Kingham Vehicle Battery

Friend thought he had bargain with cheaper one, started small engine okay, would not start large diesel! Also would not retain charge unless regularly charged, this one not been used for a year and still fully charged.

woodlice wrote:it's happening to me when I have the leisure battery selected
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Sargent say it should only trigger at 10.9v plus only when vehicle battery is selected

What Sargent have told you is consistent with my experience.
Except that mine is set to 12.4V but I have not had a low vehicle battery alarm when leisure is selected and never at a voltage above 12.4V.

Could it be that you initially had the vehicle battery selected?
Then the voltage dropped due to the load of the hab area.
Then you get 12.4V alarm, if you don't acknowledge the alarm then it switches to leisure battery itself. Then the vehicle voltage rises as the load is gone.
Just a suggestion.

I will never run my van off the vehicle battery but I have found the vehicle battery selected on my van when I have not selected it myself.
When your on EHU the system can decide to charge the vehicle battery, if you then unhook at this point, even if you switch off the EC500 (not shutdown), then when you switch on again the vehicle battery is still selected even if you didn't consciously want it.

I have found I have to be on top of which battery is the selected battery, especially coming off EHU.

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Hi Don,
Thks for info. Last time it happened I wasn't on hook up and I do check that there's no light on the PSU on the battery select switch which would indicate vehicle battery selected.
In fact I'm getting a bit paranoid about it as it makes you think it's not going to start!

When it’s happened to me have always been on leisure battery, alarm shows vehicle battery low, which not using!

Mel-c different subject but how long does it take to get down to 12.5v mine only takes about 16 to 24 hours depending on temperature? As mine was second hand I don't know the history of the battery

Yes about the same, that’s with solar panel and smart charger in operation, although winter weather not much sun shine!

Well I thought it was poor and something was up but I guess it's the modern way! Also my battery knowledge is very old school so maybe modern batterys show lower rest voltage. 12.5 or 12.4 is ok but I thought it would take longer to get there although they are being discharged with all the computers and gadgets

It's a bit worrying if your camping without hook up and it's very overcast. Does that mean you have only 2 to 3 days before you run into starting trouble.

That was on solar charge only on a dull day.

Just so others know I can also confirm the sergent units voltage display is accurate as I had the floor up to test with a multimeter

Had exactly the same problem it was driving me mad. Eventually I found a burnt connection in the red plug that goes in the EC500.

Bobash, is it easy to get at to check?