johnfromnorfolk Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 I usually put my Fiat Ducato into storage for about two weeks during the winter and then give it a run to warm and recharge the battery. Recently when putting it into storage I disconnected the vehicle battery by depressing the red switch while removing the key. After I performed this task I noticed a clicking noise from inside the M/H and the blue alarm sensor was flashing. I hadn't noticed this before, any thoughts or advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 I assume the red button is the one on the ignition-switch when a Ducato has the Battery Disconnection Function (as shown in attached drawing). Other than you mentioning in an earlier posting that you own a 2013 Ducato, I’m not aware of any other details of your vehicle, so I’m not sure if it’s a motorhome or ‘commercial’. I’ve no experience of the Battery Disconnection Function (my Ducato-based Rapido does not have it) other than what’s said in the Ducato Owner Handbook, and I believe you’ll need to provide more information about the “blue alarm sensor” that was flashing, as I’m uncertain whether this relates to a Ducato feature or something else (eg. an after-market alarm system). I would have thought the Battery Disconnection Function could well trigger a relay (hence the clicking noise) and, if there’s an alarm system powered by the vehicle’s starter battery, that isolating the starter-battery might provoke a reaction from the alarm system. So, are you sure the clicking/flashing hasn’t always happened and it’s only now that you’ve noticed it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfromnorfolk Posted December 5, 2019 Author Share Posted December 5, 2019 Thanks Derek. My battery disconnect function is exactly as your diagram. It may have happened before but as you suggest maybe I just did not notice it. I am concerned that leaving the relay clicking for two weeks could cause damage to the relay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 I hadn’t appreciated that the clicking noise occurred repeatedly - I had thought there might just be a single click as a relay operated. Dunno - sounds odd to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 John, What is the alarm that is now flashing? And assuming it didn't flash whilst power was on? Securty alarm, smoke alarm, ??? Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfromnorfolk Posted December 5, 2019 Author Share Posted December 5, 2019 The blue security alarm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 johnfromnorfolk - 2019-12-05 8:45 PM The blue security alarm. And it doesn't flash when the power is turned on? Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfromnorfolk Posted December 5, 2019 Author Share Posted December 5, 2019 It usually flashes when the alarm is set using the key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 It is possibly flashing to indicate it has lost its power supply, what does the manual for it say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 The Battery Disconnection Function (BDF) was discussed in this 2017 MHFacts thread https://forums.motorhomefacts.com/149-fiat-ducato/205394-battery-isolator.html and it would appear that the specification of some Swift motorhomes built around 2013/2014 included the BDF. (I’m not sure why, in the MHFacts thread, there was doubt about the BDF’s functionality, as this is adequately covered in the Ducato Owner Handbook.) Besides the drawing shown in my 1st posting above, the Handbook contains the text shown in the attachment below. (The last paragraph should read “The battery may have to be RECONNECTED...”) When the ignition-key is turned to the BATT position, there should be a delay before the starter-battery is actually disconnected and, during that delay period, it would be expected that the Ducato’s owner would exit the vehicle and lock its doors remotely. An after-market alarm system could be wired up directly to the starter-battery’s terminals so that the alarm could remain operative after the BDF has been engaged, or engaging the BDF could prevent the alarm from being powered by the starter-battery. And some alarm sysyems have a back-up battery to guard against the starter-battery becoming discharged. As the clicking noise and blue-light flashing must be the alarm’s reaction to John engaging the BDF, to decide whether this is abnormal or not, it would be necessary to know what alarm system is fitted, how it has been installed, and how it might be expected to respond to the starter-battery being disconnected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 Assuming everything was tip-top, shouldn't a vehicle be able to sit for just two weeks without having to disconnect its battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 I would have thought that should be the case, but there have been several reports here of the starter-battery of Ducato X250s discharging more rapidly than one might reasonably expect should happen (eg. difficult to start the vehicle after a fortnight’s non-use even when an alarm system has not been drawing 12V power). And, of course, disconnecting the starter-battery will require lost transitory dashboard settings (time and date, possibly a radio code) to be re-input after the battery has been reconnected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 johnfromnorfolk - 2019-12-05 1:42 PM I usually put my Fiat Ducato into storage for about two weeks during the winter and then give it a run to warm and recharge the battery. Recently when putting it into storage I disconnected the vehicle battery by depressing the red switch while removing the key. After I performed this task I noticed a clicking noise from inside the M/H and the blue alarm sensor was flashing. I hadn't noticed this before, any thoughts or advice? Just a thought, but do you have a solar panel fitted? I had a similar sounding 'clicking' and it turned out to be an interaction between the solar panel and the starter battery. Normally the panel was charging the leisure battery and overflowing into the engine battery, but when the engine battery was disconnected the linking relay started clicking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfromnorfolk Posted December 6, 2019 Author Share Posted December 6, 2019 Many thanks for all your replies.The clicking and blue flashing light (factory fitted alarm) does show 45 seconds after setting the battery disconnect switch and leaving and manually locking the M/H. I do lose the stored data i.e date, time etc.The M/H battery would probably be o.k. after three weeks during the winter but I like to give it a run to warm the engine and habitation cab during very cold weather.Thanks once again for our useful and informative replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnfromnorfolk Posted December 6, 2019 Author Share Posted December 6, 2019 Yes I do have a solar panel fitted and you may be right about it being connected and the relay clicking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanb Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 As mentioned by Derek, it is possible that the alarm system has an internal back-up battery. Could it be that this back-up battery has failed, and the alarm system is trying to indicate that it is in trouble, as previously suggested by Keith? . Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 The Fiat factory alarm system available for Ducatos was discussed in this 2012 forum thread https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Fiat-Ducato-Euro-5-manufacturer-alarm-system/28681/ but I can’t find any information about its specification or how it is turned on and off by a Ducato’s owner. A blue flashing light is mentioned in this 2008 alarm-related thread https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Hints-and-Tips/fiat-alarms/13574/ but I’m sure the Autowatch system referred to there would not have been installed in the Fiat factory. John seems to be assuming that one or more forum members will own a Ducato with a similar specificatiion to his. However, although the Battery Disconnection Function is well documented in Ducato Owner Handbooks, those handbooks apparently provide no details of an alarm system. John’s alarm is apparently set by “using the key”, but I don’t know which key that is. Nor do I know where in John’s Ducato the flashing blue alarm sensor/light is. I did come across this 2017 MHFun thread https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/elddis-alarm-system.164338/ that mentions a blue alarm light in an Elddis motorhome, but, although the alarm system is said to be "factory fitted”, it’s plain that the alarm would have been installed in the Elddis factory during the conversion phase rather than in the base-vehicle manufacturer’s factory. An Autowatch alarm system is described here https://www.trackingmycar.co.uk/product/autowatch-motorhome-alarm-system/ and refers to a "Blue flashing L.E.D deterrent”, but the Elddis/Autowatch stuff may well be totally irrelevant where John’s Ducato is concerned... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trimley Treacle Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Hi johnfromnorfolk, Did you get to the bottom of the clicking noise when using the BATT function on the ignition switch ? I have exactly the same on my Swift 686 2013. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums, Steve. Thiis forum discussion ground to a halt in December 2019 and, although John Richardson has posted a few times since then on other matters, he provided no further information about the clicking noise. I notice that John’s most recent forum logon was on 7 December 2020, so he may no longer be an active forum participant or monitor forum activity. If John does not respond to your enquiry here, you might try emailing him using the email address in his Profile. (I was going to suggest you try asking about this on Swift Talk - but I see that this is no longer possible...) https://www.swift-talk.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trimley Treacle Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Thanks Derek, I'll try to contact John :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 However, what John did say was that his alarm system was "factory fit" which I take to mean the Swift factory. Since Swift had also specified the battery disconnect function from Fiat, it seems that queries of this nature properly belong back with Swift themselves, to explain how to avert/negate the problem. It seems daft to have the battery disconnect function if using it sends an alarm they have installed into panic mode, but who knows whether the alarm design/installation contemplated periodic disconnection of the starter battery.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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