Club 80-90 Forums

Over the weekend I had 2 fuses blow between the van battery and the split relay that charges the leisure battery. The first one just popped, but the second melted, as did the blade fuse holder. Also I was running a cooler box from a 11ah leisure battery, and it drained it down to 8.5 volts. The cooler was not on all the time. Help please.

Sounds like you have a totally under rated system there.
11Ah battery

110ah

jocko wrote:Over the weekend I had 2 fuses blow between the van battery and the split relay that charges the leisure battery. The first one just popped, but the second melted, as did the blade fuse holder. Also I was running a cooler box from a 11ah leisure battery, and it drained it down to 8.5 volts. The cooler was not on all the time. Help please.

It sounds like some serious current has been flowing to melt the fuse holder...what are your fuses/relay/wiring rated at? how many amps?

Is the split charge relay still working? or has it melted closed circuit (as they often do when things go wrong) check it out with a volt meter (pull off the positive lead to the leisure battery and see if you are still getting battery voltage on the disconnected terminal).

Martin

What I am about to say is not your problem, but you might like to know it

Most cool boxes pull about 7 or 8 amps. This will drain your leisure battery very quickly. It's almost as much power as having your headlights on full beam. If a leisure battery is allowed to drop much below 11 volts it will be damaged to some extent. At 8.5 volts yours is now likely to have seriously reduced performance. 12 Volt cool boxes should only be used whilst the engine is running (same as a fridge).

You can buy a low voltage cut off (known as an "LVD") to prevent damaging your leisure battery and we all should have one fitted ! Here are some =

http://shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatalog/b ... n_lvd.html

http://www.dg2k.co.uk/xcise.htm

Could not find any on ebay at the mo, but that is where I got mine (@ ~£15)

E D I T = found these ones on ebay = HERE

California Dreamin wrote:

jocko wrote:Over the weekend I had 2 fuses blow between the van battery and the split relay that charges the leisure battery. The first one just popped, but the second melted, as did the blade fuse holder. Also I was running a cooler box from a 11ah leisure battery, and it drained it down to 8.5 volts. The cooler was not on all the time. Help please.

It sounds like some serious current has been flowing to melt the fuse holder...what are your fuses/relay/wiring rated at? how many amps?

Is the split charge relay still working? or has it melted closed circuit (as they often do when things go wrong) check it out with a volt meter (pull off the positive lead to the leisure battery and see if you are still getting battery voltage on the disconnected terminal).

Martin

was running 20amp fuses, will check all the rest that you suggest. Thanks.

ghost123uk wrote:What I am about to say is not your problem, but you might like to know it

Most cool boxes pull about 7 or 8 amps. This will drain your leisure battery very quickly. It's almost as much power as having your headlights on full beam. If a leisure battery is allowed to drop much below 11 volts it will be damaged to some extent. At 8.5 volts yours is now likely to have seriously reduced performance. 12 Volt cool boxes should only be used whilst the engine is running (same as a fridge).

You can buy a low voltage cut off (known as an "LVD") to prevent damaging your leisure battery and we all should have one fitted ! Here are some =

http://shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatalog/b ... n_lvd.html

http://www.dg2k.co.uk/xcise.htm

Could not find any on ebay at the mo, but that is where I got mine (@ ~£15)

E D I T = found these ones on ebay = HERE

Very helpful info here, will avoid running the coolbox when engine is off from now on. Just going to purchase one of those LDV's now. Fingers crossed the leisure battery is not knackered

Hi Joko

20 amp fuses battery to battery....

I carried out some basic measurements on my own setup a while back and noted (initial start after a camping) peak draw on a mildly discharged leisure of 35amps. That initial 'high' current reading didn't last for long (5 - 10 seconds) and then slowly dropped to the low 20's.

Mine is a similar setup to yours and so it goes without saying wiring and associated components should be rated at a MINIMUM 40 amps, preferably higher.

So as a base line minimum: 45amp wiring/35-40amp fuses/60amp relay.......the kit I linked to exceeds these specs and is very affordable.

Martin

California Dreamin wrote:Hi Joko

20 amp fuses battery to battery....

I carried out some basic measurements on my own setup a while back and noted (initial start after a camping) peak draw on a mildly discharged leisure of 35amps. That initial 'high' current reading didn't last for long (5 - 10 seconds) and then slowly dropped to the low 20's.

Mine is a similar setup to yours and so it goes without saying wiring and associated components should be rated at a MINIMUM 40 amps, preferably higher.

So as a base line minimum: 45amp wiring/35-40amp fuses/60amp relay.......the kit I linked to exceeds these specs and is very affordable.

Martin

Fuses came with the relay kit I bought. Looks like it was a load of crap and will now purchase and install the one you put up. many thanks

jocko wrote:Fuses came with the relay kit I bought. Looks like it was a load of crap

I wonder if that is another JK item

Just Kampers - what Binatone, Ronco and Murphy was to the HiFi world.

ghost123uk wrote:
I wonder if that is another JK item

It's one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-T4-SPLIT-C ... 5656c917e2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scotch-loks!!!!!

Benefits 'up to 30amps charge rate for additional battery' and how does it do that through 20amp fuses? lol.


Martin