Weird Battery Problem - Experts Advise Required

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Ran the heating in MH off leisure battery(110 A/h). Lasted about 20 minutes.

 

Measured battery capacity with proper tester 73 A/h left.

 

Put on charge and checked charge current lest than 1 Amp. Capacity did not come back up.

 

Took battery out and put on another charger at about 8 Amps. Capacity then dropped to 65 A/h (Charger round right way otherwise you get some huge sparks). Left battery off charge and it regenerated to 83A/h.

 

I am assuming that battery is dud and as it is less than two years old waiting to see if covered by warranty. In the meantime, any ideas?

[Clive]

I told you lot not to have diesel heaters but you wouldn,t listen!. If you had a Truma or an old Carver you would still be warm (and not deaf either) even if the battery had walked to the garage to get charged!.

 

P.S. How do you arrive at all those ampere hour figures?

 

Have you checked out the actual battery terminal volts with a digital volt meter during mains hookup to check the on board charger is working correctly?

 

C.

 

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The heater is a Truma 6002E

 

 

ACT Intellegent battery tester used to determine capacity

 

Charge voltage as should be on MH and also correct at charger

[Terrytraveller]

Hi Hamish,

 

Had exactly the same problem with a brand new Starfire when collected at Brownhills, Newark. Heater ran for 20 mins and then run fail fault occurred (Eberspacher), due to what seemed a fully charged battery expiring.

 

Trouble is when the battery gets to be really low, around 10.5 volts and not recharged immediately, it will be damaged beyond resurrection. As far as I know the only way to see the battery charge is to measure the specific gravity, even sensitive voltmeters will not give an accurate reading of battery state unless the battery is under a known load, off load voltage readings do not give a real indication of battery condition or stamina.

 

For the purpose of the test below, any charger will be okay, the charger in the MH will usually charge at 13.8 volts, specialist chargers will sometimes charge around 14.4 volts, which will give the battery some extra capacity, but for this test any working charger will be okay.

 

So the best way to test battery condition, is to fully charge it, leave for 24 hrs off charge, off load voltage should be around 13.1 to 12.8 volts, load the battery with a known load, say a 12 volt TV which is around 3 to 4 amps, your TV should run for at least 15 hrs on a 110 amp battery or 10 hours on a 85 amp battery. If the time running the TV is significantly less your battery is bad.

 

I use the Elecsol battery which is claimed not to be damaged if run to below 10.5 volts, I have certainly run it down to that value a few times, and it is constantly overcharged (in my view) with a regulated solar panel, its lasted 5.5 years now. The only thing I find is it needs topping up at least three times a year, in 12 months it 'drinks' nearly a litre of water!

 

Regards Terry

[colin]

At work boss wreaked a pair of Elecsol's by running them flat on a electric train.

[Terrytraveller]

Mornin Colin

 

They are big things those electric trains >:-)

 

I suppose everything has a life - I am getting fed up with this battery, you know - it keeps going on and on....and on.

 

I have been looking at other premium batteries, fibreglass matt seperated cells etc.. but they are about the same price as the Elecsol - too expensive.

 

I haven't the faith in standard flooded cell batteries, had one blow up once, no warning..... just a big bang and a smell of bad eggs, and don't like gell, so seems I am stuck with the proven technology of carbon fibre... well must be okay.... its has an Ology hasn't it *-)

 

 

Regards Terry

[Clive]

Well,

Most has already been said. If you leave a lead acid battery in a flat condition it will soon be totally knackered. Carbon Fibre batteries are more tollerant to this abuse but not totally imune. If you have deep pockets then use proper TRACTION duty batteries. Those fitted to Golf carts are about the right size for a European MH but if you have a big yank then perhaps some fork lift truck batteries would be better. But None are totally imune to abuse.

 

The problem is of course exaserbated by the increasing dependancy of MH heating systems on battery power. Eberwhatsit being a prime example.

 

If you need an excuse for a solar panel then topping up the battery when the vehicle is parked up for long periods (with no local hookup) is one such excuse.

C.