# Fiat Ducato Leisure Battery problems



## 106209 (Jul 31, 2007)

Hello to all,

I have recently joined this forum and have found it to be very useful as a first time motorhomer. Now to the crux of my post, I just purchased a 2003 Fiat Novella Roma, with the 2.8 JTD engine.

I was giving everything the once over and found that the leisure battery is pretty much dead meter shows 10.86V, that is fine and I have ordered a replacement. Now to continue my testing I then checked the engine battery which was showing a healthy 12.7V, I then cranked the engine and again checked the engine battery which showed 14.4V so I know the alternator is ok.

I then checked the leisure battery with the engine running and it continued to show 10.86V, which leads me to believe that the split relay charging system has a problem. 

I am pretty sure that the problem is related to either the relay itself or the inline fuse for the charging circuit. So my question is does anyone know where to find the relay and fuses for this circuit on this vehicle. And can anyone tell me how to test if the relay is faulty...

As an alternative, am I missing something completely here, i.e with the batt that low the alternator won't show a charge at batt...

Not a huge problem and I do have time to get it fixed, but I am taking a trip to the outer hebrides next week, and though I will have access to hook ups, I would ideally like to know that I have the option to free-camp if I so desire, when you find good fishing you don't want to move!!!!

Many thanks for any help, and sorry for the length of post.

Karl


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

The fuse blown is your most likely problem but where it is on your vehicle 

To do its job it is probably close to the vehicle battery.


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

On my Ducato 2.8 JTD there is a fuse holder and then a separate relay holder containing 2 relays(split charge and fridge) about 6 inches from the positive terminal of the engine battery.The 2 fuses for the split charge and fridge relay are 20 A.Check these first and see how you go. 

Steve


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

When we had a problem of the leisure battery not charging, it turned out to be the fuse.
With the help of a friend on site we found it behind the vehicle battey under a little cover.
From memory 30 or 35 amp

Interestingly, I was told that it had probably happened because I'd run the battery too low and it was trying to pull too much when I started up.
We charged the leisure battery up on a seperate charger before reconnecting it to the mh charging system.

Never had a problem since.


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## 106209 (Jul 31, 2007)

*fixed*

Well, here is the outcome of the leisure battery problem on this van (Novella Roma 2003)

After several hours of looking I was unable to find either the relay or fuse circuits on this vehicle. In the end decided I would wire in a new split charge circuit using heavy gauge wire and relays etc.

having run and clipped all new cable including re-locating the leisure batt(wanted to find space to parrallel a couple of 110Ah's, I got to the stage of needing to mount the relay. after a careful study of the engine bay, decided best spot might be under the plastic cowel in the top centre of the engine bay, only two nuts holding it on so easy access and a degree of weather proofing. Undid the two bolts removed the cowel and what did I find, all the split chrage/fridge circuits and fuses. Decided to continue wiring up the new circuit as it was almost complete and better able to handle higher loads. I discovered that 2 20amp fuses on the exisitng circuit had gone, so replaced these aswell, effectively putting two split charge circuits on the van, one circuit being 20amp the new one 40amp. For now I will leave both circuits setup and will monitor the situation. Atleast now I have a degree of redundancy in my charging circuits though some may consider this overkill.

If anyone has a good reason why having two circuits might be bad/dangerous please let me know then I can pull the fuses on the old circuit.

Karl


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

hi Karl,
glad you sorted the problem,sounds like you have a better charging circuit now.As far as having the extra circuit in use it will be ok,although I would be thinking of what caused the original 20A fuses to blow in the first place,so would probably remove the 2 20A fuses anyway.

Steve


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

No problem at all. I have twin circuits from new; it is simply a better way of minimising voltage drop/ maximising charging current while maintaining cable flexibility for ease of installation.

Dave


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