# Does EHU charge main engine battery??



## EuropeanCampers (Mar 28, 2008)

I am getting conflicting guidance on this question , can anyone confirm either way for me please.

Its a 1992 A class, Fiat engine.

As the title says, when on EHU, does or should the engine battery receive charge as well as the habitation battery, or just the latter? I have been told both answers by different people, anything definitive?

Thanks.


----------



## clodhopper2006 (Aug 13, 2006)

GEH007 said:


> I am getting conflicting guidance on this question , can anyone confirm either way for me please.
> 
> Its a 1992 A class, Fiat engine.
> 
> ...


My understanding is you charge whichever battery you hae selected on your control panel.

Bob


----------



## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

My experience is:

UK vans - no (or they may have a changeover switch to do it).

German vans - yes (well all mine have done so automatically anyway).

I suspect it also depends on the age and specification level of the van.


----------



## crag (Oct 30, 2007)

I believe on my '95 Kon-tiki, on hook-up charges both batteries without selecting on the control panel


----------



## JeanLuc (Jan 13, 2007)

Hard to give a definitive answer. On my 2003 Starline, both batteries are charged on EHU via the Shaudt EBL99 - all automatic, no switches or selectors to operate. On yours, I've no idea.
Do you have an instruction manual for either your van or the charger? If so they should indicate the answer. If not, get a multimeter and measure the voltage at the vehicle battery terminals when the EHU is not plugged in and the van has been standing for a while. Then plug it in and measure the vehicle battery again. If it has gone up, it is charging.

Philip


----------



## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Hi,

if the manual is not conclusive, then there is one way to find out for sure:

Leave the van with engine off and not on hookup for a few hours. Then connect a voltmeter to the engine battery. It should read something between 12 and 13 volts. Now connect the hookup, and monitor the voltmeter:

If your van has a mains charger with a separate circuit for the engine battery, then the voltmeter should immediately rise by about 1 volt.

If your van has a mains charger with manual changeover, then switch the changeover to the engine battery, and then you should see the voltage rise.

Some chargers first charge the leisure battery to 100%, and then switch over to the engine battery. If you have such charger, then you should see the voltage rise after leisure battery charging is finished. 

If you do not see any voltage rise within 24 hours after connecting to hookup, then your engine battery is not charged.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


----------



## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Boff said:


> Hi,
> 
> if the manual is not conclusive, then there is one way to find out for sure:
> 
> ...


Definitive answer Boff as usual make it an FAQ see FAQ temporary section.


----------



## Boff (May 10, 2005)

sallytrafic said:


> Definitive answer Boff as usual make it an FAQ see FAQ temporary section.


Will do.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


----------



## EuropeanCampers (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks for all your guidance, much appreciated.

There's definitely no manual switch to change from hab to engine battery charging.

My initial understanding was that it did charge both, the engine once the hab was done, automatically. But now Im not so sure. 

Will try the voltmeter method for a definitive, thanks very much all. I will report back the findings as Im sure this info will be useful for others with a similar "vintage"

Gareth


----------



## EuropeanCampers (Mar 28, 2008)

Ok, Ive put a voltmeter across the engine battery, read 13.5v. Put on the hookup, and not a flicker, still 13.5v.

So, a few things spring to mind.

At 13.5v is it possible that the battery is fully charged and will therefore not take any more charge?

It still could be that the engine battery only starts to charge once the hab battery is fully charged?

The circuit only charges the hab battery

The circuit does charge both but the ppart for the engine battery is not working for some reason.

Any thoughts as to my next investigative move?

Thanks.


----------



## dcummin (Jan 21, 2008)

I had a battery master fitted to mine and that keeps my engine battery topped up while on EHU


----------



## tommytli (Aug 7, 2008)

in ours the control panel shows both charging on ehu


----------



## 113870 (Jun 30, 2008)

my hymer 614 2004 has an elecktroblock 100, and that deffinatly charges the starter battery


----------



## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

GEH007

Our MH is essentially identical to yours in terms of mechanics and function although your bits are in different places to my bits. I don't think there were any major changes between the years until the 'facelift' later on.

In short, it's unlikely that yours charges the engine battery as it certainly doesn't on mine. I've had a fully powered leisure battery outside the house on EHU but forgot to unplug a rather thrsty PDA and GPS reciever for a month on the ciggie lighter and I had to charge the battery so it doesn't seem to on the B544. 

I have a rather basic fix. I have an ordinary automotive battery charger and always carry an extension lead of a few metres. That way I can use the EHU to charge the car battery if I accidentally drain it. Never needed it since I made the first mistake but the thought of bump or tow starting a MH on a family campsite gives me the heeby geebies. 

On day of departure I check the van starts with first cuppa giving me enough time to give the battery a squirt if it needs it.

I have an English manual with wiring diagrams for all variants which covers your model too. PM me with an email address if it would help.


----------



## ianhibs (May 1, 2005)

Yes!

Pick up the phone and ring 01772 315078. Ask to speak to Peter Hambilton and put this query to him. I am 90% certain that your engine battery is not being charged (mine wasn't although everyone thought it was) and the solution is a Battery Master. If anyone in this country knows, he will.

Ian


----------



## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

I had the same problem on my first Hymer many years ago.The engine batt should be charged while on hook up.
But the charger will not start charging until it see some voltage from the engine batt.
On older Hymers if you look at the lower part of the fuse box you will see lots of metal bridge plates ,these can and do corrode thus causing voltage drop back to the charger.Take them all out 1 by 1 clean them up and see if the eng batt charges.


----------

