Hi, my leisure battery voltage is 12.74. My main battery is 12.4v. Am I right in thinking that this cannot be parasitic draw as the leisure battery is healthier than the main battery? The split charge system is off. I was thinking it might be a failed relay.
I only have a few days before the off, any help appreciated!
There is a possibility that the vehicle battery is not being charged by the alternator or that the battery has come to the end of it's life. The way to check is to get a voltmeter and with the ignition switched off take a reading of the vehicle battery which I presume is 12.4 volts then start up the engine and take a second reading which should be much higher possibly around 13.7 volts. This then proves that the battery is receiving the charge from the alternator so can be eliminated from the problem leaving the cause solely with the battery. The steps then is to take the vehicle battery to an auto centre or garage where they will undertake a drop test to determine if the battery is faulty and needs replacing.
Well it seems unlikely to be the alternator. Voltage = 14.4v after a 58 mile run.
If current can only go one way, higher to lower (except for diodes switches and relays, etc) and leisure battery was higher than the main battery, the main charges but discharges over around 5 days, it seems like the battery needs replacing. It looks new, but it sits inside the vehicle under a cover, so maybe its just deceptive.
I don't have an alarm, just a radio which is ignition on. Then the standard gubbins like interior lights.
I'm thinking the beautiful new looking battery is a culprit that will cost less to replace and see than the autoelectrician to look for parasitic draw! (Or replace the battery with their mega expensive one!) They're very good, but very expensive!
I would always go for a top quality battery.
I have just replaced both my car and motorcycle batteries ( parasitic draw on my bank account ! ) My car is start/stop technology so the batteries are expensive anyhow but went for Bosch and on my bike Yuasa , my bike ( scooter ) btw showed little signs of battery failure but when I went to go out one evening she was as dead as a Dodo despite being kept on a Ctek maintenance charger so personally I would change your main battery ASAP.
Quote: Originally posted by Susec3 on 03/9/2022
Well it seems unlikely to be the alternator. Voltage = 14.4v after a 58 mile run.
If current can only go one way, higher to lower (except for diodes switches and relays, etc) and leisure battery was higher than the main battery, the main charges but discharges over around 5 days, it seems like the battery needs replacing. It looks new, but it sits inside the vehicle under a cover, so maybe its just deceptive.
I don't have an alarm, just a radio which is ignition on. Then the standard gubbins like interior lights.
I'm thinking the beautiful new looking battery is a culprit that will cost less to replace and see than the autoelectrician to look for parasitic draw! (Or replace the battery with their mega expensive one!) They're very good, but very expensive!
Unless you have a really old radio that doesn't have pre-set tuning it will have two feeds. One controlled by the ignition which will turn the radio off when you switch the ignition off, and a second feed which is permanently live. The permanently live feed is what maintains the pre-set tuning and any other settings such as a clock when the ignition is turned off. The permanently live feed to the radio is only a very tiny current drain, but it is still there. Over a few days and with a good battery it will be unnoticeable, but over a longer period of time it can make a difference.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Battery problem - Leisure or main?
via mobile 03/9/2022 at 8:17am
