sandypowell Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I recently purchased and fitted a Protec cover for my Bessacar motorhome. I sent off a photo showing the roof area so they could add a perspex type clear area over the solar panel. The idea is to make sure the leisure battery is constantly charged over the winter layup period. However I had a look inside the van the other day to make sure everything is ok after the Scottish storms and I noticed that although the control panel says the leisure battery is fully charged, the interior lights would not switch on. Under the seat where the electrics are, there is a small box which has an indicator led showing 20 percent instead of 100 percent. I assume this is the battery charger, but how come the solar panel isn't charging the battery? any suggestions in plain language? TA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 No doubt an expert will be along shortly but meanwhile, assuming you have a regulator for the solar panel and a multimeter for checking, (if not they are not expensive in Halfords and most DIY stores or Maplins, The Range etc and many of us would not leave home without one!) could you check and advise the voltage going in from the panels and the voltage going out to the battery. Does running the engine make any differences to the interior 12v lights or voltage readings. First thoughts are always towards fuses so could you check all and any fuses for integrity, cleanliness and secure fitting of both fuses and cables leading into the holders in the solar panel to battery circuit , then from the battery to the control panel, and then on the control panel itself. That should give as an idea of where the volts are and are not getting to and from. Just a thought - I always suspect the last thing I did when something fails and I wonder if fitting a cover over the roof may have disturbed the cable from the solar panels the inside of the van? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 When you asked for the panel to be fitted was anyone made aware that the panel needs to be able to transmit UV light with minimum loss, a clear plastic panel is lightly to reduce the input to the panel by a considerable amount. Solar panels are quite fickle a shadow just on a small area of the panel or water droplets on the panel and the output will drop 50-75%. I would think you are not getting much charge due to a combination of reduced input to the solar panel due to the plastic panel in the cover and possible shadows due to the cover moving about in the wind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandypowell Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 thanks for your reply, could be as suggested plus I suppose the fact that there is little or no sun dosn't help. as far as I knowPro Tec would have allowed for tpvc to let light in though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Hi Sandy. I would think if the contol panel says your battery is fully charged then it probbaly is. It may be because it is fully charged the panel is not supplying much power to the battey just now because it does not need charging. If you have a volt meter you need to check the actual battery volts. Do you have a swicth for selecting leisure or engine battery to provide habitation power. Maybe it is set to engine battery and it is flat, but I guess not as panel meter would be showing the engine battery and not the leisure. Does anything else work apart from the lights not working and have you switched on any main 12v power switch.... just making sure. If the battery is indeed flat then you need to fall back on what others have mentioned, and as suggested start the engine and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandypowell Posted December 22, 2011 Author Share Posted December 22, 2011 Thanks for the comments, I checked the van again yesterday and the lights all switched on ? The charger thing still shows 20 percent and the control panel says battery slightly down but more or less fully charged. Must be a fault in the switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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