Battery drain on a new fiat 2.3 euro5 enginge

[euroserv]

For your information......

 

When converters order chassis from Fiat, they have the following options available to them (that seem relevant to this thread);

 

#081 'Electrical Interface Supply Socket'. I am informed that this is the approved method for supplying power to auxiliary systems that can be regulated and 'suspended' if they cause too great a drain on the starting battery or are faulty.

 

#213 'Perimeter alarm'. Useless for anything other than a PVC though.

 

#4WP 'Larger alternator 180Amp' Useful.

 

#782 'Higher Power Battery' (std on 3.0 engine)

 

Now, If we exclude the alarm system the total cost (at full UK prices) is £240.75 Converters don't pay that much though, they would pay more like £132.00 but the chances are that they don't bother because they are too tight or stubborn to take a few simple steps that could save you a lot of grief!

 

Fiat, as we all know will allow hell to freeze over before they would admit that there was a battery drain problem with the base vehicle or it's factory fitted extras; and I seriously doubt that there is a problem. Any Fiat dealer that stated that there is would likely be up before a firing squad, as we have seen in the past, they are not in any position to comment on such matters. They are simply not allowed to do so. The same could be said of any franchised dealer in fact.

 

As far as I can see here it is the 'dealers' of the finished conversion that are speculating about the battery drain issue because they are not in direct contact with Fiat. (Why would they?) They should be insisting on the converter (with whom they have a contract ) making sure that the base vehicle is suitably specified to begin with, and that any device that they fit does not drain the battery excessively.

 

That is common sense. More common sense would involve Fiat ONLY building vehicles for conversion that had the ideal options included in the build, but you can't please everyone, can you?

 

Nick

 

Just read the post above... thank you.

 

Should re-itterate though that when the ignition is switched off, the ECU is powered down and unless there is some other duty to perform, such as monitoring for infra red signals from remote controllers (which are so minute a draw as to be considered 'passive') or a factory fitted perimeter alarm, there is no current draw.

 

The information that you are being given is speculation by a 'dealer' who is not an agent of the manufacturer of the base vehicle and really should not be making such statements.

[Guest JudgeMental]

RogerC - 2012-06-27 12:48 PMWe had a 'battery drain' issue with our Transit based RollerTeam 600.  Although it only happened if left for over four weeks in winter which I thought was pretty good.

 

Anyway we solved the problem with one of these which sits in the windscreen and plugged into the cig lighter socket via a regulator to stop reverse flow and over charging on very sunny? days:

http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/khxc/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=prodshow&ref=saver15&sid=4x3y2z0s69495r583765b54t793zd2hh

 

 

 

 

 

here is a link that should work Roger: http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/I have always been lead to think that these small pug in dash top panels are near useless......If not I would not mind one :-D"comes with 2 m lead!" not very generous do you think

[Keithl]

shirles - 2012-06-27 12:19 PM

... and now when I leave the van for a few days I select vehicle charge on the control panel (sargent) and turn the control panel off. It now keeps the vehicle battery at about 12.4 volts, is this enough?

 

Shirles,

 

You are starting off by doing the right thing in selecting the vehicle battery but unfortunately when you then turn OFF the Sargent panel it will revert back to selecting the leisure battery. You will have to leave the panel turned ON to retain the vehicle battery selection.

 

As has been said above 12.4 volts is not on charge, you should be seeing over 13 volts for any meaningful charge.

 

Keith.

[RogerC]

JudgeMental - 2012-06-27 1:34 PM

RogerC - 2012-06-27 12:48 PMWe had a 'battery drain' issue with our Transit based RollerTeam 600.  Although it only happened if left for over four weeks in winter which I thought was pretty good.

 

Anyway we solved the problem with one of these which sits in the windscreen and plugged into the cig lighter socket via a regulator to stop reverse flow and over charging on very sunny? days:

http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/khxc/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=prodshow&ref=saver15&sid=4x3y2z0s69495r583765b54t793zd2hh

 

 

 

 

 

here is a link that should work Roger: http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/I have always been lead to think that these small pug in dash top panels are near useless......If not I would not mind one :-D"comes with 2 m lead!" not very generous do you think

 

Cheers for that Judge....I couldn't get the 'link' to insert on my post.  We bought the Sunshine Solar Amorphous Battery Charger 15 Watt 12 Volt and a voltage regulator.  It has a 3 mtr lead and when parked up in storage it sits in the windscreen.  When out and about on site it sits outside.  Since we started using it we have had no 'battery drain' problems and have sometimes left the MH for 5 weeks unused.

[flicka]

Specifically on Coachbuilts & also some PVC's there will be a considerable current draw when the vehicle is not in use.

Dealers can spout all they like, but they seldom check their facts with Fiat or the Converter.

Alarms, yes - switch your control panel on to vehicle battery, switch alarm on & see how much draw there is, (anything like our Autocruise & you will be above 1v) then switch the alarm off & a there is still a significant "draw. (again anything like our Autocruise & you will be around 0.65v)

This draw is partly due to habitation entrance lighting & electric step drawing from the vehicle battery.

These can't be switched off, unless you have a "Battery Isolation Switch"

Like any electrical equipment left on "standby" there will be energy used.

e.g. News item yesterday estimates every household in the UK could save £85 per annum by not having equipment "on standby".

A battery ain't no different :-(

[colin]

euroserv - 2012-06-27 1:23 PM

 

Any Fiat dealer that stated that there is would likely be up before a firing squad, as we have seen in the past, they are not in any position to comment on such matters. They are simply not allowed to do so. The same could be said of any franchised dealer in fact.

 

My experiance of two Fiat commercial dealers is that they don't know their arse from their elbow, so being chosen on their ability to keep it zipped would seem correct *-)

[WildBill]

euroserv - 2012-06-27 10:18 AM

 

Hello Campers,

 

I have been pulled up (and PM'd) for my post because it has been interpreted as suggesting that an individual is stupid.

 

I did not say that, and am saddened that what I did say could cause that reaction.

 

I thought that my point was quite clear that anyone that designed a system of auxiliary electrical devices such as alarms which would drain the vehicle's starting battery is stupid. Converters; please form a line....

 

Furthermore if the prescribed builder was to leave his radio on all day while working, and have been charging his cordless drill from the lighter socket and charged his phone and then found that he could not start his van he would rightly be referred to as stupid; not least by himself.

 

I picked up a Euro5 Ducato a week ago from the dealer. It had arrived at their site in March and had not been moved since. It started without hesitation so I would suggest that it is not the Euro5 base vehicle at fault but how the converter has implemented their modifications and the bells and whistles that have been added. Any device that has more than a very modest drain should be attached to your leisure battery unless you have a means of continuously topping-up the battery. That is common sense, which i guess is the opposite of stupid.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Nick

 

PS Wildbill, Is your alarm a Fiat item or something the converter has fitted?

 

Nick

 

my alarm was fitted by the dealer, yes probably better to put alarm onto leisure battery.