hughman Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 There's probably a blindingly obvious solution to this query, but I don't know what it is :'( Checking on the camper (2013 Possl, Fiat Ducato X250 base) after several months unused, I found vehicle battery flat. It's kept away from home so I had to remove battery to bring home and charge. It's charged ok and seems to be undamaged by having gone flat, but question is, if I follow Fiat advice and disconnect battery whilst in storage, how do I lock the van? I tried reconnecting battery, locking it with zapper and then entering via driver's door using key, but this still opens all doors. If I disconnect battery, there's no way of locking passenger door or sliding door, that I can find anyway. Help ........... :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mildi Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I did this on my work van when we were away for six months, I think I sat in the van locked it with the remote then disconnect the van battery and exit through the drivers door, as the battery is then not connected it will not open the other doors, then lock the drivers door with the key. Hope that helps. Mark. On our motorhome we had a solar panel and a battery master fitted and always have full charge on both, so no more flat batteries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Thats the trouble with storage......Considering you have all the extra equipment under the sun (well jel :-D) you could always splash out on a solar panel. I just leave mine on charge for a few days every now and then. My ford based euramobil I could leave for months on end and it was OK. Have you a switch to break the feed on the CD/Radio as they can drain the battery. when I first got my fiat van I had it down to garage on 2 occasions for them to test it as it was always going flat *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Hi Hugh, Do you have an alarm and/or tracker fitted? If so these are probably contributing to your flat battery (although IIRC Fiats go flat anyway :-( ) and also if you do disconnect the battery they will then be inoperable and if required by your insurance will render your insurance void. You would be better off taking it for a good run every 2 or 3 weeks to help keep it charged if you cannot get a 230v hook up. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 This previous thread may be helpfull. https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Locking-a-Sevel-after-disconnecting-the-battery-/19050/ I used to disconnect the battery but now have a small solar panel I leave on the dashboard. It just gives enough power to keep the battery at a minimum charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I have always posted that this is where a solar panel excels. Our van is stored in a 'car porch' with steel roofing panels and the solar still(just about) keeps the battery charged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughman Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Thanks for advice. I'll have to retry the sitting in it, locking it and then exiting once battery is disconnected. I thought I'd done that, but maybe I got something the wrong way round. If that fails, I'll try locking with the driver's door open, then disconnecting and exiting. It seems obvious that once the battery is disconnected the central locking won't work, but I'm wondering if disconnection also means the doors get unlocked. Radio is turned off but no doubt consumes some power even so, as do other onboard electronics. Maybe I should try Eddie's suggestion of putting a switch in the circuit. It hasn't got an alarm, so no problem there :-D I've got a solar panel on it, but either it's only charging the leisure side, or the weather has been so crap for the last 3 months that it's having no effect :-( Otherwise I guess it's a burn-up now and then until season starts in earnest. It's not under-used generally - we got it at the end of April last year, and had done 9000 miles by October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Just to add a little something to the foregoing......If as you say your vehicle has been left standing for several months it is highly likely your battery is 'dead'. Leaving them for so long kills it's ability to accept and hold a charge so you might find you'll be needing a new battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughman Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 Thankfully not, I think. Like I said in original post, it charged up ok, starts the van ok, and registers as fully charged on the van's battery meter, so fingers crossed, all's well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Surprised if you have a solar panel battery not holding a charge. Unless their is a big draw on it.......Not sure how Possl are wired, but my adria has leisure and vehicle batteries linked and when on 230v, and leisure batteries charged, vehicle battery gets a trickle charge.... Fit the switch and check with Duemo re how batteries managed, and check out solar panel wiring..... Yours is a real high spec van with lots of goodies and very surprised insurance company allows it to be kept in storage without an alarm. It's the first thing any insurer I have used insists on.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mildi Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 hughman - 2014-01-24 9:18 PM Thankfully not, I think. Like I said in original post, it charged up ok, starts the van ok, and registers as fully charged on the van's battery meter, so fingers crossed, all's well. Batterymaster will solve this problem, charges both batteries. picked mine up yesterday after three weeks in storage and both batteries have full charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 being a german van it may well have a battery master or something similar as standard...mine has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 hughman - 2014-01-24 7:49 PM I've got a solar panel on it, but either it's only charging the leisure side, or the weather has been so crap for the last 3 months that it's having no effect :-( . Hugh, suggest you get this side checked aswell, we have an 85w solar panel and, despite the weather, it keeps three batteries up to speed no problem. It may well be that your system is not set up to charge the cab battery, this is not unusual. Our uses a 'smart' facility in the PSU to charge leisure and cab batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughman Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Success :-D :-D Sat in van, locked it with remote, disconnected battery and exited driver's door, locked with key - everything locked. Just need to investigate solar panel charging business now. I thought Duemo said it was set up to charge vehicle first, then habitation, but that's obviously not what has been happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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