Guest Rees Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 We have the Zig X-2 Charger and Power unit fitted to our motorhome (Herald Aragon 1955). I have newly fitted a ElecSol 100 ampH Leisure battery. This has been fully charged and shows 12.7 volts on the multimeter. The Zig unit has two lights to monitor battery condition: RED for discharge, GREEN for OK. This did not happen with the previous 60 ampH Varta battery. The Zig unit control panel is the Marque III T. When I switch on a light or appliance, the light shows RED (discharge) but then reverts to GREEN when I switch off the charger and on again. The battery is OK (has been fuly charged off the van and shows full charge of 12.7 v. Is it likely that the Zig indicator is faulty? I now monitor the battery every morning using the multi meter. I am currently away from home in France but read e-mail most days. Advice will be welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clive Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 You should measure the battery terminal voltage with the engine running and also (with the engine turned OFF) when the mains is hooked up. In both cases this voltage should be 14 or very close to 14 if the battery is charged. The principal benefits of carbon fibre based batteries is their improved ability to recover from excessive discharge. But charging voltages are unchanged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek Uzzell Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 I no longer have the contemporary documentation that would have related to your ZIG control-panel and charger, so I'm going to have to rely on some later literature and my memory. ZIG CP control panels carry a "Battery Condition Indicator" (BCI). From what I recall, the BCI is a single 'dual mode' LED that (when the CP's 12v main-switch is moved to the ON position) will show GREEN if the leisure-battery's charge-state is 11 volts or above. If the leisure-battery's charge-state is below 11 volts then the LED will show RED. (Are there actually two lights, Rees, as you seem to be suggesting? I admit to being hazy about this detail. My Herald had similar, though slightly later, ZIG equipment to yours (and a similar VARTA battery) and the BCI always showed GREEN. If there was indeed a 2nd light, then I don't remember it.) My literature says "The red light may come on when an appliance is switched on, this is normal - current surges cause momentary voltage drop. It is important to remember that the battery monitor is not a charging indicator. The fact that the green light is on does not mean that the battery is fully charged: even with a flat battery the green light will glow if a charging system is operating due to the high terminal voltage present at the battery." I interpret your situation as follows: You are on a French campsite. Your Aragon is connected to a 230v hook-up and you have the ZIG X2 charger switched on. With no 'caravan' lights or appliances in operation the BCI shows GREEN but, when a light/appliance is switched on, the BCI shows RED. Switching off the X2 charger and then switching it back on causes the BCI to return to GREEN. (Does this sound right?) Your multi-meter test confirms that your new battery is fully charged (and so it should be if you have the X2 charger running constantly). Because of this and the fact that switching the charger off and on appears to re-set the BCI to the GREEN indication one would expect with a fully charged battery, it seems reasonable to assume the BCI has become faulty. On the other hand, it's quite a coincidence that this 'fault' has occurred simultaneously with a new battery being installed. I'd look first at the obvious place where there might be a problem, which is where the electrical cabling connects to the new battery's terminals. If there is nothing apparently wrong, then I think you'd need to make some checks at the ZIG control-panel itself to confirm whether the battery's full voltage is reaching it and to see what happens to the voltage readings when the BCI goes RED and then goes GREEN. (I'd also want to know what happens to the BCI light when the charger isn't being used and whether any of the 12V lights/appliances show signs of being fed a low voltage current.) However, as you're abroad, your battery seems to be charging OK and everything except this pesky BCI is apparently working normally, other than checking the terminals/cables I'd be tempted to keep an eye on the battery with your multi-meter and leave the Sherlock Holmes stuff till you get home. After all, if there is a fault with the ZIG CP, there's absolutely no chance you'll find a replacement outside the UK. PS. Noting Clive's comments, I'm assuming your 12.7v reading is arrived at in circumstances as described in "The Motorcaravan Manual". That is, with the battery having 'settled' for some time after any charge has been applied to it and with all appliances that might draw current from it switched off. Otherwise you'll get a false reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rees Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Many thanks for both your very helpful replies. Please see new posing. Rees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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