smitk032 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Evening all! i am having a bit of bother with my chausson welcome 17 battery. For some reason I cannot get the CBE control panel to work when I have the 12 volt system up. It works when the engine is running and when it is hooked up but it wont work just off of the leisure battery. I have the battery charged up but have read in the manual that the van has "a minimal voltage control whereby it switches all 12V mains off when the battery reaches the minimal voltage level of 10V" could this have happened and caused a block? it's like the system doesn't recognise it has a leisure battery. I would like to know if anyone has any ideas? I have checked and rechecked fuses swapped the battery and still nowt! many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi, As it works on hook up, then the most likley reason is the battery is faulty and pnly giving 10 volts or so, but you say you have swapped etc, so I can only think it is the main fuse from the battery to the control box and feed to electrics. Look for a small black box near the battery which the positve lead goes into, it could be a housing for a large 40Amp fuse, probably a ribbon fuse link screwed between two screw terminals inside. failing that you need to get a volt meter and measure voltages. Check the battery voltage is around 12.7 volts, hook up electric or start engine and check it rises. If it does not then there is a break in the positve or negative connections somewhere to the battery. I don't think your system has a switch to select engine or leisure battery but check for one anyway and see what is selected....I am sure is does not but ..... could be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Have a look here, may have the manual to download http://www.cbe.it/en On my system ( not a CBE system though) if things play up you have to press and hold for ten seconds both clock adjustment buttons to reset the unit, this is essential if the leisure battery has been disconnected or discharged below a certain level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I have checked the CBE PC200 and PC100 manual , of course I do not know what actual sytem is fitted, and it says it automatocally switches on again when battery is over 12 volts. Whether this is the same for all models I do not know. PC100 is the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I agree with Jon (Brambles). I think your leisure battery is not actually connected into your system, quite possibly because the fuse at the battery has failed. When on hook-up the "charger" performs as a power pack and will supply your 12V equipment directly, but if the fuse at the battery has blown, will not charge the battery. When the engine is running the alternator will run the fridge, and should charge the battery - but again, if that fuse has blown, will not.I assume you have a light on the panel indicating that there is power from the alternator when the engine is running? I assume you also have all lights on the control panel when on hook-up (green indicating mains in, light for water pump, plus water and waste level indicators etc, when panel is turned on). I also assume you get battery condition readings when on hook-up, indicating both starter and habitation batteries are fully charged? This can be misleading, as all they are recording when on hook-up is the level of charge to the batteries, not their state of charge. The state of charge can only be read when off hook-up. So, it sounds as though either the wiring has been damaged, or has become detached, or that fuse has blown. It should be fairly easy to find the fault, you only need to locate the leisure battery and the CBE charger unit, find the fuse and check its condition, and check the all wiring is correctly connected and any terminals are tight. However, do disconnect the hook-up and, I would suggest, the wire from the leisure battery negative terminal, before poking fingers into anything or unscrewing any equipment covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitk032 Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 Good morning many thanks to Brambles and Brian and the onefootinthegrave! for their assistance in this matter. I have reattached the battery this morning in the hope that one last try at the simple stuff will make it work. It hasn't! but..... when i connected battery and tried to switch on the panel I heard a faint click in the cupboard containing the fuse box and trip switch. nothing had tripped but there was a noise the first time i tried the panel??? any ideas what this could be? Now I'm off to try to locate the fuse box with a 40 amp fuse. Cannot be too near the battery as the casing for this is under the garage in a very battery-sized box. in essence it is all under the van, but you drop it in from the garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitk032 Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 found the wiring diagram, it's actually a 50amp fuse. still no idea where it'll be hiding though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 smitk032 - 2011-03-24 7:08 AM found the wiring diagram, it's actually a 50amp fuse. still no idea where it'll be hiding though!! Good Morning, The fuse should be near the battery as it is the primary protection for the battery and its connecting cables. It wil probably be quite a small box and should in theory and practice be located before the cabling goes any wall or floor. The click yopu hears is interesting and suggests maybe the battrey is connected. Are you sure the battery is Ok and has a voltage of over 12 volts. It should be around 12.7 if charged. Check it connected as well as may be faulty and have a very high resistance. Jon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 smitk032 - 2011-03-24 7:06 AM ... I have reattached the battery this morning in the hope that one last try at the simple stuff will make it work. It hasn't! but..... when i connected battery and tried to switch on the panel I heard a faint click in the cupboard containing the fuse box and trip switch. nothing had tripped but there was a noise the first time i tried the panel??? any ideas what this could be? Now I'm off to try to locate the fuse box with a 40 amp fuse. Cannot be too near the battery as the casing for this is under the garage in a very battery-sized box. in essence it is all under the van, but you drop it in from the garage. The distribution box (your "fuse box" in the cupboard) for cbe systems contains relays, so it wouldn't be surprising to hear a click from the distribution box (indicating the operation of a relay) when you reconnected your leisure-battery. However, if the click did come from a relay in the distribution box, then logically this should mean that 12V power from the leisure-battery is reaching the distribution box. If that's indeed the case, then the 50A fuse between leisure-battery and distribution-box must be in working order. As Brambles advises, it would be normal practice to locate the 50A fuse close to the leisure-battery. The fuse won't be huge and should easily be accommodated within a battery-box. As you've checked all the fuses fitted to the distribution box and (presumably) confirmed that your leisure-battery is now delivering plenty of voltage, I think your next step should be to remove the distribution box's cover and confirm that leisure-battery 12V power is actually arriving at the distribution box. If it is, then it's likely that something in the distribution box has developed a fault. As your system used to work OK and now doesn't, either something simple and rectifiable has happened (eg. a blown fuse) or something that isn't easily fixable has occurred (eg. an electronic fault in the distribution box). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Have a look at this thread - see my 2nd and 3rd postings on it when we had problems with batteries and locating the fuse: http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=22204&posts=12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smitk032 Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 Hi all and many thanks for your assistance, tips and advice so far. As a novice of all things 12 volt (and electrical if I'm totally honest) here's my update I have tested the leisure battery and it is 12.99 volts (possibly room for a bit more charge). I have tested the distribution box and can confirm (with little conviction) that there was 12.98 volts on the bits that would give a reading. I am sure that all of the fuses are ok at the distribution box, (my supply of spare blade fuses from my AS harmony, will not fit into the distribution box- i thought they were a universal fit?). When the battery is disconnected and re connected it still clicks once in the distribution box, even though the panel wont light up?? I cannot find any 'hidden' fuse nor box near to the leisure battery? The wiring seems to feed up along the rear axle and into the cupboard containing the trauma. Does the 50amp fuse connect directly to the live wiring from the leisure battery? What else can I do myself before I have to book an auto electrician? Best wishes Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I really think the very best advice would be to bite the bullet and seek possessional help now. The potential to cause further damage by "testing" when you are not quite sure what you are doing could well end up ( worse case scenario) with a hefty bill, or a totally fried electrical system. !2 volt positive sitting behind probably a 30/50 amp fuse an still do a lot of damage even if only momentarily wrongly connected. If you discover the elusive main fuse has blown this will be for a reason, so tread carefully if that is what you discover, perhaps substitute a much lower amperage fuse just for testing purposes. The clicking noise sounds as others have said like a relay being energized which normally switches on a higher current circuit, this could be your problem, but if it was me having been there, as I say, go see a M/home dealer. Not sure where in the UK you are, but one of the forum posters on here has his own company, his name is Dave Newall, located near Telford. Hope you get it sorted especially as the sun has now come out. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Sorry if this seems a bit basic, but I suppose the panel itself is switched on? If you have the CBE manual, and your system is a PC-100 variant, (it will have either a rectangular or oval control panel) it will show the on/off button top right of the panel (No 15 on the diagram, "mains general switch"). When this is turned off, both the mains charger and the alternator still charge the battery, the electric step works, and the fridge runs off 12V while travelling, but the panel itself stays virtually lifeless. When this switch button is pressed on, there is a click from the control box as a relay closes, and only then does the panel come to life. If you battery is showing nearly 13V I think it must be getting charge, so wiring and fuse would appear OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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