Leisure Battery Life

[trucker]

I have a 80 amp low profile leisure battery that seems to have given up after 2½ years, I can't get it over 12.15v and it drops fast to under 12 (this is after a long trickle charge with a known good quality charger)
I have no idea how many cycles it's been through, I have ran it flat using the Webasto twice and unbeknown to me at the time my mains charger wasn't working so it was only getting charged from the alternator when the van was running, which I think I remember reading somewhere doesn't really give them a decent charge?
My Question is, have I killed it or is it likely to be faulty? It is warranted for 3 years but the conditions of the warranty are quite stringent and I don't want to waste time and money sending it back if the fault lies with my upkeep of it.

[ghost123uk]

Couple of points =

If your alternator / brush pack / wiring is in good order then it will charge fine from a running engine. You should get around 14 volts or slightly higher as measured at the main output terminal on the alternator, and after a bit of a drive, about the same at the battery posts. If you get less than that, post back for more info.

If you have let the battery run flat then that will have gone a long way to killing it (sorry).

Buy yourself a "Low Voltage Disconnect" ("LVD") which are not dear and will pay for itself the first time it "kicks in" read about them and / or buy them from HERE / HERE These ones HERE look good, but don't come in a box like the other one, so you would have to make one as it has LIVE (12 volt) terminals sticking out

If you do get one of those ones in the blue box (REUK ones), the wiring diagram is a bit vague, don't guess at it, shout out for me on here

[trucker]

Thanks John
I get plenty of voltage 14.4v when the van is running and when the mains charger (BBB) is plugged in but it falls rapidly after a drive or when the mains is disconnected, so I suppose I've killed it

I like the idea of the LVD, I will order the one in the box when I order a new Batt (end of month pay day)

In the past I went for a 80ah I can't seem to find any higher rated ones that fit under the front seat

[California Dreamin]

Hiya mate....as far as the warranty goes it's just a matter of not saying the wrong thing...as in, of course it has never been allowed to go totally flat and always fully recharged after use. Also, when laid up always charged every 6-8 weeks.
There is no way that they can check so they try to trick you into saying the wrong thing so they have an accuse to reject the warranty.

As for the battery...if you have had it on a good long charge, 2 - 3 days with a 4 amp charger and after resting for several hours it's only reading 12.15volts? then one of the cells is on it's way out.

Martin

[trucker]

Cheers Martin, that has certainly given me food for thought, I've not had it on charge for that long, probably 12 hours max at about 4amps using this charger http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hilka-Portable- ... d_sxp_f_pt" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'll give it a much longer charge this week and see what happens

[California Dreamin]

Yeah....it certainly won't hurt....is this sealed? if levels are 'checkable' then ensure each cell is up to the mark.
I would be tempted to give it a couple of hours on bulk (12amp setting) and then switch it to trickle for 16 - 20 hours. Leave it a few hours then check the standing voltage.....I wouldn't be happy with anything less than 12.6 volts.

Martin

[trucker]

[craigy345]

Hiya mate....as far as the warranty goes it's just a matter of not saying the wrong thing...as in, of course it has never been allowed to go totally flat and always fully recharged after use. Also, when laid up always charged every 6-8 weeks.
There is no way that they can check so they try to trick you into saying the wrong thing so they have an accuse to reject the warranty.

As for the battery...if you have had it on a good long charge, 2 - 3 days with a 4 amp charger and after resting for several hours it's only reading 12.15volts? then one of the cells is on it's way out.

Martin

Just a tip,
When I made a warranty claim for a battery a few years ago.....
As quoted above the manufacturer will look for any reason to reject your claim and suggest it has failed due to your upkeep.
What I did prior to claiming was look on the manufacturers website re their charging and storing upkeep instructions/advice and then made sure that followed their guidelines in my claim.
Worked for me.