julied0 Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 We have recently purchased a 2005 Knaus Sun TI 650 and are experiencing problems with the batteries discharging when left for a few days. Investigation has shown that the starter battery has been linked in parallel with the leisure battery. This does not comply with the Knaus Calira wiring diagram. Does anyone know why this would have been done (is this a standard modification or are we the only one)? Having fitted two new batteries we are trying to locate the cause of the current drain. With the current wiring the battery display information cannot be accurate and I am contemplating changing the wiring to match the diagram. Any advice is welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickt Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Take it back and ask what they have done to wiring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julied0 Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 Hello Mickt. Thank you for replying. Unfortunately the modification was not carried out by the previous owner (this was a private purchase) and we have no contact details of the owners before this so this is not an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickt Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Just an idea but when you say the two batteries have been linked together , is it possible that you have a battery mate fitted. Is there a small black box with a wire to either batteries, possitive connection and one earth wire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julied0 Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 We have just checked and there is no battery mate. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomongrundy Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 This may not be relevant to your battery discharge but on my 2008 Knaus Sport Fridge/Freezer there was a heater element to stop the doors freezing shut. If this element is on all the time it will drain the battery quite quickly. There is a button somewhere on the appliance to switch it off – seek and you will find! I've just found a picture of the switch - if you'd like me to post it let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julied0 Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 Hi Solomongrundy Thanks but the fridge and all leisure appliances are off including the Truma water heater dump valve. I have now disconnected the Calira battery charger and am monitoring the voltages in a process of elimination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 It would be normal practice with a Continental European-built motorhome when the vehicle’s motor is started for the starter-battery and leisure-battery to be connected in parallel via a voltage-sensing relay (a coupler/separator) that ‘reads’ the voltage of the starter-battery and (once that voltage is sufficiently high) parallel-connects the leisure-battery. Plainly, once the vehicle’s motor is stopped, the coupler/separator that has ‘coupled’ the two batteries together must now ‘separate’ them, otherwise discharging the leisure-battery would also discharge the starter-battery and, when the vehicle’s motor is next started, the leisure-battery would provide some of the motor-starting effort - a purpose it might well not have been designed for. You haven’t said what your investigation has involved (though it should be reasonably easy to detect whether or not the two batteries are permanently parallel-connected) but it’s much more likely that the present situation is the result of an equipment fault (eg. a defective coupler/separator) than a deliberate modification some time in the motorhome’s past. The following link is to a Calira Charger-related discussion on the Knaus Motorhome Owners Club (GB) website. http://www.knausowners.com/4.html If you wantede more information and an expert opinion, you might try the company mentioned there. http://www.atlanticmotorhomeservices.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julied0 Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 Thanks again to everyone who responded. My husband has a confession ... in his own words ... "I have been a complete arse" and we now understand what is going on (and can move on). Best regards to you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKen1 Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 julied0 - 2015-05-12 12:00 PM Thanks again to everyone who responded. My husband has a confession ... in his own words ... "I have been a complete arse" and we now understand what is going on (and can move on). Best regards to you all. Be interested to know "what is going on " being a Knaus owner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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