Westie Second Battery or Recharger problems...Help needed

[Marlowe]

Firstly, Hello, and heres my first post on the forum.

I currently live in germany, just arrived back after a fine holiday in Wales and the West Country. Nice!

I bought my 1985 T25 Sport-Joker (Mosaic) Westfalia, 1.9Lt Petrol Water-Boxer(T3 in Germany) 6 weeks ago, and was slightly ripped off, oh well nothing new there. After a few repairs we set off on our holiday. After 1 day we realised that something was wrong in two departments. The first, which is here relevant was our second battery problem;
The fridge works fine on 220V Hook-Up and Gas, the water pump stopped working (not enough juice from the battery) and finally the Gas start-up for the fridge wouldn`t go on either.
Would I be right in the following; Whilst driving the second battery should get charged with the first battery by the alternator? When the vehicle is stationary and hooked up to mains supply the recharger charges both first and second batteries?
Both types of charging are not working, I believe.
The Second battery is new, and the fridge and water pump both worked when I bought the T25, but it seems that the charging does not work. And slowly but surely the battery has gone dead.
So before I completely dissasemble the fridge and sink ensemble, does anyone have an idea what could be causing the problem. Maybe a relais is broken but I don´t know where the Relais for this system is. Or anything I should check out.
Thanks for reading and huge thanks to any helpfull solutions.
Oh by the way, while we were driving in the UK the other T25 drivers signalled to one another and us. But today driving back home to hamburg not one smile or wave from german drivers. Strange. Maybe they are sad that they lost against spain yesterday.
THanks
Marlowe

[kevtherev]

Hello Marlowe and Welcome...

Would I be right in the following; Whilst driving the second battery should get charged with the first battery by the alternator? When the vehicle is stationary and hooked up to mains supply the recharger charges both first and second batteries?

Firstly you are correct in your assunptions of the battery charging and fridge operation.

I'm sure some of our westy owners will be able to point you at the right place to find and test the correct fuses and relays..
it does sound like an easy fix

[Mocki]

if it were me, the first thing i would be doing is recharging that second battery via a known mains charger.

once it is fully charged and refitted take a couple of voltage readings, one with engine off, then one with engine running, and compaire.

cant help with the westy system, i have no knowledge of it, but someone will be along soon who can help you im sure

[1664]

E D I T the title of your post to include the word 'Westie' and the westie owners will come running

[Marlowe]

Thanks for the tips.
"Westie" is now included in the Topic heading.
I´ll be recharging the battery fully from this evening. They are a bit of a pain to get out from under the revolving seat mount, or am I missing something?
I´m off out and about again next week (Harz Mountains) so it would be good if my problems sorted by then.
Thanks
Marlowe

[poshbuggers]

Your split charge relay is normally under the drivers seat forward of the battery. It's a small silver box with 4/5 wires to it.

Also you have 2 fuses mounted to the cabinet/B pillar behind the drivers seat, are they in GWO?

[Marlowe]

I don´t know what a GWOW is?
I´ll take a look at the relais when I remove my revolving seat tomorrow.
I noticed in my "Jetzt hilf ich mir Selbst" german Haines Manual, that there is supposed to be some fuses on the column behind the driver (LHD) I can´t find any.
As an emergency measure: Would connecting my engine battery to the camper battery, whilst driving only, help run the fridge?
Thanks
Marlowe

[tipo73]

I had also problems with my second batery in my Joker 1981 and first I thought on that rele its Bosch rele 0332002156
like this:
http://www.bpg-inc.com/pwr_relays_dwg.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
After all it was a problemwith a batery it has been totaly empty...

[Red Westie]

A few facts that may help:

The split charge relay is situated to the side and front of the leisure battery, under the drivers seat. (they can fail)
The leisure battery doesn't need to be removed and can be charged in situe. Charge at least 12 hours with an average home 4amp charger)
Norminal battery voltage for a healthy battery (engine off) should be around 12.6volts but (should) raise to around 14volts when once the vehicle has been started (indicating charge is taking place)
Simply place a volt meter across the leisure battery to take the two measurements (Static and with the engine running)
The original VW relay is a 5 pole double switched type where both the outputs become live at the same time when the alternator is charging.
Two fuses are located on the B pillar not far from the corner of the drivers door.
You should have a mains battery charger located (left side as you look at it) under the rock N roll bed/seat. Refered to as the BBB charger the tell tail way by which to tell if it's working is that it gets pretty warm. If it stays cold then chances are it has blown it's 1amp internal fuse (tiny short glass fuse) accessable by removing the screws on top of the BBB.
Yes it should charge both leisure and starter when on mains.

I think of more tonight I'm sure.

Martin

[DaveyP2004]

Hi Marlowe,
A bit more info about your bus that may help you understand if your bus doesnt match exactly the descriptions above as regards position of fuses or battery charger etc.
The Sport Joker was a model that came in standard form without kitchen unit, more info here:
http://www.westfaliat3.info/html/westfa ... joker.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Kitchen block, leisure battery etc, were available as optional extras all listed on above page.

You may have a sticker under dash by steering wheel base or front page of service book that will list M numbers that came with your bus from factory. It is possible also that the kichen was not from factory but installed at a later date.
Check the numbers from sticker/service book with the ones listed on the above page.

Mosaik was a range of Westfalia furniture and fittings that could be bought separately to fit to any T3.
More info here:
http://www.westfaliat3.info/html/westfa ... stall.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So I would guess your bus is a Sport Joker with the Mosaik kitchen block and other fittings but be aware you may not have all the fittings a normal Westy would have or they may not be in the same place.
At the bottom of each of the pages you will see links to brochures and price lists for each model that may help determine what has /hasnt been installed.
Cheers,
Dave
(http://www.westfaliat3.info" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )

[Marlowe]

Hi Guys, thanks foe your replys.
I´ve just returned from a short trip. Nice but a wee bit to hot here, 34 degrees. Pfew!

I found out, after trying the whole weekend to charge it, that my leisure battery is "Kaputt". But before I rush off and buy a new one I´m going to take a trip to my nearest Bosch Service shop. So they can check my electrics. The battery was new! So maybe it got somehow over-charged due to a fault somewhere.

I opened my battery charger to find no fuse. And there aren´t any fuses near the b pillar either. But heres something I´m not sure about.
If one looks at the main fuse box, 7 oclock from the steering wheel, just above it and to the right there is a smaller fuse box which contain 3 fuses. Firstly one is missing and the other 2 are different, one is a flat 2 spade type 10A fuse and the other 2 would be the older type, not sure of the amperage. Any ideas what they could be for?

Thanks sofar.

Marlowe