Winter battery
Our second hand Burstner motorhome's main battery does not hold it's charge for more than 2 weeks, the battery was changed this year as the previous one also went dead quickly. The dealership changed the first battery ( so we were told) but surely a battery holds a charge longer than 2 weeks. They say we have to take it for a run every 2 weeks , (but the manual says monthly) which is not really possible as it is in storage a fair distance away from our home. I can leave a car for a month or more with no problem so what is the problem? We have disconnected the alarm as a source that could be a drain on the battery with no improvement .
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A fully charged battery in good condition should hold its charge for some months but there will be a current drain in your motorhome which will cause it to lose charge, for example, alarm and Tracker. Even so, I would expect that the battery should still hold its charge for a month and if it’s only 2 weeks there is possibly a problem. Two possibilities. First is that the battery is not being properly charged which could happen if the battery wa severely discharged then “topped up with a very basic (non intelligent) charger. You would expect a Burstner to have a decent charger but maybe it is not working properly. The voltage and current needs to be sustained at specific levels during the charging process and if this is not happening the battery may appear to be at full voltage (around 12.7 volts) but not actually fully charged. Alternatively, maybe the vehicle alternator is not charging the battery when you take it for a run. This is a common fault.
Second possibility is that you have some 12volt circuit which is staying on and draining the battery. Difficult to track this down unless you have test equipment but check the obvious things and maybe pull some of the fuses. If you take it into a dealer who has a decent electrician they will be able to stick a meter in the circuit and check if any current is flowing.
Good luck!
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agree with Hitch above...
here's just a possible clue from my own experience...
our van, new Jan '17, Fiat base, came with a 'high tech' touch screen PIoneer radio, satnav system...
despite a 100w solar panel on the roof, the vehicle battery went flat within a few days...
to cut a long story short, this Pioneer unit was drawing 1.8 amp when in 'standby' and can draw 10amps when fully functioning...
i didn't believe the manual, and phoned pioneer to confirm, which incredibly they did...
i 'cured' the problem by pulling out the 'security' panel on the front of the unit which completely disables it and had no flat battery issues since then.
we also have an 'entertainment' button which would probably acheive the same result by turning it off.
if you have a head unit similar to this, try removing the security panel.
good luck.
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There is a lot going on in your vehicle while you are not there. The ECU is happily checking to see if you want to open the central locking and it’s got to keep the time and date correct. Think when Fiat designed the Ducato they never thought that it would not move or be stated for a couple of weeks. A solar panel on the roof will keep the battery topped up. Only other way is to disconnect the battery.
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I would suggest, if you haven't already got them, is to fit a Solar panel (as much as your finances run to and roof space allows) and a B2B between Leisure battery and Starter battery to keep all batteries topped up wherever and whenever you aren't using the vehicle.
I have that system and haven't needed to be on hook up at home or away for the last five years at least.
It certainly doesn't need a run every week or two to keep the battery charged but it only needs a run occasionally to make sure the mechanical parts don't seize up and work correctly.
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Try the TV amplifier, they need to be turned off manually.
Also, the fridge may need to be turned to off, some stay on unless you select off.
Batteries should last months.
I fit a large Anderson connector in line and unplug it when in storage, I also have a solar panel (wired independently) and controller to keep them healthy.
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