Weird electrical issue - advice needed :)

My bus has been on ctek trickle charge for last couple of months, started fine on Sun, drove 20mins to meet some folks at Mc D’s on the way in to Sunday Scramble. Had the eberspacher on as it was cold, not use that much recently but it worked fine, shut it down before I got to McD. All fine so far.

1. Leaving McDs, turned the key and zip. Nothing, no warning lights anything. No headlights. Totally dead. Hooked up the leisure battery on jump leads to the main battery and it started fine. Drove remaining mile into Bicester all fine, battery light wasn’t lit so I’m guessing it was charging ok?

2. Parked up in Bicester, as a precaution pulled the quick release off the main battery (just in case something was draining it?). Leaving Bicester started fine. Drove to meet family at the pub.

3. Leaving the pub after about 1 hr Sunday lunch, key in the ignition, turned, nothing at all. Dead again. Jump from the leisure battery and it started ok again, drove home.

4. Evening I took it out for a run (after jump start again) to get some charge in the battery, 20 minute drive or so, again no battery warning light so I’m assuming alternator working.. Got home and shut it off. Tried immediate re-start and batt light initially came on just for a split second then went out, sounded like a click from the rear then nothing – turn the key and its completely dead.


If it was dead battery, the it wouldn’t’ have started Sun morning after being on trickle, so I don’t think the battery is dud. Also started fine leaving Bicester. Think that rules out battery at fault.?

If it was something *draining* the battery whist its parked up ignition off I’d still maybe expect to see a faint dash light when trying to restart (which I’m not getting). Also can’t be this as it still failed after my evening drive yesterday..

Unlikely to be ignition switch as its re-started ok on jump leads.?

Any advice on how to diagnose this one?

 

Generally speaking, a click followed by the dash lights disappearing is a crap connection. Check and clean battery and starter connects, and make sure any quick release connections are sound.

 

Id try cleaning the terminals / connectors on the main battery first.
Easiest thing to rule out.

 

ok, will try that tonight. thanks.

 

Sounds like the positive terminal of the main battery - give it a good clean with a wire brush or scotchbrite. Dont over tighten but make sure its nipped up nice and firmly and coat it in vaseline afterwards to stop it corroding.

 

and possibly the battery is not holding its charge, so may need a new one.

 

This ^^^

Disconnect the starting battery and use the leisure battery instead, move it across if it fits in the tray. Take it for a run and do the same routine as you did on the day it failed.

 

I would

Clean all connections including the ones on the starter and gearbox earth strap.

Get the battery tested, Halfords will test your battery for free.

Check the fat wire connections on the back of the fuse box

Could be your ignition switch

 

And stop going to McDonald’s; that was obviously the cause of the problems.

 

check the small cable going to the starter motor, i seem to rember having a similar issue and cleaning that one and making sure its a fairly tight fit worked

 

But please dont forget that the LB may have the positive and negative posts the other way round to starter batteries.
I have been fried by that one once. Fortunately it was my boat and the diode pack in the alternator was only £25. A jump start attempt using the LB from my bus resulted in a sheepish sail back to the mooring and a buoy pickup under sail..

 

Pop - nothing. Usually a bad connection. Bet its the quick release..
As well as using Halfords for a battery test, consider one of the £20 ish battery testers on eBay.

 

But if the battery connection is poor, it won't be getting much charge to hold.

 

Get that battery tested as it does sound like the battery isn’t holding too much of a charge. If you take your earth lead off of your battery and connect sumfink in between the earth terminal and the earth lead, sumfink like a bulb in a bulb holder and see if it lights up, if it does then you got summut draining your battery and if it don’t, then you don’t got a drainage issue.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, check the date on the battery too.

 

Check the earth to the engine too. Mine had a similar problem and the braided earth from the engine to chassis was badly corroded. Think the po had tried to remedy it with a secondary earth straight to the battery but it wasn’t a great connection either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Update: all the connections were fine, removed cleaned refitted, still kaput.

Bought a new battery and fitted it today, all sorted.

I did some reading on here before I bought the battery @snotty mentioned on one thread he’d gone for the biggest that would fit.. seemed like a good idea so I got a 72ah Bosch s4 to replace the piddly little one that the P.O. had fitted.

Yes it’s a bit heavier but then the bus isn’t exactly a lightweight to start with. New one has significantly more cranking amps and should hold up better to the draw the eberspacher puts on it.



S3 vs S4 by Rob E, on Flickr

 

Is it a proper leisure battery? From what I understand they are not designed for cranking/starting.

 

I've no idea, it might not have the initial starting current grunt for extended use but probably enough to start the van a few times and prove the other battery is duff.

 

Yep, worth stuffing an 096-sized battery in. Bit more capacity for your Ebers and if the engine's reluctant to start.

 

Using a leisure battery as a starting battery can warp the plates, doesn't mean it has, of course.