knighsp Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 The kontiki has a 12volt leisure battery charging system when plugged into the mains. This has stopped working. I have found that there is output from the control box situauted in the bottom of the wardrobe but it does not get to the rest of the 12v system. From the schematic that comes with the motorhome, I see there is a relay between the mains control box and the 12v selector switch above the sink. I would like to check this relay out but have not yet found where it is located. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Welcome to the forum, knighsp. Swift has used the Kon-Tiki name for many years, so, in order to obtain a useful response to your question, I think you will need to state the model-year and model 'type' of your motorhome (eg 2009 Kon-Tiki Vogue 645) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knighsp Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 Thanks Derek, I missed an important point. My Swift Kontiki is registered 1996 and is a model 640. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crag Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hi I have a '95 640 Kontiki, but not brill with electrics. But I have a gut feeling the relays you may be looking for are under the bonnet near the battery. You've thrown me a bit as my control panel is at the back in the U-shaped lounge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Steve I'm unfamiliar with Swift Group electrical wiring practice, but there are a couple of generic motorhome wiring diagrams in John Wickersham's book "The Motorcaravan Manual". Based on these diagrams one might reasonably anticipate, on a 1996 Kon-Tiki, there to be at least 3 relays relating to the vehicle's 'leisure' electrical system. 1. A split-charge relay that permits the vehicle's alternator to charge both the starter and leisure batteries while the motorhome is being driven. 2. A fridge-relay that prevents the refrigerator from operating on 12-Volts unless the motorhome's engine is running. 3. An isolation-relay that prevents all 12V-powered leisure appliances and accessories (excluding the fridge) from operating when the motorhome's engine is running. The isolation-relay began to appear in UK-built motorcaravans in the early/mid-1990s in reaction to the introduction of automotive EMC (Electro-Magnetic Compatibility) standards. I would expect a 1996 Swift to have one as my own 1996-built Herald did. The split-charge relay will almost certainly be located within the engine compartment, but the fridge- and isolation-relay may well be elsewhere and there seems to have been no attempt at standardisation between motorhome manufacturers as to these relays' positioning. (In my Herald they were close together beneath one of the settees in the habitation area.) Connecting a motorhome to a 230V mains supply will allow the onboard battery-charger to operate. There will probably be an ON/OFF switch on the charger itself and there may be a battery-selection switch on the motorhome's 12V control/distribution panel. Whatever the switching arrangement, if the battery-charger is running, and any relevant control-panel switch is set to 'aim' the charger's output at the leisure battery, then it should be straightforward to confirm that the leisure battery is being charged. If it is being charged, then (in my eyes) there is no basic battery-charging fault. I don't really understand how the failure of your motorhome's 12V habitation system to function should be linked solely to mains-powered battery-charging (which seems to be what you've said), though I could easily accept that the system had suddenly stopped working completely irrespective of your Kon-Tiki being hooked-up to a 230V mains power-source. Assuming that the leisure battery itself is in good working order, if all the 12V habitation accessories (eg. lights, water pump, gas igniters, etc.) are now 'dead', then I'd begin by checking that all switches are correctly set (it's easy to overlook the obvious.), then I'd check all 12V fuses relating to the habitation electrical system including the fuse that should be in the leisure-battery's live cable close to the battery itself. It's possible that an isolation-relay may have failed in the Open position, as that would certainly prevent the 12V lights (etc.) from functioning, but relays are normally reliable and, if they do fail, tend to fail Closed. The Motorcaravan Manual diagram shows the isolation-relay located 'downstream' of a Battery Selector Switch, between the Selector Switch and the various 12-Volt circuits that the relay isolates. I don't know if this is standard practice with UK-made motorhomes, but it makes sense. There is no sign of a relay between the 230V mains 'consumer unit' and the 12V 'distribution panel' and I'd be surprised if there were a need for one. It needs to be said that motorhome wiring schematics can be economical with the truth. I think you'll need to start at the leisure battery, make sure this isn't kaput, then work methodically forwards towards the habitation12V circuits, checking as you go that 12V power from the leisure battery exists at each significant point. This process shouldn't be too bad as long as all the various bits are separate, but may be a real pain if most of the stuff is jammed into a single box as is sometimes the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crag Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I can only see 2 relays on my wiring diagram Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I too have a charger system located in wardrobe compartment. If your's is like mine then when you switch on the 'RED' button when attached to mains it defaults to charging the leisure battery. I had a problem with my leisure battery not charging when I first purchased my Kontiki 665 some 5 years ago. I was in France at the time and made a call to the dealer in the Uk who suggested that it may have been the fuse that had blown. The fuse in question sits on top of the leisure battery. I changed the fuse and hey presto my 12v system worked and charged thereafter !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knighsp Posted April 10, 2009 Author Share Posted April 10, 2009 Hi. I took the power control box in the wardrobe out and found that the connector block joining the all the 12v negative wires to the harness only used one out of twelve pins. This pin was burnt out. I by-passed the pin and all is working OK now. Look out for this one, it looks like under heavy useage the connector pin can not take the current! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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