a Schaudt 220 Panel

We're at home, not on a campsite, so it wasn't the EHU circuit breaker


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## Snunkie (Mar 21, 2011)

Oh no what's doing on. Checked MH again today and batteries draining even though plugged into electric?


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