Club 80-90 Forums

About 1 and half hours ago I put the van on electrical hook up to recharge to leisure battery. After a lot of clicking, the Hella charger showed a reading of nearly 8 amps, which seems about right as I had it on the 8A setting. The manual says this reading will reduce as the battery becomes more charged.

I've been back to check it a couple of times, all OK. But this last time as I was watching the charger clicked (very quietly) and the dial dropped to 0. A few seconds later it clicked again, and the dial jumped back up to 8 amps. It keeps repeating this sequence every few seconds. The charger protection switch isn't coming into play, and the dial just keeps jumping up to 8 and then back to 0 without any intervention from me.

Is this normal behaviour? Will it do any harm to just leave it hooked up for 16-20 hours as I'd planned to get the battery fully charged?

The battery is a Powerplus with the 'AD' on a label across the top. I can't get the battery out of the well (it seems to be fixed in somehow, and I think I will have to take the driver's seat off to get it out) so but I can't see any other identifying information on the sides that are visible. I've no idea how old the battery is - but it doesn't look very old.

The charger is a Hella Charger Automatic 10, which also came with the van. I managed to get hold of the manual from Hella, but it doesn't say anything about this, just that the protection switch will come on if the battery is faulty or too far gone.

Thanks to anyone who can advise.

That sounds like a self resetting thermal protection switch. It's inside the unit, usually near the transformer and will click open if its too hot in there, then click shut again.
Other than that it could be an alternative type of switch that clicks open when the ampage is too high and then resets again. Its opens and closes by thermal action again but this time it is controlled by the current flowing through it.
Sounds like either the battery is shot due to shorting of the plates or its going to need a larger charger.

Yes, thanks VWCamperfan. I was speaking to an engineering friend this evening and he said the same thing.

I think I'll have to replace the battery, but as far as I can see, the only way to do this is to remove the driver's seat. Is that right?

Thanks again,