# EMC RELAY on a Lunar Roadstar



## 118111 (Nov 10, 2008)

Hi everyone..

We just got our 2004 Lunar Roadstar 780 and it has a few niggles we hadn't realized.

Like when your battery runs low you can't just start the engine to top it up or even just sit there and watch TV with it running as all the power goes out.

Is this something on all newer RV's or is there a safe way to bypass this?

Also another annoying thing is the wetroom, I swear no matter what towels I use it still leaves the floor damp and I have scoured accessory websites for a tray or some advice with no luck.

The battery life in the RV is very poor, we were thinking about another leisure battery? We want to stay on sites without mains hookup. Even on a good run it still doesn't seem to keep the battery charged much.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

The EMC relay is a cheep get out used by most if not all of the UK manufacturers. many of the European manufacturers do not fit them.

Electro magnetic Compatibility is all about things that generate radio frequency energy affecting your motorhome and also that your motorhome does not in some way generate radio frequency energy which could affect something else. Because all wiring can act as an antenna the UK manufacturers simply disconnect the Living area supplies from the cab electrics when the engine is running. 

But don,t fall into the trap of just by-passing this relay because you will then find that things like the grey water tank alarm will start sounding when you corner the vehicle with only a small drop in the tank!
Re your other points - in order of cost effectivenes

LED replacement bulbs
Bigger batteries
Solar Panel
EFOY fuel cell.


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## 118111 (Nov 10, 2008)

thx clive will do.


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## Sargent (Feb 1, 2008)

Hi brettnangie, complely agree with Clive, first look at reducing the light load via LED replacement lamps then increasing the capacity of the batteries and adding the solar panel.
The biggest advantage in terms of ensuring that the batteries are their optimum ready for going away is the solar panel but if the loads are reduced then obviously the more time can be spent off mains.

Regards

Ian Sargent


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

From reading you other posts, your van is a 2004 model. You would be amazed with the number of people who arrive with us, for us to carry our work for them on their brand new van, who have a pair of nearly new batteries :? "Can you fit these while your at it?

OK no problem, where are they from, "Oh yes, they are from my last van, I only had them a month or so so I swapped the old (ergo Knackered) ones back in when I part ex'd it, the dealers are all ba5tards, and they wouldn't give me a penny more when I told them I had replaced the batteries" LOL

So, the point I am making, is are you really sure that the batteries are A1 Tip top condition? If the van has been registered (different from old)for four years you can safely guess that the leisure batteries are at least five years old.

If your not sure get them properly checked, not some bod with a discharge tool, (Leisure batteries should not be testes this way)

Also ensure that your engine battery is good as well. Even if the leisure batteries are OK, if the engine battery is shot, your leisure batteries will never charge when the engine is running, it is like filling a colander under a tap, all the while the tap is on, there is water sloshing around, but turn the tap off and nothing is left!

I don't know where you are in the Country but If you can't find anyone to test everything for you, we will do it free of charge. 

Clive is right, that the nonsense about the EMC relay being law is turning into urban myth! Simply the converters are too mean to pay for EMC testing of equipment used in a motorhome, so the theory is that if everything is turned off when the vehicle is moving it is no different to a caravan! 

The same thought process is used by those of us who tow a car and pretend it is a trailer :lol:


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## 118111 (Nov 10, 2008)

Thanks for the advice guys.

eddie I think you may have something there about the battery, engine and leisure ones.

Because when we first got our van we could switch between engine and leisure but now if we even try to go to engine the engine lo alarm sounds.

The dealership says they will change our van to now allow us to use it with the engine running, and charge the leisure batteries as long as we agree not to drive with the lights on which we obviously wouldn't and they are going to replace the battery as it doesn't last long at all even with the solar panel fitted.

I think if this emc relay thing was a law or something as we are lead to believe by the dealership that all european models would have had to be converted before being sold. So it's so frustrating. 

Thanks Eddie for the offer of testing things for us as I may take you up on that after they do the repairs. We have no faith they will do any of the repairs correctly as the kitchen light they were supposed to fix is still faulty yet they claim it isn't. Some days it works some days it doesn't, seems like a connection issue. At least we hope thats what the problem is and not an internal wiring issue.


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