Leisure battery charging question
Hi, I have a Malibu 600 and the control panel LT 452 control panel. It displays the usual information water levels, battery levels etc..
My question is about charging when plugged in at home. When I plug in the Hook Up lead I get an Orange light in the middle of the display advising 240v is connected. There's a GREEN button I press to activate the internal lights and Water pump / fridge.
Does anyone know if the GREEN button needs to be ON for the Batteries to charge in the VAN?
Or are they charging when just the ORANGE hookup light is on.
Reason I ask is that I accidentally left the GREEN light on and I noticed the batteries were full where's before they are always a little lower than 13.5 :-)
Kind Regards
Mike
Comments
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I'm not familiar with this CP but is it covered in your handbook and have you tried an internet search? Most things can be found courtesy of Mr Google. 👍🏻
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I have tried a Google search on the control panel but I will do as you advise and look in the manual to see if battery charging on hookup is described.
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Battery charging is controlled on/off by switching the charger on and off.
The panel is only there to switch on/off the habitation power (in your picture the power is on) and the power to the entertainment systems, etc, which in your picture is off (not illuminated). You don't have to have the habitation power on to charge the batteries.
The other buttons when pressed just tell you the state of the things. From the top habitation battery, fresh water, waste water, and engine battery.
Carthago provide excellent documentation. It will all be in the books.
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My instructions are in German however thanks to Google translate I have the answer :-) Basically by just plugging the van into 230v Hookup the Leisure battery is charged. However to charge the vehicle battery you have to press the GREEN 12V switch. Below is the translation. I guess this is the same for all Carthago vehicles.?
German - English translation...
Installation
Operation and control panel
Push the input for the vehicle's mains supply to the 230v mains supply.
Power supply led lights up.
The living room battery is charging. For details about the charging functions, see the operating instructions for the associated power supply ebl
Turn on.
The 12v supply of the vehicle is switched on via the corresponding button. The exception is the refrigerator control. It is also ready for operation when the 12v power supply is switched off, see operating instructions for the associated power supply EBL ...
Touch the sensor touch screen main switch 12v on / off.
The green control LED lights up
the living room's 12v supply is switched on.0 -
There you go. Remember that old saying "if all else fails, read the instructions"? 👍🏻😀
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Are you advising that as long as the Orange hookup power LED is ON that all batteries are being charged, not just the Leisure?
I do not appear to have a charger on and off.
Mike
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The confusion for me is coming from the statement 'Power supply led lights up.The living room battery is charging'
Why does it not say all batteries are charging? If they are that's great but I am not 100%, maybe I am reading too much into the description.:-)
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The indicator is just that, an indication that the vehicle is on EHU. The vehicle is equipped with a CBE system. If the battery charger is on your batteries will be charged as follows:
The leisure batteries may be receiving a charge from either mains supply or a solar panel. When they are fully charged and the voltage exceeds 13.6 volts, a device is activated and allows the vehicle battery to be charged.
When the leisure battery voltage is lower than 12.5 volts the vehicle battery recharging system is de-activated.
Normally your battery charger will be located near the mains power distribution panel. The switch is on the charger.
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It looks like your correct. I logged into my 'Tracker' and its reporting the vehicle battery at 13.8v so this must be being float charged when just the hookup is connected and no button pressed. As a vehicle battery is not 13.8 when disconnected from a charger. ;-) thank you.
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Most lead acid battery systems in vans seem to float at 13.7 volts or thereabouts which is a convenient way of determining whether the charger is working or not. Although 13.7 volts is good enough to maintain a charge and will not damage 12 volt van systems, to recharge a discharged sealed battery you need 14.3/14.4 volts.
So called ‘intelligent chargers” which are fitted to most modern motorhomes and some caravans, take the battery offline to fully charge whilst still providing “12 volts” to the van systems. If you don’t have an intelligent charger and your battery is partially discharged you need to disconnect it and bench charge it.
Generally speaking it is better not to leave the van permanently connected to EHU as the leisure battery is not best suited to being permanently on charge unless you have a genuine trickle charger like a CTek.
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