# Does hook-up charge engine battery?



## Seeker

Hello all

Just picked her up from the farm 3 days before departure for Turkey and the engine battery was flat. Got a jump start from the farmer and now got it on hook up at home.

I believe that with this 2003 Hymer B564 the hook-up will charge the engine battery. Can anyone confirm or deny this, please?

Many thanks

Harry


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## asprn

Seeker said:


> Just picked her up from the farm 3 days before departure for Turkey


3 days!!? Wow! You're a brave man then! 

Dougie.


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## Seeker

No worries Dougie. We've got check lists.

Harry


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## asprn

Seeker said:


> No worries Dougie. We've got check lists


I don't doubt you're a thinking person. It's my experiences over the years of finding nasty surprises after laying a van up, and usually not leaving enough time to fix 'em.


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## bognormike

most vans' system will charge up the base vehicle battery, either automatically or on a manual switch. Ours is manually switchable. 

BUT there must have been a reason why it wasn't charged up - get it checked out before you go, or you could end up stuck in the middle of nowhere unable to get started


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## Touchwood_RV

*Stick a multi-meter on it*

Hi Harry,

Like you I am under the impression it should, but long gone are the days when I would sit here and 100% say yes, there seems to be a few variants where they should and don't for various reasons, likewise have seen posts on here that support that. 
Stick a multi meter on the chassis battery and look for a good charge, or battery voltage sitting above 12.4 volts, how much above depends on the charger and the secondary battery control, if the reading is not conclusive try a secondary check, note the reading, turn off the charger for 10 minutes then check the voltage again if the voltage has dropped off, turn the charger back on and look to see if it rises again, if it does the chassis battery is being conditionally charged.

One big assumption, the chassis battery is in good nick to start with!

Hope that helps?


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## Grizzly

Was your van hooked up on the farm ?

If not then your battery could have flattened because of the various drains on it from things like the engine management system, radio, any dashboard clocks, inbuilt alarm systems etc.

Fiat advise us ( in the X250 handbook) that the battery should be disconneected if the vehicle is not going to be used for 3 weeks or more. In practise this period should be down as 2 weeks, which is when ours flattens - and has been like this since the van was new.

About 3 years ago- when we got our van- we started a topic about this on MHF and that ran for some time with others having the same problem.

G


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## barryd

My battery was flat yesterday after 5 weeks on the drive without a run out and it was a brand new battery this year. 

Im sure ours is supposed to charge from hookup if you flick a switch but it doesnt work. I was under the impression all vans did this but what do I know. :? 

Im Sure it will be fine. I never bother checking stuff either until the last minute. Set of on Christmas eve only to get to the Lakes to find frozen water bunging up the pipes. Took 3 days to thaw out!

Oh and the shower head was left connected and promptly fell to bits first time we used it. Mrs D wasnt impressed. All part of the fun!


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## Seeker

Just to put you worriers minds at rest ... we actually had the van here up till a fortnight ago and did all the repairs and got it serviced and MOtd then!

The battery is only 2 years old and it started first time after being laid up right through the really cold spell.

But I fitted a new reversing camera 3 weeks ago but this one doesn't have an isolator, as the previous one did. There is no LED on the monitor end and I assumed it would not be drawing power. I'll call the supplier tomorrow to see if I'm right on that.

Harry


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## HEYFIELD

I have a 1999 B564 and the vehicle battery is charged on hook up.

You should be able to check when its charging at the battery test on the panel.

Note by flattening the battery you may have damaged it.


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## GerryD

My experience suggests that it is highly unlikely that a hook up will charge your engine battery. Especially if it is a European motorhome. British motorhomes are likely to charge the engine battery according to the correct switching of the power unit, but most European and European owned (Autotrail) will not charge the engine battery.
It is strongly advisable that you check the owners manual or check with the manufacturer. Of course checking with the manufacturer on many Eu manufacturered vans is harder than pulling hens teeth.
If in doubt, fit a Batterymaster.
Gerry


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## Seeker

Haven't got hold of the reversing camera supplier yet.

The Hymer manual says the engine battery gets a 'float charge' from the hook up (which brings back memories of a previous discussion) but it's been on hook-up for 36 hours now and has gained a bit of a charge according to the panel - now showing 12.75 volts on the panel, which is .25 more than when I connected. 

Will try it again off hook up and under load tomorrow.

Cheers

Harry


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## impala666

*Solar Power*

Solar power is the best answer to keep batteries trickle charged if van is left for any period not on a hook up. Our 80 W panel charges even when it is snowing, and we can go on sites without hook ups for 4 days, even watching TV via the leisure battery and inverter

Brian


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## JeanLuc

With your vintage of Hymer, the Schaudt Electrobloc (probably EBL99 or EBL100) will charge the starter battery when on mains hook-up. This is automatic: you do not need to change any switches for it to happen. However, as the manual says, it provides a float charge to the vehicle battery and that would take quite a while to recharge it if it were very flat. Also, the leisure batteries take priority so the starter battery will not get much charge if the leisure batteries are flat as well. The system is designed to keep the starter battery conditioned when you are hooked up so the radio for example will not flatten it. Depending on whether you have gel or wet lead acid leisure batteries, and the capacity of the leisure batteries, it can take quite a while to charge them. Gel take a lot longer than wet lead acid. So, for example, if you have 2 x 80Ah gels, you may need to leave it on hookup for 48 hours to charge them.


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## JockandRita

Hi Harry,

Good advice from Jean Luc above, re the Hymer charging system. Having Gel or Wet Acid leisure batteries, and the position of the battery type switch, (underneath the EBL), will determine the length of time taken to reach full charge.
When charging from mains, both battery banks will charge, with the leisures getting the most, until they are fully charged. 13.5v (leisure) and 12.7v (starter). Those readings are higher when charging from the alternator, and even higher again, if charging using a Sterling Battery to Battery charger.

Do you have any solar panels fitted?

Cheers,

Jock.


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## Seeker

Thanks Jeanluc and Jock.

Yes, we have a solar panel but it only charges the leisure. That is normally full of life and so I assume it means the hook-up charge goes mainly into the starter.

In fact both are now showing the voltages you give 'for fully charged' .

So, no need to buy a new battery!

Thanks again to all.

Harry


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## JockandRita

Seeker said:


> Thanks Jeanluc and Jock.
> 
> Yes, we have a solar panel but it only charges the leisure. That is normally full of life and so I assume it means the hook-up charge goes mainly into the starter.
> 
> In fact both are now showing the voltages you give 'for fully charged' .
> 
> So, no need to buy a new battery!
> 
> Thanks again to all.
> 
> Harry


Hi Harry,

That was my reason for asking, as we too have a solar panel, but it wasn't wired into the EBL, so only charged the leisures.
As a result, and advice from DABurleigh, I fitted the CAK Tanks Battery Manager, which transfer any excess charge that the leisures don't need, into the starter battery. It is 3 x wires only, and a piece of cake to fit. BCM12 on >>Page 81<< of the CAK Tanks catalogue.
I have never had a flat starter battery since fitting it, and rarely are we on mains hookup.

HTH,

Jock.


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## joedenise

I don't know about all european vans not charging the van battery but our Burstner charges leisure and vehicle batteries when on hookup. Also charges both on solar as it goes through the Electroblok.

Joe


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## Seeker

Would it be easy to rewire mine so it goes through the Electrobloc?

Harry


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## joedenise

Depends on which Electroblok you've got. Ours was dead easy we bought a Schaudt LR 1218 solar relay, comes with all the wiring and plugs took about 10 minutes to fit. The instruction manual doesn't say which Electrobloks it fits.

Joe

ps not sure at the moment which electrobloc we have but could check tomorrow


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## JeanLuc

The LRS1218 works with most if not all Electroblocs. It comes with various connectors - different combinations are used depending on which EBL it is fitted to. Also, it is possible to connect non-Schaudt solar regulators into the Electrobloc, but I am not sure if they will then charge the starter battery as well as the leisure batteries. For a definitive answer on whether you can use your existing solar regulator with your EBL, send an e-mail to Udo Lang - [email protected]
He is very helpful and will answer any technical questions by return.

p.s. I am having a 130W panel and LRS1218 fitted in three weeks at Aire & Sun Near Hexham http://www.aireandsun.co.uk/index.php They too are very well informed on the subject of using PV panels with EBLs.


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## Seeker

JockandRita said:


> Seeker said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Jeanluc and Jock.
> 
> That was my reason for asking, as we too have a solar panel, but it wasn't wired into the EBL, so only charged the leisures.
> As a result, and advice from DABurleigh, I fitted the CAK Tanks Battery Manager, which transfer any excess charge that the leisures don't need, into the starter battery. It is 3 x wires only, and a piece of cake to fit. BCM12 on >>Page 81<< of the CAK Tanks catalogue.
> I have never had a flat starter battery since fitting it, and rarely are we on mains hookup.
> 
> HTH,
> 
> Jock.
> 
> 
> 
> Jock
> 
> I've now acquired one of the BCM12s from CAK Tanks and fitted it. It was a bit of a bu**er to get a wire through the bulkhead to the starter battery live terminal (I feel sure there's a simpler place to connect it) and lifting the passenger seat to get to the leisure battery live but after a lot of huffing and puffing I got it all connected and it started working straight away - starter battery has been really lifted and is showing 12.75 volts on the meter.
> 
> Many thanks for the tip.
> 
> Harry
Click to expand...


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## clive1821

Hi the elb99 etc will flote charge the main battery about 2amps if that helps you have a good trip


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## JockandRita

Seeker said:


> Jock
> 
> I've now acquired one of the BCM12s from CAK Tanks and fitted it. It was a bit of a bu**er to get a wire through the bulkhead to the starter battery live terminal (I feel sure there's a simpler place to connect it) and lifting the passenger seat to get to the leisure battery live but after a lot of huffing and puffing I got it all connected and it started working straight away - starter battery has been really lifted and is showing 12.75 volts on the meter.
> 
> Many thanks for the tip.
> 
> Harry


Glad to have been of some help Harry. :thumbleft: Thanks for the update too.

All the best,

Jock.


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