split charge help

[nicko]

iam no good at electrics in house or van i need some help to work out the split charge system in my van iam 100% sure it doesnt work is any member willing to come round my house and helpme out beer and bacon butties will be supplied

[Hacksawbob]

Bit far for me even for a bacon sandwich. To see if its working all you need is a voltmeter (£20 Maplins) across the leisure battery terminals see what volts are there before you start the engine and after.It should really be part of your dont go anywhere without it kit! I'm no great electrician either but you have to start somewhere (don't you?)

[CovKid]

Agree with Bob. A multimeter is something that you'll find invaluable and it will help you diagnose all kinds of problems. Had to trace my non-working horn yesterday. Had voltage at the horn so figured the earth wire that goes through steering column must be the cause. Continuity check with the meter made it obvious that the contact spring was not working. Horn soon worked after that!

What sort of split charge system do you have? We may be able to talk you through it. You could make a basic test it with a 12v bulb and two fly leads although it won't give you any real indication of what charging voltage is there.

Take a look at this piece - 'split charge relays explained' (further down the page) - I wrote it for anyone who has no idea how a relay works and what should happen. You don't need to be techno-savvy to understand the principles: https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ca ... it_charger" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;