travellingman Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Hi and good evening I have a small problem that I'm sure someone can help with:- I tried to start my engine today but no luck, so on investigating found that the battery was low.Ha Ha thinks I it needs a charge but switching over the master unit to charge, no luck.Um perhaps the battery is to low for the onboard charger, so lets connect to an external battery charger.I dissconnected the negative terminal -can't reach the positive-one but then the alarm goes off and stays blaring until the -ve lead is reconnected.So my problem is interesting. Unfortunately I can't charge from another vehicle due to its position.Also I believe its good practise to disconnect the battery from the motorhome before charging so as not to knacker the onboard electronics.For info its a 2006 Peugeot Based Stardream with a 2.8 engine. Any suggestions will be gratefully received travellingman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 If it has been stood any length of time in a discharged state, especially with these temperatures this winter my guess is it is US. I had a similar problem a couple of Winters ago, I now make a point of a round trip of say 30 miles every few weeks as we cannot have the van hooked up. In any event if it is the original battery it is probably due for renewal. I would get it off and take it to get in checked out, nothing worse than finding yourself stuck with a duff battery, been there, done it. Sounds a bit weird that your alarm goes of though when you disconnect the neg lead, maybe the alarm has a separate battery backup that senses the main battery has been disconnected can't imagine why though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camperadi Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I have never disconected battery to charge it. It is my understanding that this in itself might cause problems for engine management and alarms and radio codes etc. So long as you trust the output of the charger is within safe perameters connect to the battery before switching on at the mains. I will be interested in what others think and stand corrected if those with greater knowlege disagree. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Before you disconnect the battery you'll need to actually turn off the alarm totally, not just silence it when it goes off, but actually turn it off so it is not working at all, you will then be able to remove the battery. We had this recently when our cab battery went flat and the first we knew was when the alarm went off and we couldn't stop it. Eventually we found out that a fuse had gone which prevented the battery being charged when on hook-up. Since hubby replaced the fuse and charged the battery up in the garage, then put it back in the 'van, we haven't had a problem and it now charges up in situ via the hook-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Hi Chris and welcome to the madhouse called the forum! How flat is flat? Do you have a digital multimeter to check the battery voltage? Do the lights light up? Do the dashboard warning lights light up? These are all good indications of the battery state. You don't need to get to the rear positive terminal of the battery to jump start it as provided you get a good safe solid connection to the front negative terminal you can clamp the jump lead + to any suitable bare metal on or bolted to the engine. Or if you have a 12v battery charger connect it up to the van battery leaving the battery connected and give it an overnight charge. It may well recover. A good quality set of jump leads should be part of every motorhomer's tool kit that way you can be sure you will never need them! If all else fails you could disconnect the leisure battery and use that to jump start the engine - but only if you have jump leads! Once started give it a good run of at least half and hour or so and that should recharge the battery enough to last a week or two at least. When you have time to spare look back through old thread listings as battery issues crop up time and again and there is much knowledge to be gleanedabout this the most unreliable aspect of all the items in a modern motorhome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Tracker - 2011-03-05 8:32 PM Hi Chris and welcome to the madhouse called the forum! How flat is flat? Do you have a digital multimeter to check the battery voltage? Do the lights light up? Do the dashboard warning lights light up? These are all good indications of the battery state. You don't need to get to the rear positive terminal of the battery to jump start it as provided you get a good safe solid connection to the front negative terminal you can clamp the jump lead + to any suitable bare metal on or bolted to the engine. Or if you have a 12v battery charger connect it up to the van battery leaving the battery connected and give it an overnight charge. It may well recover. A good quality set of jump leads should be part of every motorhomer's tool kit that way you can be sure you will never need them! If all else fails you could disconnect the leisure battery and use that to jump start the engine - but only if you have jump leads! Once started give it a good run of at least half and hour or so and that should recharge the battery enough to last a week or two at least. When you have time to spare look back through old thread listings as battery issues crop up time and again and there is much knowledge to be gleanedabout this the most unreliable aspect of all the items in a modern motorhome.DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO AS TRACKER SUGGESTS AND CONNECT THE POSITIVE LEAD TO THE VEHICLES CHASSIS. THIS WILL DESTROY YOUR ALTERNATOR AND PROBABLY ALL YOUR ON BOARD ELECTRONICS. THESE VEHICLES ARE NEGATIVELY EARTHED. THE NEGATIVE LEAD GOES TO THE CHASSIS AND THE POSITIVE TO THE POSITIVE ON THE BATTERY. THE VERY LEAST YOU WILL DO IS CREATE AN ENORMOUS FLASH. WHICH COULD BURN YOU OR RUIN YOUR BATTERY. Yet more misinformation from people who should not give it out unless they know what they are talking about. If you've already carried this out, claim any damages from you know who. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travellingman Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 Thankyou to everyone who answered my plea,re low battery. I was able to disconnect the -ve lead from the battery without the alarm going off-don't know how-and once it was isolated from the van,was able to charge it with a standalone charger for a couple of hours wich bought the volys up to 11+. I then reconnected to the vans charging system and after a couple of hours have now run the engine to check out the system . Thanks again everyone travellingman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Peter is absolutely right. After 50 years around vehicles of all sorts I don't know how I could have made such a stupid error and I can only offer my apologies. The EARTHED cable is of course the NEGATIVE not the positive and it goes from the FRONT of the battery to the chassis just below the battery shelf and can easily be traced if there is any doubt. To access the POSITIVE terminal at the BACK of the battery remove the plastic cover and there should be just enough room to get a jump lead into place but great care is needed due to bare metal components in the area and a fully insulated clamp is the safest option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 We all have a mental block at times Richard. Sorry about the urgency of my reply, but it could have been nasty if someone had followed your suggestion. At least you were man enough to admit your error, you've gone up a few points in my estimation. but don't get too carried away, I'l still slap you down next time you step out of line. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Thank you Peter. I have never been afraid to accept criticism when I am proven wrong but I am not so keen on jibes when it is purely a matter of opinion. I, and others, have noticed that some of your responses can be unnecessarily harsh and personal sometimes but I prefer to think that it is just the style of a grumpy old man and nothing personal - but I could be wrong there too! Slapping down is uncalled for - a simple correction is all that is needed. That mistake was all the more stupid and embarrassing because only that morning I had been out to put my own van engine battery on charge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Bet both of you are real big softies at heart, Go on admit it, you both have a great deal of respect for each other really. p.s. Do I jump in the hole I have just dug myself now or later when you respond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Brambles - 2011-03-08 4:54 PM p.s. Do I jump in the hole I have just dug myself now or later when you respond. Please jump very softly into the hole because I am at the bottom of it still frantically digging! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Tracker - 2011-03-08 5:39 PM Brambles - 2011-03-08 4:54 PM p.s. Do I jump in the hole I have just dug myself now or later when you respond. Please jump very softly into the hole because I am at the bottom of it still frantically digging! see Peter's last cartoon he posted. http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=22819&posts=2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Tracker - 2011-03-08 8:14 AM Thank you Peter. I have never been afraid to accept criticism when I am proven wrong but I am not so keen on jibes when it is purely a matter of opinion. I, and others, have noticed that some of your responses can be unnecessarily harsh and personal sometimes but I prefer to think that it is just the style of a grumpy old man and nothing personal - but I could be wrong there too! Slapping down is uncalled for - a simple correction is all that is needed. That mistake was all the more stupid and embarrassing because only that morning I had been out to put my own van engine battery on charge!Pots and kettles spring to mind Richard. Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Hope you get my drift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Now you're just being pompous - again - if you get my drift! Still it makes a change from offensive I guess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Offensive, moi? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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