Battery charging

If you have solar and aren't going anywhere then just get a Votronic MPPT regulator which trickle charges the Starter and keeps Leisure topped up.
 
andromeda said:
Apologies for what will seem an obvious question to those who know the answer.
How long can I leave my engine battery flat before it affects the leisure batteries?
My engine battery is as dead as the proverbial dodo; I've been unable to give it its weekly turn over for a month due to illness but I've got someone coming to get it going for me. The battery was changed during the first lockdown and the leisures are two 110 gels. The van is in storage and I have no access EHU at home for it.
Thanks
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I had the same problem a few years ago - I thought the solar was doing both batteries.
The alarm pulled the starter battery down to nothing.
Battery chargers wouldn't touch it but after jump starting I did get a charge and after installing a dual charge solar controller the same battery has survived for another 5 years..
As others have said a fully charged lead acid battery with no load will be ok for many months.
However I suggest getting a Votronic MPPT charger to keep both batteries up to snuff.
 
This is where Wildebus tells us about his dc dc converter that runs of the leisure batteries and holds up the starter batteries that is either in production or being planned ;)
 
nah, as soon as the discussion devolved into heath robinson solutions and less-than-optimal solar controllers I just become an amused/bemused bystander ;)
 
SquirrellCook said:
This is where Wildebus tells us about his dc dc converter that runs of the leisure batteries and holds up the starter batteries that is either in production or being planned ;)
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....... or I bang on about the Battery Master that maintains the charge in both sets of batteries, just because I've got one, and it works.
:eek: :ROFLMAO:
 
It might be worth using an "intelligent" charger with a re-conditioning (de-sulphating) setting on the starter battery. It may recover. Also, refer to the vehicle handbook to see if there are any precautions to take when re-charging the battrey, or about removing and re-fitting it. Incorrect proceures can raise all sorts of error messages on some vehicles, possible damage to the electronica as well.

In general, batteries do not like being left discharged for long periods.
 
If the battery is completely flat it's unlikely that it will respond to an external charger which will see it as a lost cause.
I was amazed that my starter battery 'recovered' after running the alternator for a few hours.
I wouldn't say that it is perfect but I've done a few years now with no problems which I put down to keeping it topped up with solar.
I've no doubt that it's storage capacity is seriously compromised but it does what starter batteries are supposed to do - deliver a healthy current for a few seconds to start the engine.
After that the alternator takes over.
 
Markd said:
If the battery is completely flat it's unlikely that it will respond to an external charger which will see it as a lost cause.
I was amazed that my starter battery 'recovered' after running the alternator for a few hours.
I wouldn't say that it is perfect but I've done a few years now with no problems which I put down to keeping it topped up with solar.
I've no doubt that it's storage capacity is seriously compromised but it does what starter batteries are supposed to do - deliver a healthy current for a few seconds to start the engine.
After that the alternator takes over.
Click to expand...
the Victron chargers will work on a battery that other chargers wont start up with. I've recharged a battery that was under 4V.
 
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