2002 Mobilvetta Driver 52 Split charger

Poppylewis
Poppylewis Forum Participant Posts: 2
edited August 2021 in Motorhomes #1

Has anyone replaced the Italian CT elettronica AL6300 split charger on a 2002 Fiat Mobilvetta Driver 52 motorhome?

I have 240 volt AC  input but no 20 amp DC output.  Consequently, the leisure battery loses charge on site when hooked up.  The relay from the vehicle battery system is ok and charges the leisure battery when on the road.  The 240 volt supply to the sockets and fridge is ok but the interior lights go dim on site because the 12 volt supply is being depleted.

I have talked to an auto-electrician who suggested that a 20 amp Durite charger might be a suitable replacement (3 pin AC input and two screw terminals for the 14 volt DC output).  However, we are both at a loss to know what the third output terminal (with one red wire connected through a push connector) does.

With the charger in circuit, the main control panel lights up but disconnecting the third output terminal doesn't make any difference to any of the lights on the control panel.

The only fault on the control panel is that the 240 volt telltale doesn't light up - it may have failed when the charger burnt out but it is not essential as I know when I am connected to a hook up and can put a tester plug in to check on European sites where polarity might be reversed.

I have opened up the charger casing, changed the glass fuses (which blew immediately I reconnected the charger) and cleaned up the PCB and contacts but my auto-electrician thinks that it may be a burnt out capacitor.  However, he doesn't work on 240 volt systems.  All the external wiring is ok - there is 240 volts going into the charger and the DC side is feeding back over 12 volts from the leisure battery.  The issue is the failure of the charger itself.

It looks to be a simple exchange - if something like a Durite will be a straight swop for the CT elettronica unit.

Anyone with any ideas? 

Thanks

Poppylewis

 

 

Comments

  • TB2
    TB2 Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited September 2021 #2

    Hi - perhaps you've resolved this now, but I wonder if the mystery terminal is the D+ line which energises when the alternator is showing positive output?

    We have just bought a Mobilvetta Top Driver 62 year 2000 and I'm trying to find my way around the electronics. I've emailed CT Elettronica for any available tech info but not heard back yet. Happy to share anything useful - so far I've only gleaned a couple of snippets here and there off the web. I do have a manual for the van but only has a very simple overview of the electrics.

    FWIW my newbie impression is that in it's day it was a quality build and the electrics look well speced and installed. Our charger is marked up as model "ALIM6" and is rated at 300W input with output marked as 20A max and 13.8V DC. The output looks like it supplies the leisure battery and the control panel in parallel. 

    I'll try and add some reduced size pics later. 

    If if you have any pics of yours, including inside the casing I'd be interested to see them. 

  • TB2
    TB2 Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited September 2021 #3

    Update - CT Elettronica could not help. They assigned all their Motorhome intellectual property rights to Mobilvetta in 2005. I've redirected my enquiry to Mobilvetta. Will let you know progress. 

  • TB2
    TB2 Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited September 2021 #4

    PS - I forgot to say: are your fuses blowing because they are not "time delay" specification? On my charger the fuse rating is marked as T2A - I think this might mean time delay is required?

  • Poppylewis
    Poppylewis Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited January 2022 #5

    TB2

    Thanks for the responses.  The delay in my response is that I fitted a Durite 0-647-20 charger that appeared to work but has now failed.  I've just had my Driver 52 habitation service done at Spinney in Queensferry but they say that the Durite charger is not charging the leisure battery.  There is a 240 volt AC input but no output.  I haven't spoken to the service engineer yet but they seem to think that the problem is the charger and not the wiring circuit.  The engine alternator seems to be charging the leisure battery via its relay but I'm not even sure of that as the only run I've been on is the 15 miles to Spinney from my home on the Wirral.   I didn't have any problems with fuses blowing except the two glass fuses inside the old CT Eletronnica unit.  I think that the original problem with the Eletronnica unit was water ingress, as the charger sits above the motorhome entrance door and the vent cap had been knocked off by a low-hanging branch in France.  I have replaced it but I think that water had got in.  I think that I will have to get back in touch with Durite as the charger is within its 12 month warranty period (I hope!).

     

     

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