1999 Duetto charging unit

Dear Members,

Usually when I plug in the 230v hook up to the van the green 'charging' light comes on, and stays on. As of yesterday the light went off. I thought it might be because the battery was fully charged but that was not the case. When I checked the manual it states: ''If the current rating is exceeded the light will go out. The circuit is self resetting  when the load is reduced to the units specification''.

Has anyone experienced this and how does it occur? I had it hooked up to a household supply and it's never happened before. Could this be indicative of a fault with the charging unit?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Dan

Dan - it could be indicative of a fault in the charger, or the problem could be elsewhere. Firstly you need to check that all of the mains circuit breakers are turned on and that mains power is getting to the other mains appliances in the van. Then you need to check whether you have a separate switch for the power supply/charger and, if so, whether it is turned on.

Typically the over-current cutout on this type of charger is thermal - it trips when it gets too hot and resets as it cools. If you access the charger itself you will know if that is happening, as it will get quite warm.

If the charger is remaining cold and you are confident that mains power is getting to it, it's fairly safe to assume that it has failed, though it's always wise to test a unit on the bench before buying a replacement, as sometimes it's the wiring that's at fault and not the charger!

Roopert wrote:Dan - it could be indicative of a fault in the charger, or the problem could be elsewhere. Firstly you need to check that all of the mains circuit breakers are turned on and that mains power is getting to the other mains appliances in the van. Then you need to check whether you have a separate switch for the power supply/charger and, if so, whether it is turned on.

Typically the over-current cutout on this type of charger is thermal - it trips when it gets too hot and resets as it cools. If you access the charger itself you will know if that is happening, as it will get quite warm.

If the charger is remaining cold and you are confident that mains power is getting to it, it's fairly safe to assume that it has failed, though it's always wise to test a unit on the bench before buying a replacement, as sometimes it's the wiring that's at fault and not the charger!

Roopert, thanks. The fridge, water heater and one of the overhead cabin lights were all working on 230v so power was getting through, but I just dont know if it is charging the battery. Circuit breakers were all ON, but I cant seem to find a separate switch for the power supply/charger.

Dan

Unfortunately it varies a lot from van to van - on my Flair - which was the same age as your Duetto - there was no switch, and the charger was hidden under a cupboard floor, but on other conversions they put them at the back of cupboards, sometimes with a hole through the covering panel so that you can access the switch.

Really all you can do is explore everywhere and find out as much as you can about the quirks of your particular van.

As a starting point, have you managed to uncover the charger itself to determine if it is getting warm?

On my 1996 Duetto the battery charger switch is at the back of the cupboard under the cooker.

Achilles heel wrote:On my 1996 Duetto the battery charger switch is at the back of the cupboard under the cooker.

Yes there is a switch there, didnt know what it was for, but do now, cheers.
Dan

Roopert wrote:Unfortunately it varies a lot from van to van - on my Flair - which was the same age as your Duetto - there was no switch, and the charger was hidden under a cupboard floor, but on other conversions they put them at the back of cupboards, sometimes with a hole through the covering panel so that you can access the switch.

Really all you can do is explore everywhere and find out as much as you can about the quirks of your particular van.

As a starting point, have you managed to uncover the charger itself to determine if it is getting warm?

I have not had the guts to take the charger unit out yet, but if when i try to hook it up to the power again the light still does not come on, then i will take the panel off the charger unit and see what I can see.