Leisure battery

[Eloise]

Hello,

Firstly, I have read the wiki and searched all relevant posts and have a good idea what I need but welcome some suggestions and tips please.

I am starting with a blank sheet of paper here as my van does not currently have a leisure battery or wiring, it does however have a fridge, water pump and interior lights that obviously work from the main battery. I will wire in a split charge system and leisure battery using one of the suitably rated and fused kits from eBay. I reckon 70 amp rated will be adequate. I will take the relay trigger from the trigger on the fridge relay, once tested that this works correctly. This bit I am fairly ok with.

What I need help with is, how do I wire the interior lighting, radio, cigar lighter and water pump, which are still on the main battery, over to the leisure battery? I will install a 6 way fuse block, where is it best to locate this? At the leisure battery or by the vans fuse box? Will it be a case of just taking the output for the existing auxiliary circuits and wiring those into my new fuse block?

Sorry if this has got complicated, but I need to do this right for obvious reasons. Has any one recently carried this out that could help with wire runs, colours etc?

Many thanks, Neil.

[CovKid]

Put the fusebox where it suits you and provide it with positive power from leisure battery. The earth (ground) is the same for both batteries so you only need single wires from that new box to each item you want on the leisure and earth the other (negative) from each item to the chassis. Its simpler than you think.

[Eloise]

Hi, I know everything is earthed through the chassis, so I only have lives to worry about. I am presuming, as I have not checked yet, but generally, all accesories run from one fuse? Ie, radio, courtesy lights, cig lighter, clock etc? I was wondering if you think it is feasible to just run one wire from the leisure battery to the disconnected output of this circuit on the main fuse board? I then only have to find the circuits for the strip lights and water pump and wire these to the new fuse block?

I might have got this all wrong, but please tell me that people do not run 4or5 wires under the carpet to separate circuits?

Cheers.

[nesty]

I have 2 70AMP wires carrying the load to the busbar fuse box from the traction battery.

I purchased the fuse box from the 12V Shop.

http://www.the12voltshop.co.uk/Shop/fus ... 5026b.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Then the output from the fusebox to each circuit.

So water pump one fuse, uprated 20amp cigar lighter on another, propex on another etc.

[Eloise]

Hi nests,

So you put the new fuse box near the van fuse box and then run one 70 amp cable to it from the leisure battery? And then separated all the accesories circuits and wired it up to this?

Cheers neil

[bigherb]

It depends on the original conversion and how they took the power supply and how the cable was routed. Some came directly of the starter battery others took the power from the vehicle fuse box some routed the cable up the door pillars and through the roof some along the floor under the carpets. You really need to find which they did first.

[Eloise]

Cheers, I plan on making a start tomorrow taking the seats out and chasing wires.

Cheers neil

[Eloise]

Well, what an eventful couple of days. I made the split charge wiring kit up from various looms and wiring that I have. The only thing purchased was a small battery to use as a leisure one and a fuse block, 6 way, from halfords. I struggled to run all the wires, with issues like glued down carpets etc, hampering my efforts. I made all the connections up for the relay and fuse box etc. I then wired the split charge relay in and took the trigger wire from the zig relay, that was existing for the fridge. It was easy to see the earth side of the coil as this was wired to the chassis. I just assumed the other side of the coil was connected to the ignition light somewhere. Big, big mistake, this was wired straight to ignition. Was a bit fed up with myself for not tracing or belling this wire out first before connecting, but I thought, oh well, time to go under dash looking for the white plug and blue wire on number 11. I have currently a broken rib so you can imagine how awkward it was to contort myself into position under the dash. I found the plug and tried disconnecting it. The plug, plug socket and circuit board just fell away in my hand. Just my luck a lately.

All wiring and relays are working as they should do now. Put the plug and socket back, all the dash lights seem ok. Does this plug just control the dash lights? I ask as I am not sure the circuit board stayed in place and I need to check all the functions.

Cheers Neil.

[Eloise]

all wired in and working now. i need to probably wire in a USB/Cig lighter charger socket, to the new fuse box. can anyone reccommend one please?

cheers neil.

[Eloise]

well, i thought it was working. went to start the van this morning and both batterys are flat at 12.6v dropping to 12.1v when cranking? what on earth can be draining the battery?

cheers neil.

[a1winchester]

well, i thought it was working. went to start the van this morning and both batterys are flat at 12.6v dropping to 12.1v when cranking? what on earth can be draining the battery?

cheers neil.

Could be 101 things, Neil. Especially if you have been messing with the wiring!
Vehicle electrics have always been a mystery to me. - should be Soooo simple, but...
So I take the precaution of isolating the starter battery now - it saves being let down, and a lot of grief.
This doesn't solve my mystery intermittant battery drain, but does avoid a lot of

I got something like this - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal-12V ... 233ed7268f

[Eloise]

Hi,
i have wired it so that the only only thing taht is connected to the starter battery is the relay for the fridge and the relay for the leisure battery. that is the only thing i have changed and the battery has always been ok prior to that. the relays only work when the engine is running so cant be them? it must be the weird fridge circuit.

i need to fault find this afternoon to see whats happened.

cheers.

just a thought, batteries are at 12.6v and when i try and crank, it drops to 12.1v? surely this is enough to crank the engine? the drop is the solenoid operating. do i now have a broken starter?

[Eloise]

Well, what are the odds on this happening then?

Put the split charge in and accessory fuse box last night. Tested it all and it was working great. As the above post, got in it this morning to run it to work and when I turned the key, all I got was a relay clicking????? Measured the battery voltage and got 12.6, tried cranking and got 12.2. I thought, ok battery needs charging after all the messing about. I was at work when I realised that 12.6v should at least spin the starter, even slowly or just give me that click, click, click sound you get with a flat battery? I was puzzled.

When home, I re checked all my previous connections and fuses. Put the fast charger on and tried to start it. Nothing again? Time to look at the starter connections. I looked through a lot of starting threads that are about at the min. All advised poor connections and degraded cables. The only poor connection I found was the red/black signal wire. It was just a bit green round the crimp. I cleaned it and then belled it out. Got good continuity. Surely the starter motor had not packed in overnight? I whipped it off and tested it with the battery charger. Solenoid worked but it would not spin. I bought a replacement from GSF as we want to go to Leeds tomorrow. Normally I would have stripped and repaired it. Whacked the starter on and all is good, thank heavens.

Like I said, what would be the odds on the coincidence? I was ready for burning it, I was that cheesed off. Worked on it solid now everyday for three weeks and I have a broken rib to show for it. I am hoping some enthusiasm returns at the show tomorrow.

Cheers Neil.

[irishkeet]

lots of good info

[CovKid]

This is probably why it didn't spin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNKSeAAd3rk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Many, many starters get swopped out when the fault is relatively minor (ie worn brushes) or bad braided connection.