Battery specifications

Hi, this is Caroline's Dad (Chief Mechanic). The leisure battery has apparently given up the ghost. It registers 0 volts with my meter so I assume that it has an internal short circuit and needs replacing. I also found that the 30 amp fuse between the relay and the leisure battery had blown. When we first purchased the van this same fuse had blown and the leisure battery wasn't charging, but after replacing the fuse all seemed OK. Maybe the battery was on it's way out then. According to the Autosleeper owners manual that we obtained the main battery is 66 amp/hr. I thought I read somewhere that the leisure battery should be similar. Does anyone have the specifications for these batteries as our local garage said that the main battery was the wrong physical size? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, Colin

Hi Colin

Did you measure the voltage at the battery terminals with them disconnected? If you did and are certain your meter is ok then there has been a disastrous failure of the battery - I've never known one to read 0v.

I'm not familiar with the location of the leisure battery in the Trident but you can install one that is of as large a capacity as will physically fit but before you do so check for short circuit/current drain and other faults as normal use will not blow that fuse.

Check with VW for the recommended capacity of the vehicle battery, again as long as it is securely fixed the physical size is irrelevant.

Peter

Hi there,

I agree with Peter - very rare to have absolute zero on voltage.

We us a 65Ah lead-acid Bosch battery from Halfords. It has been A1 since purchase about two years ago.

The secret with any lead-acid battery is to NEVER let it drop below 10.4V and it will last for many years.

Hope this helps.  

Best regards,
 

Hi Colin (Caroline's Dad)
I'm pretty sure you main engine battery should be 63A/hr approx 600A cranking current. To be 100% sure contact a VW main dealer for the specification.

I'm assuming for a 94 2.4 T4, both Engine & Leisure batteries sit side by side in the engine compartment? If so it's a tight fit and I think the original leisure battery was probably around 68A/hr, but physical size is crucial. In this set up A/S have fitted a ply wooden base to take both batteries. If you do need to change them, its worth checking the condition of this base and remaking, as they have a tendancy to rot.

Regards
John

Thanks for the info. Colin