Chausson battery charger

[mikejkay]

On my new (2011 - recently acquired) Flash S2 I noticed that the level of charge on the habitation battery was dropping. This was odd as I use the van every other day. I plugged into the mains and left it for several hours but there was no change. I the lifted up the bed and delved to reveal the battery - 11.97v!!!, and no difference whether mains was plugged in or not. Checked all the fuses, including the big 50amp one - all OK. While checking the leads I caught sight of a red light inside the charger unit. Very difficult to see as you have to be in the right position to see through the cooling vents.

 

I then switched the mains on and off several times using the RCD switch. Immediately on switching the mains on the charger hums and the voltage on the battery goes up to 13.5v. After a few seconds there is a click, the noise stops and the voltage drops. Without any further input fro me this happens several more times before the red light comes on permanently and the voltage drops to about 12v.

 

My question is, does anybody know whether there is some sort of a relay tucked away underneath the charger unit? Or is it just a duff charger? One for Sallytrafic perhaps, I know that you have ripped apart your electrical/battery charging system. (and rebuilt it bigger and better!)

[Brambles]

Sounds like something overloading the charger or it is overheating for some reason. Check what other loads may be connected, and also test charger with battery disconnected and lots of other items switched on especially fans as they draw a lot of power. You may have a faulty battery, charger or some other fault. Hence suggesting you test with battery disconnected.

[ips]

Sounds like a fault either with the relay or the board within the charger. Can you tell if its charging the cab battery ?