# Autosleeper batteries



## Mandi (Jan 10, 2008)

We have a Transit based Autosleeper Rienza and recently had to recharge the battery to start the engine. Under the seat are two identical 85ah batteries. The previous owner has marked one as "engine" and one as "domestic". After charging the one marked engine, it did start the engine.

My limited understanding of batteries is that a leisure battery gives a very different power delivery to one designed to start an engine. So are these both leisure batteries. 

:roll:


----------



## maddie (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi Mandi,have you popped the bonnet to see if there is a battery in there as well ?Chances are they may have been linked together so that when charging the l/ b it charges the engine one as well ??????? just seams funny to move the engine battery from the engine bay on a tranny :lol: If it is not the case it bumps your Q back up :lol: 
terry


----------



## rolyk (Aug 24, 2007)

My Autosleeper Mk6 Transit has both engine and habitation batteries under the drivers seat, as does the Mk7 Transit. But Mandi is right, the habitation battery should preferably be a leisure type. Mine has a 90 amp Varta.

I wouldn't worry unduly about it but when the time comes for its replacement it should be for a leisure one. 

Roly


----------



## Mandi (Jan 10, 2008)

maddie said:


> Hi Mandi,have you popped the bonnet to see if there is a battery in there as well ?Chances are they may have been linked together so that when charging the l/ b it charges the engine one as well ??????? just seams funny to move the engine battery from the engine bay on a tranny :lol: If it is not the case it bumps your Q back up :lol:
> terry


There is nothing obvious under the bonnet. There is a special connection point for jump starting because the battery is inaccessable.

I don't think the two batteries under the seat are linked because we tried plugging the van in before recharging the battery just to see if it would recharge the engine battery and it didn't.

:roll:


----------



## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

Could a previous owner have purchased the incorrect battery? The original Ford battery will be a Motorcraft and the leisure battery is usually a Varta. The vehicle battery is the one at the rear of the underseat location.


----------



## Mandi (Jan 10, 2008)

Brownhills told us they had replaced both batteries. When I asked what with the salesman said they would have replaced them with whatever would have been supplied originally. Looks like he got it wrong. The rear one is definitely the engine one because that's the one we charged in order to start the engine.

:lol:


----------



## wackywyco (Apr 30, 2007)

*Autosleeper battery*

I think there has been a past posting regarding problems with Autosleeper Transit batteries before. I seem to remember that the problem with them is there is not enough height under the seat for a 'run of the mill' leisure battery,only specific makes.Needless to say the cost is considerably higher so it is possible someone has taken the cheaper route and doubled up on the main battery.


----------



## chrisjrv (May 7, 2007)

Did somebody mention Brownhills? :roll:


----------



## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

I think there may be some confusion so to be clear this is the position.

Under the drivers seat on a Transit there are 2 batteries. The front one (ie the one nearest the pedals) is normally a Varta which is a leisure battery and the rear battery is a Motorcraft which is the Ford branded vehicle battery.

What seems to have happened is that Brownhills have fitted a second leisure battery so in effect the OPs vehicle has two leisure batteries and I suspect that they have been incorrectly wired.

Yes there is limited room under the Transit seat but this should not prevent Brownhills from fitting the correct battery. 

My advice would be to replace the rear battery with the correct vehicle battery which must have provision to attach the venting tube so that you are not breathing fumes while on hook up. I would get the wiring checked as well. Something is clearly wrong.


----------



## 119352 (Jan 9, 2009)

The 'chassis' battery specification for Year 2000-onwards Ford Transits (ie. Mk 6 and Mk 7 models) may vary according to the national market the vehicle is destined for. A single battery of around 80Ah is usual, but, where greater battery capacity would be advantageous, Ford has offered the option of 2 x 60Ah batteries instead. For Mk 6/Mk 7 Transits a beneath-cab-seat location is always used for the chassis battery (or batteries). As far as I am aware no Transit-based motorhome has ever been built with the 2 x 60Ah chassis-battery arrangement.

The type, capacity and location of the 'leisure' battery (or batteries) fitted to Mk 6/Mk 7 Transit-based motorcaravans largely depends on the motorhome converter, but it is commonplace for the leisure battery/batteries also to be installed beneath the cab-seat(s).

When Auto-Sleepers began to produce Mk 6 Transit-based motorhomes, the capacity of the leisure battery chosen appears to have been either 60Ah or 85Ah. Certainly, according to A-S's early-2006 advertising literature, a single 60Ah leisure battery was being employed for Duetto, Eton and Windsor. Leisure-battery capacity on these models was subsequently increased to145Ah by parallel-connecting an additional 85Ah battery. This was mentioned on:

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-57095.html

Received wisdom is that, when parallel-linking multiple leisure batteries, all the batteries involved should be in good condition and be of the same type, age and capacity. While the "good condition" criterion is definitely true, and it is best practice NOT to mix battery types, there is latitude regarding age and capacity. Exide advises that, when a new battery is connected to an 'old' battery, the latter should be no more than 12 months old. And, when battery capacities differ, the ratio of largest capacity to smallest should not exceed 3:1. A-S's 85Ah + 60Ah ratio is 17:12 - comfortably inside Exide's recommended maximum limits.

As far as Mandi's motorhome is concerned, I believe Rienza may well not have had the capability to charge its chassis battery via the motorhome's on-board battery charger. This facility became available on later Transit-based A-S models (in 2004 or thereabouts?)

I doubt that there is anything wrong with the battery-wiring on Mandi's vehicle. The question appears to be whether the two identical batteries are 'chassis' or 'leisure' type. There are batteries (eg. the Elecsol range) designed to be able to cope with the heavy instant load demanded by engine-starting and also tolerate deep-cycle discharging, but the normal configuration would comprise one 'chassis' battery and one 'leisure' battery. While not ideal, in this instance having two 'chassis-type' batteries would be preferable to having a pair of pure 'leisure' batteries. Batteries specifically intended for 'leisure' use can usually be identified by their labelling. Unless the batteries are totally maintenance-free and won't gas during charging, they should both be fitted with venting tubes that lead outside the motorhome's living area.


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Ruth999

Welcome to the club, and may I say what a cracking first post you have made.   

I hope you will be joining us permanently, though we blokes shall be getting some stick from our lady members if they have someone with your obvious expertise in support!   

Sexist? Who me?? (You haven't met the ferocious Mrs Zeb!! 8O ) :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Dave


----------



## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Yes, Ruth999, welcome to MHF!

A first post like that is worthy of a greater introduction; tell us about yourself!

Dave


----------

