Leisure Batteries

Cannot help regarding the vechline regulator  other than to say if you are replacing the batteries, make sure the regulator settings match the battery type.

It very much sounds like your leisure batteries have had their day and you would be wise to replace both. Once you have done that, I would check the system both on and off charge. On charge you should see an excess of 13 volts across all batteries and when fully charged and off charge 12.8 volts. You should never discharge lead acid batteries below 11.2 volts.

peedee

I would agree you clearly need new batteries. As understand it if you have two leisure batteries its good practise to  replace both so you have a two batteries in the same condition. With regard to the solar panel you could check that it is actually wired up to charge the cab battery, mine wasn't! If both batteries are wired to be charged there should be two pairs of wires coming from the output side of the controller. Even when the cab battery is set up to charge from solar it is often only set at 10% of the total charge. If you don't use the van much over winter that might not be enough to keep the cab battery sufficiently charged. Good Luck.

David

Sondardo

"I connected the motorhome up as the leisure battery was around 8volt although it was okay until we changed the main battery (do not know if this is related). It has a solar panel that tops it up."

Sadly, the solar panel far from "tops it up", or probably it could have been a case that it could not..

The 8 volts spells trouble and relates to the battery overheating, most likely one of two things.

First a cell has gone short so what had been a 6 cell battery was only an 5 cell battery, but then each cell was severely abused by the charger treating it as a 6 cell battery; over charging.

Secondly it could simply have run down so low that that has in itself wrecked the battery, the longer it was in such a low state the more severe the damaging effect would be.

Whatever, the battery is now wrecked and has to be changed, it's unwise practice to change just one of a matched pair. Then, once replaced it is vital that the charging systems are checked to ensure they now function. The issue in the first place might have been they were not functioning so the battery suffered, however the overheating of the battery itself could have damaged the charging system so it needs checking.

If you are replacing two leisure batteries you might want to consider lithium. We changed our one lead acid battery for  a larger capacity lithium and besides additional energy we had a weight saving. You might also want to try and work out what size solar panel you have. Ours is 120w and has trickle charged the battery for most of the winter, so far. You also need to keep a regular check on battery voltages.

When considering going to lithium you also have to consider whether the rest of your system is up to the job of keeping a different battery in tip top condition. Can your battery charger and solar power regulator be set to efficiently care for lithium and is your alternator also up to the job of getting the best out of a  lithium battery.

peedee

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the feedback - I will get some new batteries.  I will leave the investment for Lithium for another day.  Just one more thing - if you can help - the picture attached shows the module for the solar panel, it has various numbers in the digital display.  The manual does not explain very well what the numbers mean and I have put it to "0" - not sure if that is correct.

Anyone else have this type?

Thanks again

I had a look at the manual online and it didn't make much sense to me. On my Truma controller I can set the type of battery, I can set what percentage of the charge goes where but that seems missing from your controller. Perhaps you need a new controller as well as batteries?

David

Hi everyone,

I have changed the leisure batteries (and as David has suggested will possibly change the solar controller).  When charging off the main or whilst the van its running they are showing 14volts (whilst charging) - does that reading appear to be okay or excessive?

Thanks yet again

John

That should be fine. The voltage should drop to a trickle or float charge from you battery charger as the batteries become charged. make sure this is less than 13.7 volts and should settle to about 12.8 volts when off charge with no load.

Re your regulator, I haven't seen a handbook but from the photos you displayed there may not be any adjustments for battery type. Your table may be a display for an auxillary function, I am guessing for powering a light from the solar panel and battery?

Has this auxillary function been connected to your engine battery?

peedee