# Help Dead battery Ci Riviera 181G



## RedSonja (May 22, 2006)

Help The van battery is dead 8O We bought a new battery because this has happened before. The van is sitting on the drive on hook up at the moment as I was going to hoover it out last week but twisted knee. Does anyone know if the van battery charges as well as the leisure battery on this model and if so is there a switch I need to change? Any ideas what could be draining the battery don't think anything is on except the hook up (could this have something to do with it) last time this happened we just thought the battery was gone past its sell by so bought another one. Same problem with this one now. Is it a good idea to jump start it from our car and then give it a run and monitor it. I am getting worried about going out in it now if I cant solve the problem. Any help of ideas appreciated. 

Thanks Sonja


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## LadyJ (May 9, 2005)

Hi Sonja,

As far as I am aware if you are pluged into the electric both your leisure battery and engine battery should be getting charged via the elcetric. Have you got an Alarm fitted or have you left the radio on standy by ? these can both drain your engine battery.


Jacquie


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## maddie (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi Sonja, 

it probably only charges l/batt try a car charger on the van battery.
Terry


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## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

I don't think the hook-up charges the engine battery, I would jump start it and see what happens. I had the same problem but now I am using the van most weeks it is now ok.

Ralph


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Flat van battery*

Hello Sonja

I am hopeless with techno things but will offer my thoughts.

The electrical system/charger within my van does indeed charge both the leisure and the engine battery. I would suggest first of all having a look in your Riviera manual or phoning a dealer.

www.geoffcox.co.uk - not in your area but very helpful people.

A while back, I remember reading a post from a Kontiki owner and he discovered that some of the interior lights (within the habitation area) worked off the van battery rather than the leisure battery. I checked mine and thought they all worked off the leisure battery. However, I recently had to replace two reading lights (12v) and so switched off at the main switch. I fitted the first light and all was well. The second one, once installed and conected, illuminated even though I had switched off the 12v supply. Clearly this light was working off the van battery rather than the leisure one. Reason I mention all this, I am wondering if you have something taking power from the engine battery when in fact it should be taking power off the leisure battery.

Russell


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## RedSonja (May 22, 2006)

Russell did try looking at manual but its all in Italian! I think if we get it going we will have a drive down to a ci dealers nearest one I know about is in east sussex near to Johns Cross. ( where they sell all the swift motor homes)


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## 88870 (May 10, 2005)

On our CI, when on hookup, only charges the leisure battery, not the engine battery.

When driving, the engine charges both, unless the fridge is being an arse in which case it flattens the leisure battery for some reason if we put it on 12v to travel - NB intermittant fault!! :lol: 

The previous owner was in the middle of a modification that allowed the hookup charger to charge both the engine and leisure battery but he didn't finish it before we bought it and left us a lovely diagram to follow to do so. Unfortunately 2 1/2 years later we still have the diagram but no inclination to finish!!

We do use the Lidl Tronic charger to trickle the engine battery when stationary for long periods of time. By long periods of time, I mean months .... not days!

Hope this helps.


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## RedSonja (May 22, 2006)

Thanks Leigh 
PM'd you as I know you have the same van. Will have to investigate further and invest in a Lidls charger if they still have any I think they were on special offer this week. As to my post that made you snort - It made me laugh where I realised what it looked like. That will teach me not to read them properly. :lol: 

Sonja


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## 88870 (May 10, 2005)

RedSonja said:


> Thanks Leigh
> PM'd you as I know you have the same van. Will have to investigate further and invest in a Lidls charger if they still have any I think they were on special offer this week. As to my post that made you snort - It made me laugh where I realised what it looked like. That will teach me not to read them properly. :lol:
> 
> Sonja


Hi Sonja, you have a PM.

A quick point, I don't think that the charger in Lidl at the moment is the one I have, its a cheaper version - not sure if its any good or not. Lidl do do the other one every so often though so it may be worth hanging on for a while as quite a few people on here will definitely recommend the other one. 

You've made me laugh again now, I'd forgotten about your other post. Everyone at work sure knew I wasn't concentrating on the Budget!! :lol: :lol:


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## 101075 (Sep 22, 2006)

Sonja

I had the exact same problem on hook up, for me the switch on the power panel had to be on either the leisure battery or van battery position for it to charge.


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## 88870 (May 10, 2005)

Actually Sonja, just had another thought whilst spring cleaning our van!

Do you have a reversing camera wired in? Could that be draining the battery? :?:


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## RedSonja (May 22, 2006)

I think we have the answer (Well hope so) When Hubby jump started the van guess what the radio came on Dooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Did he get it in the neck or what. He rushed out of it last week to help my son and obviously forgot to turn it off. Well I hope thats the problem we are going to take it for a little run in a mo. Thanks for all the help from all of you though. 

Sonja


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