camocam1 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Just been out to the MH and was hit by a gassy egg smell and when I checked the pleasure battery it was red hot so have disconnected it and removed it from the MH Manual says the battery charger will not allow the battery to overcharge but also says should not be let on EHU if not using the MH Any ideas before I phone the dealer who is 120 miles away as daughter going off in MH on Friday and I've only had it just over a week its a bailey 760 we 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 The battery charging system needs checking out by a competent person before uses the van again, the consequence of it happening whilst in the van are not worth thinking about. Explosion and gas inhalation could be fatal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 The leisure-battery may have developed a fault and/or the battery-charging system may be faulty. You will probably need a replacement battery and it would be very risky for your daughter to be taking the motorhome abroad without first confirming that the charging system is OK. It would be sensible to contact the dealer who sold you the vehicle without delay and ask what’s the best way forward given the tight deadline. It may be that the dealer will agree that checks can be made locally and the cost refunded, rather than you having to make a 240-miles round trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camocam1 Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 have spoken with the dealer and they have arranged for me to collect a new battery locally (although sais battery not covered under warranty) Once I get it fitted going to take it to local dealer (at my expense) to check the charger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 So, the van is about two years old? Both battery and charger should still be fine at that age. Before accepting the naw battery make sure that the battery to be fitted will be of equal quality, and of the same type and capacity, to that which has failed. I'd be a bit inclined to suspect the electrolyte level is very low, and is the reason for the overheating. If so - and the battery is capable of being topped-up (i.e. not sealed, gel or AGM type), that would appear to be the selling dealer's fault (he should have checked the level before selling), so he should also be liable if a failure to do so has damaged the charger. In respect of checking the charger, if the test shows the charger to be faulty and the cause of the battery problem, the selling dealer should have some liability for the charger fault as well. This is not a new van, so it would be unrealistic to expect the dealer to pay the full price of new replacement battery or charger. All things have their expected lives. A reasonable proportion of the cost is all that should be expected. A decent battery should last 5 years or more if properly maintained. Chargers generally last much longer, many the life of the van. It may be that the charger has its own warranty from its manufacturer. Why not check its make and any manufacturer's warranty? You may be entitled to a replacement is it is faulty. That apart, where the battery is concerned forget the warranty. Warranties have lots of attached conditions. It is the dealer who is legally liable for the quality of what he sells, which should be of merchantable quality - having regard to age and general condition when sold. In the case of second-hand goods, the older they are, or the poorer their condition when sold, the lower his liability - which is only reasonable - but he cannot, legally, rely on warranty conditions to limit or negate his liability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camocam1 Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 it was a sealed battery but the dealer has supplied a new battery foc and I will get the charger checked at my expense and if proves to be faulty will go back to the dealer as I have only had the MH just over 10 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Any good auto electrician should be able to apply his digital meter at the requisite places to check the system for you. Keep the receipt and the dealer should reimburse you. It might have been better to let the auto electrician supply you with the new battery as it not only gives you a local point of contact it also gives the electrician a bit more incentive to fit you in at short notice? You may need to take an adapter so that he can plug in the mains lead? Many so called leisure batteries are not and there is a lot of re badging of ordinary batteries going on to get a higher price. Note also there is often more variation in batteries of the same make that there is between makes and the experience of many of us on here is that just because it is a new battery does not mean it will work and there have been times when it has taken two or three goes to get a decent battery fitted. Experience also suggests that many battery warranties have more holes in them than a collander which is why it is better to buy locally and either get an unconditional no quibble warranty or buy from a qualified supplier who will be able to help you when it fails again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camocam1 Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 battery I have collected as a 100amp Yuasa unfortunately we have no auto electricians in the town as the last one retired start of the year but assume caravan service centre should be able to check the charger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Can't speak for leisure but Yuasa are a good brand in the auto and motorcycle world. Personally I would prefer a properly trained and experienced auto electrician to a caravan electrician unless he too has experience of motorhomes because the electrical systems on a motor home are a hybrid of car plus caravan set up and the correct interaction of both parts is crucial. However needs must and if the caravan man can sort you out all well and good! If not a Google for mobile motorhome auto electrician in your area might be another option? Are you anywhere near Telford as Dave Newell is very good at sorting this sort of thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camocam1 Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 wish I was near Dave but unfortunately up in the NORTH of Scotland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveB123 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 The battery voltage is displayed on the panel above the door it should read about 14.5v max when on EHU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 You should be able to check the charge yourself, buy a 5 quid multimeter (normally very accurate these days). When charging the voltage should gradually rise until it reaches about 14.3 volts (the exact voltage depends on the charger) and if it is a wet cell battery should hold the voltage for about an hour, then drop to a maintenance voltage of 13.6 - 13.8 volts, if it's a Gel battery should hold the 14.3 volts for about 8 hours before dropping to 13.6 volts. A faulty charger that's cooking a battery is either charging a higher voltage, i.e. above 14.5 volts or once the battery is charged is not dropping back to the maintenance voltage. Also check the setting on the charger if set to Gel and you have a wet cell battery it will over charge it. If it does not tell you in the charge instructions the charging regime, give the manufacturer a ring, then you will know what voltages etc., to expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agedone Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 If the battery is hot then it is probably boiling, Not good. I have posted this elsewhere but I make no apologies for re posting here, it may save a life! The saga began when I fitted a CO alarm; it kept sounding so I asked Camping and Caravan Club. They said: "You have a fault with your battery as in normal conditions a CO alarm is 7 time more sensitive to hydrogen than CO. Do not carry on charging the battery it s gassing off due to excessive charge rate and will need replacing. It could be a faulty charger that has caused the problem so this needs checking out. It should also be noted that the battery should be vented to outside and not allow the hydrogen to build up (which is highly combustible) where any switching could cause an explosion." So I had a look at the batteries and one was very hot!. We have two Dynamic 85 batteries and the label says the level should be checked every six months. So I started to check the hot battery and the first cell was dry, off to Halfords and bought some water. Filled up the first cell and continued along the battery. The last cell seemed to be taking a lot but on inspection there was crack down the end of the battery and the electrolyte was coming out, not good! Frantic search for socket set etc, seat off, battery out, lots of kitchen roll and dark thoughts! New battery bought and started to put into position and realised that the battery was not supported along its length, (only about two thirds), the unsupported end being the one with the crack. Now both batteries have a support under them. I admit that I treat most things that I pay for maintenance for as “black boxes” and pay them scant attention, perhaps I should trust people less. The moral of the story is probably that if an alarm sounds then there is a problem, (I just kept moving the alarm outdoors!) Also do not forget to check those levels every six months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul- Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 I'm a bit late but it sounds like the battery has a cell down and the battery charger is trying to put 13 plus volts into a now 10volt battery. If you buy a hydrometer for a couple of pounds it will tell you the battery electrolyte readings and whether its past its sell by date and the colour of the acid will tell you if it really does have a cell down. A multimeter costing about a fiver will also show if its a charger problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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