I know its been asked before but despite searching I cannot find anything.
Would someone please be so kind to tell me how to check to see if its the battery or charger which is at fault in our caravan. The charger makes a horrible buzzing noise off and on, but the battery is also old so I'm not sure which one (or both) needs replacing.
The charger should not make a loud noise so it will be faulty. Disconnect battery & charge with a separate charger, leave it disconnected for a couple of weeks. If voltage is still well up, 13v or so, the battery is ok. If battery has removable lids make sure plates are covered, top up with distilled water.
A quick way to check the battery is to turn the charger off and leave a light on. If it goes out quickly and then comes on again when you turn on the charger then it is the battery.
may help.buy a tiny meter like the one at the bottom of the page.touch the battery post and a reading of 7.5 volts means the battery is fully charged.at 7.3 volts its half charged.with the EHU connected the battery will read about 13.5 to 14 volts and means the charger is working.a small meter is about £6.
If I was in this situation I would do the obvious thing. First of all I would take the battery to an auto electrical dealer to have the battery checked. They put an instrument across the two poles and they can tell you if the battery short circuiting by the breakdown of Lead plates inside. It takes less than a minute to check and they don't usually make a charge for payment. If it is then confirmed that the battery is okay then you have your answer, it's obviously the charger. If it's making a buzzing noise then I would go with the charger that is faulty but you have to find the fault by process of elimination.
I think Michael means 12.7v is fully charged and 12.3 is half charged. 11.8 or less is discharged. If the battery charger is connected look for about 13.5v to indicate that charger is working.
------------- 'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'
touch the battery post and a reading of 7.5 volts means the battery is fully charged.at 7.3 volts its half charged.with the EHU connected the battery will read about 13.5 to 14 volts and means the charger is working.a small meter is about £6.
Post last edited on 27/01/2011 10:22:20
Thanks Michael, thats the instructions I was looking for. Someone did give them to me ages ago but I lost them. Have to find where I put the multimeter now!
The battery is old and we intend to replace it with a larger one, but I don't want to do that if the charger is faulty - last thing I want is a new battery being damaged.
Quote: Originally posted by birder99 on 27/1/2011
I think Michael means 12.7v is fully charged and 12.3 is half charged. 11.8 or less is discharged. If the battery charger is connected look for about 13.5v to indicate that charger is working.
yes sorry long day.lol.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
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Topic: Checking Battery
