# Batteries just dropped power



## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Hi
We attended the Newark Rally this week-end and what a good turn out.

Hymer B544 2005

Anyway 2 x 110ah batteries fitted a few weeks ag fo, they have been fully charged we have only used hook up till this week-end.
The switch has been put to wet batteries and the Menu changed to 220.

Now as this was the first time using them I kept a constant eye on the usage. The power steadily dropped to 200,180,160 over the couple of days/nights. The cosumption showed between 2-3A being used at a time. Well last night whilst watching the Tv I got up and looked now down to 140, 5mins later the Tv went off the satellite dish came down, the single light went off and the 140 now showed 0 
Yes 0 

I had an Invertor 150w connected to batteries via crocodile clips (!000w invertor to be permanently fixed in the warmer weather) The clips had not come off and shorted.

Has anyone got any ideas?

TIA

Steve


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

I wish I could run satellite dish, controller, digibox, TV, inverter and lighting all on 3A! 

How many hours did you have the TV switched on?

Dave


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Dave in total about 8hrs


Steve


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## klubnomad (Mar 6, 2006)

Steve

I have 2x110ah batteries in my van. I had the same trouble with them going down. This is the first time it has happened, and I think it was down to me using a 300watt inverter to run the sky box. 

Dave

656


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Dave
If the menu is to be believed 8O 
It went down steadily to 140 then zilch, zero no warning no buzzing from the inverter?

Steve


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Well, either:

1) The batteries were not fully charged in the first place, so that you only got 80Ah out of them before they died. This 80Ah is not inconsistent with your usage.

2) The inverter was dropping below its threshold input voltage. Did it not alarm? Many buzz. If so this could be due to poor croc clip contact on battery or longer than standard cable run.

3) You left an awning light on all the while. 

Dave


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Dave

No warning no buzzing from the inverter? 

Nothing left on as far as we know

It is the menu that is puzzling or is it normal for them to be wrong?

Steve


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Well the menu, at a guess, is only you inputting the capacity of the batteries so it gives an estimate of how much is left, and if your charger has some poke, ensure it doesn't use too high a charging current which would shorten life. Yes, you can set battery type which allows for different charging profiles and terminal voltages.

But, if the charger was switched on while on hookup preceding the weekend, and the batteries weren't knackered to start with, the energy that was in them had to go somewhere, or still WAS there but your inverter switched off prematurely because of low voltage.

Dave


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Dave



> Yes, you can set battery type which allows for different charging profiles and terminal voltages.


Is this possible in the Hymer menu? And yes you guessed if Yes do you know how?

Steve

ps
Thanks for info so far


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

No idea; I'm not even saying it can do that.

But whatever you've set it to, assuming you can, it doesn't explain your problem! So it's a rabbit hole 

Dave


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## sergeant (Jun 7, 2006)

Hi Sandj, My first point of call here would be to carry out a drop test on the two batteries. Dont forget to disconnect them first, it sounds to me like one of them is suspect which will pull the other one down as well. Experience tells me this is your likely fault, Steve


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Steve
Thanks for your reply much appreciated

Steve


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## 101368 (Oct 12, 2006)

sergeant said:


> Hi Sandj, My first point of call here would be to carry out a drop test on the two batteries. Dont forget to disconnect them first, it sounds to me like one of them is suspect which will pull the other one down as well. Experience tells me this is your likely fault, Steve


I know what you mean by "drop test" but in a public forum others may not. So perhaps a fuller explanation.


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## sergeant (Jun 7, 2006)

Hi all, A drop test is where the battery is disconnected & a heavy duty discharge tester is applied to the battery. It tells you how the battery performs under a heavy load & is far more informative than a hydrometer,Steve


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

8 hrs relatively heavy use (tv etc..) from 220ah is pretty good isnt it? Maybe the meter was just being economical with the truth and the batteries are spot on??


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## 101368 (Oct 12, 2006)

sergeant said:


> Hi all, A drop test is where the battery is disconnected & a heavy duty discharge tester is applied to the battery. It tells you how the battery performs under a heavy load & is far more informative than a hydrometer,Steve


Much more succintly put than I could manage at the moment. Had visions of people dropping batteries onto hard surfaces


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Steve

Thanks again 

emgee

Good job you asked or we would have had 2 batteries shattered on the floor
8O (Only joking) :lol: 

Shane

That is why I asked for info to get other thoughts

Thanks again all

Steve


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

One Idea here Steve, just because you selected 220 in the menu, dont mean you had 220 to start with, if the batts were low say only 160 in them and you set to 220 then at 140 when they cut out they may well have been flat
does anyone else know what im trying to say here, im going dizzy
Geo


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi I doubt you were drawing only 3-4 amps, with satellite dish, controller, digibox, TV, inverter and lighting its much more likely to be 10-15amps.

Most tellys draw over 75watts which at 12 volts is over 6amps, a single 22watt light bulb is nearly 2amps, it all adds up.

Olley


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## sersol (Aug 1, 2005)

Hi Steve,for what its worth over the weekend,when our tv & sat was on with 2 led lights as well the current draw in our Eura Mobil showed a draw of 7/8 amps (15" 12 volt lcd).
Sounds like your amp reading is a little a stray.
Gary


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Thanks again guys

Geo 
I know what you mean, I had on hook up at home for 4-5hrs which took it up to 220. We will see what happens next time.

Olley
Thought draw shown was low for lcd, we did not have lights on for long

Gary
It may well be the amp reading in the menu area

I will give it another go and see what happens this time

Steve


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Well I have had the batteries checked. They checked with a hydrometer and did a drop test. All is well in both batteries. I have have put on hook up again and it started at 110 on the menu and is going up. I will just have to keep an eye on it and hope it sorts itself out 8O 
Thanks for your help

Steve

ps
Just a thought does another Hymer user have 2x110 batteries? How does the menu work for you?


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Well the problem seems to be using an invertor straight from the batteries the reason being the menu does not register anything being used from invertor. 8O The Hymer does not like this and the techie suggested everything should go through the thermoblock, he also advised not to use just any gennie as this can also damage the thermoblock.
(It is even worse on the 2007 models, you can do nothing as so sensitive)
I switched off the thermoblock for 6hrs to make sure it was reset and then turned on. All now seems to be ok

Steve


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## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

I would suggest that the Ah/hr consumption displayed on the Hymer panel is an approximation. Does anyone know how this is sensed ? Anything connected directly to the batteries isn't going to register with the panel which is linked to the eloctroblock & the batteries. Hence distorting the estimated power usage & the amount of battery capacity displayed left remaining.

The panel on my 644 displays "normally" most of the time. I've no way of knowing if it's telling lies. Then it'll do something odd. Example: Yesterday the habitation battery caption started flashing & saying "Charge" Well I have charged them & it's made no difference. SandJ advised tripping the main CB & re-setting & this has for the time being sorted the problem. Does anybody have a wiring diagram for the Schaudt Elektroblock :?: 

Dave.


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