# A leisure battery problem - help please!



## Cordyline (Dec 21, 2007)

Apologies for yet another battery query but I can't find another post with exactly the same problem.

I have a 110 ah Hi Fase battery that was bought about 2 years ago. It has been used for wild-camping for extended periods and for the the last few months has been almost permanently on hook-up while we stayed in it at a friend's, so on charge with an 'intelligent' charger.

Now that we have arrived in the Alps where we plan to spend the next four months it is playing up. After 3 hours charge with Honda E20i yesterday morning we only used the lights and by the evening the battery was showing red. 

Something similar happened the day before. When wild camping we usually check the voltage every morning and it read 12.8V yesterday and 12.7V yesterday afternoon, five hours after charging. It might be significant that the reading on the multimeter is jumping all over the place - starts at something sensible then goes up as high as 14V. When the light is showing red it reads well under 12V with lights on, but 12.2V with lights off. Voltage is definitely low as the heating cut out with low voltage fault showing.

Oh and levels in the cells look fine.

My questions are...is it knackered?!! And if so, is it for one particular reason, because I expected it to last longer than 2 years? 

I guess if the answer is a resounding yes it would be helpful if anyone knew a good motorhome shop in the Haute Savoie area too, preferably near Thonon-les-Bains where we'll be going for LPG.


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## badger750 (Nov 1, 2009)

sounds like 1 of the cells is going or gone as it drops when on load do any of the cells look like they are bubbling when checking the level as this is normally a sign or are you checking through the side of the battery for the level


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## Cordyline (Dec 21, 2007)

I didn't notice bubbling but will look again when back at the van ( in internet cafe now). Should I check when on load or not?


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

What are the voltages like when on charge?

I expect badger750 may have meant when on charge - for bubbles

Off charge voltages shown below










I would expect a max around 14.4V at normal temperatures but if your charger has temperature sensing it could go as high as 15V without harm at temperatures around 0.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Well done for having a wet battery with maintenance cells!

Ideally you should check the specific gravity of each cell with something like this:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_530647_langId_-1_categoryId_165469

Similarly, before concluding your battery is duff (from what you say it sounds unlikely from its age and the way it was maintained) you should check for any discharge on the battery with all known loads turned off, using something like this:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=37279

Dave


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## badger750 (Nov 1, 2009)

when on charge or load it will bubble both ways but it may bubble when on charge any way hence why you end up with the gas/smell more so if it over charges


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## Cordyline (Dec 21, 2007)

Thank you all. I will certainly check for bubbling before looking for a new certain-to-be-over-priced French leisure battery. 

One other thing - I read on another post about a blown fuse causing the leisure battery to drain. Our Thetford recently stopped flushing and we can't find why - have replaced the fuse under the cassette and checked the trip switch - would there be a second fuse somewhere else and could this be causing a problem if blown?


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

badger750 said:


> when on charge or load it will bubble both ways but it may bubble when on charge any way hence why you end up with the gas/smell more so if it over charges


Discharge bubbles? surely only if there is a cell problem resulting in that cell being charged or the whole battery has reached boiling point or have I forgotten some of the basics?


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