# Help please - Flat Batteries in Storage



## babyrhino (Oct 19, 2006)

Stupid me!

Ever since I've had the van we have been using it fairly constantly so have never thought about what happens to the batteries when the vehicle is not in use. The van has now been parked up without being used for about five or six weeks and when I went there to collect something this week there was a red light flashing on the control panel.

A quick check revealed that I had no power to either engine battery or leisure batteries so three questions:

1. What should I have done when I parked up in order to avoid this?

2. What do I need to do now to get everything charged up again? Van is not close to electric point so can't hook up.

3. Have I killed the leisure batteries - I've seen lots of posts on here about not running them down too low.

Any help - not too technical please! - would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Brian


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Don't look good Brian.
If you can't get an electric supply to the van then your going to have to jump start the van and run it. Or take the batteries out and fully charge them at home.

Then you can asses if they are recoverable or not. They should maintain 12.6 volts at rest for several days not connected.

More info on it's way.

Ray.


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## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

Hi.

Might be best to find someone with a jump start unit to get the van to start, or do you know anyone with a geni to couple up to the van.

Other help from AA or RAC.

steve & ann. ---------- teensvan


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

You should be able to jump startit from your car, if you know how.

When you have put the leads on do not try to start the van for aleast 5 min's so as to put some charge in to it.


While you are charging the van battery with your car, your car revs want to be at a fast idle speed.

And when your crank the van keep up the revs on the car.

The jump leads need to be well attached to both the postive posts on the batteries. The earth can on a good earth point on the body work of both car and van.

I have a solar panels and link the batteries together while in storage and this keeps them both charged


Andy


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## cater_racer (May 1, 2005)

Brian,

you gotta take the lead off the battery on x/250 if your not going to use it for 4-6 weeks. Under the front passenger floor there's the cover, and the battery is usually on a simple hand-clamp, slip it off.

Your alarm system is now off!!!!!!, but the battery will survive, if you don't mine draws 175ma 24*7 thats 1 AH for every 6 hours, after 10 days the battery is half way down, three weeks it's dead, 4 weeks it's toast.

My leisure battery usually lasts without problems, but I make sure everything is off-off. On an autocruise the thing to be carefull of is leaving the fridge door open, if the frige is switched on, even if on for gas or mains, the light runs off the leisure battery...........

Maybe the Hymer has similar foiblies.

Cater


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## babyrhino (Oct 19, 2006)

Thanks everyone.

I did try jumping it off the car but it didn't seem interested - somebody told me it could be because my leads were not up to the task - not heavy duty enough?

I think I'll find someone with one of those heavy duty starter battery machines - have also tried a small one from Halfords that someone lent me and that didn't work either!

Thanks again

Brian


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

*Flat battery*

A word of caution, some new cars dont like a jumper pack or jumpleads I'm told it fries the ecu so be carefull :!: far too much electronics these days  
Chris


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

*Re: Flat battery*



Codfinger said:


> A word of caution, some new cars dont like a jumper pack or jumpleads I'm told it fries the ecu so be carefull :!: far too much electronics these days
> Chris


Had my X2/50 started twice by a booster pack whilst in France with no problem. :wink:


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

*Re: Flat battery*



Codfinger said:


> A word of caution, some new cars dont like a jumper pack or jumpleads I'm told it fries the ecu so be carefull :!: far too much electronics these days
> Chris


I doubt that? The ECU wont work without sufficient voltage so another battery in parallel is the only way.
A jump start is the only way as a BUMP start will not work.


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

*Flat battery*

Good for you, but I did say some new cars, check your owners handbook to clarify before you clip on.
Chris


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## Justmayb (Sep 30, 2010)

*Battery problems?*

 As I have only just acquired a Starfire this topic is very very interesting. My van obviously stands for 2/3 weeks at a time without being moved and during winter I guess it will get worse. Does mean that I have to put the main battery on trickle charge all the time (as I do with my z3 which is laid up for the winter) and disconnect the leisure battery? All info gratefully received.


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Hi Brian. I'm sorry to hear your tale of woe.

I don't know the answers to your questions but...

I'm one for prevention rather than cure. You'll understand that Our Coral has not been used since 14 September, since when I've had major surgery. I've been cleared for driving again  and I know that Our Coral will start first time. Why? We have a 120w solar panel to keep the leisure batteries trickle charged. Any spare charge is then fed via our Battery Master to the engine battery. In three years, there's never been an issue with starting. :wink:


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## sheringham (Mar 24, 2006)

Hi Inkey-2008
How do you link the solar panel to incorporate the main vehicle battery? Cable size?.
Previous MH was obviously wired to serve both. This van has 2 leisure batteries fed from a 80W solar panel which are 100% charged and equally obviously it is not interconnected because this morning went to storage area and the main battery was flat.
MH is stored (cab facing towards the fence) between 2 CVs and access to jump start from car is not possible.


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## tramp (May 25, 2005)

As some peoples vans in storage are under a roof solar panels are useless  ,

we have a cheap £10.00 car battery solar charge panel [very small] with long lead and place the panel on the roof or nearest fence into the sun and plug into vehicle battery dierect with no probs over 2 mnths.

battery does drop from 12.8 to 12.3 but still plenty to start it.....


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## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

You CAN do untold electrical damage to a modern vehicles electronics by jumpstarting if you dont know what your doing, Either get some proffesional to do it or take the start battery off and charge it.


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