Member Since: 08 Mar 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 1477
Caravan flat battery
Haven't been in the caravan since it was packed up in October. I forgot that this is our first van with an alarm, so there is a continual battery drain.
No surprise, checked today and the leisure battery is as flat as a pancake, so some questions:
Is it likely to be wrecked?
What is the best way to charge it from flat - plug the van into the mains and let the on board charger do it or use my Ctek mxs25 (is the Ctek ok on a leisure battery)?
Anything I need to watch out for when charging from this state (it is really is flat, the digital voltage display in the van won't even illuminate let alone show what the voltage of the battery is, haven't had chance to get a multimeter on it).
7th Feb 2016 6:04 pm
Russell
Member Since: 23 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
If it is flat completley I would possibly take it out of the caravan battery box and charge it slowly on a trickle charge in a well ventilated area.MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
MY15 D4 HSE Kaikoura Stone
MY12 D4 HSE Nara Bronze Sold and gone
MY11 D4 HSE Stornaway Grey Sold and gone
D3 S spec Silver Sold and gone
Tow bar, full length roof bars, side steps, tow bar storage unit, surround camers.
D4 camera club
7th Feb 2016 6:07 pm
armalites
Member Since: 17 Aug 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 1918
Sometimes a charger won't even start charging if it is that flat. If you put a good battery in parallel and hook them both to the charger it will sometimes get round the problem.
I have found the sometimes the MXS25 is too much for a really flat battery and my MXS7 does a better job.IID PRO
MSV Extreme
Nanocom One
7th Feb 2016 6:10 pm
discoteca
Member Since: 08 Mar 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 1477
I've also got an old, relatively low tech, 5A charger. Is the conclusion that I would be better to start off with that then?
I have owned caravans for 36 years. what I would do in your case ,is remove van battery and charge on the bench ,so to speak, check the state of charge after say 3 hours , to charge fully it could take up to 24 hours to fully charge , check the acid level before you do anything, if battery is sealed nothing to check, just charge. But due to the length of time battery has been discharged it may be dead. good luck, Den.
7th Feb 2016 6:16 pm
discoteca
Member Since: 08 Mar 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 1477
I'm also going slightly mad, I was reading about the Ctek MXS25 earlier and had it on the brain - mine is actually an MXS10
7th Feb 2016 6:18 pm
discoteca
Member Since: 08 Mar 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 1477
Thanks for replies, is there any danger in hooking up a completely dead battery to a 10A charger?
7th Feb 2016 6:20 pm
waterbuoy
Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: Argyll
Posts: 2929
If is as flat as you suggest then the CTEK may fail to register it as a battery. In that case you can sometimes 'fool' it by connecting the charger up as a 12V source for a few hours and then put it into recondition mode.
Good luck Currently 2009 Disco 3 SE, 2013 MY D4 HSE and 2016 D4 SE
Previously:
TD5 Defender 110 CSW (230k miles)
300TDi Disco 1 (289k)
4 RR Classics (300-350k each, 2 manual, 2 auto)
110 V8 CSW (220k)
S3 109 hi cap pickup (ex RN)
S2A 88 Safari SW with lpg conversion (bloody lethal)
I don't think so ,just charge for a few hours and then check if battery is holding charge, if so charge fully. Den.
7th Feb 2016 6:23 pm
discoteca
Member Since: 08 Mar 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 1477
Thanks, I have a spare battery (that came off the D4) so might give armalites suggestion a try and connect them in parallel to charge in the first instance.
7th Feb 2016 6:25 pm
THUB
Member Since: 10 Dec 2005
Location: West Berkshire.
Posts: 717
+1 for blackdog 1's reply except that I have had caravans since 1969! My answer remains the same.
7th Feb 2016 6:26 pm
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8244
The caravan charger will not recognise it, your D4 battery will be a AGM type battery, I have charged a completely flat battery, same scenario as you with a Ctek 7amp charger successfully, the charger may seem to do nothing for 3-4 hours.
If the "AGM " battery is charged remove the caravan battery, check acid level is ok and connect it to the AGM battery and leave it overnight, this should put enough power into it for the Ctek to take over and hopefully charge it.It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
7th Feb 2016 6:54 pm
tayaste
Member Since: 15 May 2013
Location: Chester
Posts: 7633
I need a new van battery, ours is about 5 years old now. Any good suggestions?
7th Feb 2016 7:03 pm
discoteca
Member Since: 08 Mar 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 1477
M3DPO wrote:
The caravan charger will not recognise it, your D4 battery will be a AGM type battery, I have charged a completely flat battery, same scenario as you with a Ctek 7amp charger successfully, the charger may seem to do nothing for 3-4 hours.
If the "AGM " battery is charged remove the caravan battery, check acid level is ok and connect it to the AGM battery and leave it overnight, this should put enough power into it for the Ctek to take over and hopefully charge it.
Thanks, very helpful. D4 is a 2010 so the battery that came off was not AGM (replacement was). D4s didn't start to come with AGM as std until 2011 I think.
7th Feb 2016 7:14 pm
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8244
Tayaste:
Buy a new D3 battery from Tayna and use your old one in the 'van, I used my old D3 battery for 4 years after it "failed" to start the Disco. It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
