alan Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Hi All First few days on the Continent I am experiencing problems with my 12volt and I need all your expert help, please. The van engine is not charging the leisure batteries. The fridge is working perfectly on 220v and gas but will not work on 12v. The ciggy lighter in the camper will not work, the ciggy lighter on the van is working okay. This, to me, would suggest a fuse or whatever has gone but as my electrical knowledge is fairly limited, to put it mildly, and I’m stuck! Some of the problems are being camouflaged slightly by a solar panel. The main problem is we cannot run the fridge whilst travelling. Hope you can help. I’m finding WiFi a little scarce but will come back as soon as possible. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Hi Alan, you will probably have guessed from postings I am not brilliant with electrics etc., but if your van is new to you, is it possible you have a switch which is from AUX/12v which you are supposed to switch when you are driving? I ask because although my van doesn't, there is a section in my manual which states to do this in some models in order for the charge to take place. Obviously if you are not new then I am insulting you asking sorry... :'( thought it MIGHT be of help. Joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Your fridge 12v supply comes from the vehicle battery, so if is not working when the engine's running then the problem lies in that direction. If you have your vans' manual/handbook this should tell you where the fuses are. If you are still stuck and no one on here can help try to find a motorhome dealer near where you are and see if they can help. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Cole Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Hi Alan, You do not state what make/model your camper is but from the problem you discribe It sounds like your split charge relay may not be working this relay puts power to your leasure battery for charging when the engine is running and can also supply 12V to the fridge. It could be a bad connection or the relay coil fuse blown for some reason. I am in SW France and can possibly help you if you are travelling this way, or a good auto electrician may be able to sort it out for you. Regards Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Traditionally a pair of relays control the charging of the leasure battery and the fridge from the engine. Often these relays and associated fuses are mounted in the engine compartment. However as you have problems with both it might be a bad connection at the alternator D+ terminal. diagrams on the link below may help. C. http://www.motts.dsl.pipex.com/SPLIT%20CHARGING%20SYSTEM.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 Hi All Can I apologise for not coming back sooner, we are in Italy and cannot find WiFi anywhere and are having to use an Internet Cafe, without the convenience of our laptop. Thanks for all your replies, I have managed to sort out the fridge, which was a simple fuse change. However, still do not seem to be charging leisure batteries when on the move. On my first posting, I had two problems and one was disguising the other. Any suggestions on the non-charging of the leisure batteries, I would be grateful - I have checked every fuse I can find. Thanks a lot. On a lighter note, having a fantastic time! The Italian Green Stop Book is fantastic, well worth the investment. Off again into the blue yonder and looking for the next Internet connection! Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 Hi All Can I apologise for not coming back sooner, we are in Italy and cannot find WiFi anywhere and are having to use an Internet Cafe, without the convenience of our laptop. Thanks for all your replies, I have managed to sort out the fridge, which was a simple fuse change. However, still do not seem to be charging leisure batteries when on the move. On my first posting, I had two problems and one was disguising the other. Any suggestions on the non-charging of the leisure batteries, I would be grateful - I have checked every fuse I can find. Thanks a lot. On a lighter note, having a fantastic time! The Italian Green Stop Book is fantastic, well worth the investment. Off again into the blue yonder and looking for the next Internet connection! Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 Hi All Can I apologise for not coming back sooner, we are in Italy and cannot find WiFi anywhere and are having to use an Internet Cafe, without the convenience of our laptop. Thanks for all your replies, I have managed to sort out the fridge, which was a simple fuse change. However, still do not seem to be charging leisure batteries when on the move. On my first posting, I had two problems and one was disguising the other. Any suggestions on the non-charging of the leisure batteries, I would be grateful - I have checked every fuse I can find. Thanks a lot. On a lighter note, having a fantastic time! The Italian Green Stop Book is fantastic, well worth the investment. Off again into the blue yonder and looking for the next Internet connection! Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistair Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 This isn't anything to do with the subject, but we are also in Italy at present (right now in Lucca) and we have found quite a number of camping grounds now have wifi. They don't often tell you - you discover it when you turn your laptop on. Some are free and some you have to pay for, but none are as expensive as charges in CC sites in the UK. I have also found that many internet cafes in Italy and France will give you an ethernet cable to plug into your laptop and provide a superb trouble-free connection. In some cases if they don't have a dedicated cable waiting for your laptop, they'll simply unplug the cable from one of their PCs and hand it to you. This is a stark contrast to the UK where internet cafes seem paranoid about permitting you to connect your computer to their network. Good luck with future connections! By the way, we've found mosquitoes a nuisance this trip - northern Italy had a wet Spring and it seems to have encouraged the pests. Have you found an effective way of keeping them at bay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 alan: You say that your motorhome is a 2001 CI Carioca. The leisure-battery charging systems of Continental-built motorhomes normally differ significantly from those of UK-manufactured motorcaravans and, rather than using our traditional split-charge relay arrangement, it's commonplace to use a 'coupler/separator' system where the vehicle's alternator charges the motor-battery to a predefined level of charge at which point the leisure-battery is automatically 'coupled' in parallel and itself begins to receive charge. The tendency is for the electronic components that control this to be concentrated (with other electrical bits and bobs) into a single 'black box' that is often hidden inaccessibly. As you've checked all the fuses, it might be best if you sought advice from a CI dealership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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