Bojitoes Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Hi All We are on a site in Yorkshire and have come back from pub to find strange smell in van and a sound like morse code coming from the leisure battery under the passenger seat. The leisure battery is hot to the touch. Any suggestions as to action / cure much appreciated. battery is about 3 years old and never experienced this before. Van is Roller Team 500, 2009 on 2.2l ford transit. Thanks bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 If your on hookup switch off charger or unplug, check electrolyte levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camocam1 Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Disconnect from EHU immediately as battery is overcharging and giving off posionis gasses and if left could even explode. I had this a week or so back with a 2 year old battery, you will have a duff cell which is not charging so the charger keeps going If it is not a sealed battery check the levels and top up with distilled water ( boiled cooled water will do at a push) if you have a voltage reader on your control panel it should be reading about 13.5 when charging Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Do you have solar panels - if so disconnect as the regulator maybe kaput and bunging too high a voltage into the battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bojitoes Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 Have disconnected EHU noise stopped smell gone but think it is a sealed battery Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Make sure the battery is disconnected ( remove negative lead) before starting the engine, so the alternator does not attempt to charge the battery. You have done the right thing disconnecting the ECU 1st in case there are any sparks disconnecting the battery. Make sure everything is switched off before disconnecting battery and fan/ventilate battey area as a precaution with fresh air to remove any gas built up around the battery before disconnecting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camocam1 Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 If its a sealed battery then you will probably need a new one Not 100% sure but think you now have 2 options till you can get a new battery Let battery cool down then reconnect (but no EHU) and hopefully you will have enough charge to get lights and pump to work but No 240v so need fridge / water on gas Leave battery disconnected but connect EHU and your 240v should work but you will not have pump or ignitor for cooker as they work off 12v Maybe someone can confirm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I've just replaced two 3 month old 115 a/h batteries because one exploded last week. Fortunately it's in an outside locker made of glass fibre, so no damage to van. If it had been inside it would have been a disaster. I checked the cells and one was dead. As they were connected in parallel it discharged the other one to 11 volts = knackered. I took them back to Sutterton Caravans and the boss replaced both of them without a quibble. What a gentleman, he was most concerned at what the outcome could have been. I heard the explosion from my garden, but thought it was a gas explosion down the road, it was that loud and blew the case apart. Don't underestimate the power of Hydrogen gas in a confined space, and keep a close eye on those potential bombs inside your vans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Peter I know that, in January this year, you were seriously considering replacing your motorhome’s 12V batteries with a pair of series-connected 6V ones. I think I recall you subsequently saying that you had subsequently chosen not to do this (and this is clearly confirmed by your “11 volts = knackered” comment), but I can’t find any reference to which brand/type of battery you eventually chose. Although any battery - however good its reputation - can develop a fault, it might be useful to know which ones you opted for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Hi Derek The batteries I bought were from MonBat and were 115A/H deep cycle leisure marine and recreation. The code on them is, XLM 110E. Brambles seems to think they are a pretty good make, having just found this past thread. http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Hints-and-Tips/leisure-battery-which-to-buy-/26707/31/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 So what caused it to explode? Surely you need a spark or something to ignite the Hydrogen? Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Peter, where did you get your monbats from? I am trying to find a supplier in the UK. Monbat have, like all battery manufactures do over time, changed their available range. The latest lines being sealed flooded but appear to have a very good spec.....I just cannot find a UK supplier with my feeble searching this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 peter - 2014-08-07 12:13 AM I took them back to Sutterton Caravans... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Brambles - 2014-08-07 9:59 PM Peter, where did you get your monbats from? I am trying to find a supplier in the UK. Monbat have, like all battery manufactures do over time, changed their available range. The latest lines being sealed flooded but appear to have a very good spec.....I just cannot find a UK supplier with my feeble searching this evening.Mine are not sealed and have top up caps. I got them from Sutterton Caravans. For details see here. https://www.norwichcamping.co.uk/products/monbat-xl-110e-leisure-battery/ And here. http://www.easystartbatteries.co.uk/products/leisure-batteries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Keithl - 2014-08-07 9:16 PM So what caused it to explode? Surely you need a spark or something to ignite the Hydrogen? Keith.I suppose the duff cell shorted out or the severe gassing may have done it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Hi Peter, Thanks for info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bojitoes Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Thanks for all the help and advice received the other day. we disconnected from EHU and then remembered that there is an isolator which prevents the leisure battery receiving a charge. We undid this and were able to hook up again without a problem for the last couple of days. My friendly local service company tell me the leisure battery needs to be replaced, despite it being less than 3 years old and so I have started to investigate the market- what a nightmare. There are several other threads on here at the moment relating to the same topic but, in all honesty, if you are not mechanically / DIY minded most of the info goes way over the head. I would have thought that if you mostly stay on sites with only a couple of days at a time not on EHU then trying to identify a replacement battery that you can fit yourself would not be a problem, my handbook says an 80 - 100a/h is required but does not give recommended dimensions for under seat fitting -do mobile service engineers do this sort of work does anybody know? yours in confusion Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Bob, Contact Bannings Tyre & Battery in Lichfield Road, Aston and ask them for a price of a Varta leisure battery fitted. They did me a good deal on one to fit myself a while ago and price matched the best price on line. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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