Charging cab battery from hab battery

Budgie

Budgie

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Had to get breakdown out the other day, turns out my 2 year old bosch cab battery with 4 year warranty was goosed, the guy used a nico battery boost to get me going in about 2 mins, drove straight to euro parts and a new battery, the breakdown guy advised on me purchasing a booster for future peace of mind.
Having looked at them they are quite expensive and heavy and you have to keep them charged, my question is will one of these work and be safe to use, https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/streetwize-charge-and-go-car-to-car-starter-550993260 for £20 it's small and light, after all I will have 2 fully charged hab batteries with me, so if all I have to do is plug this gizmo in the 12v sockets of the habitation area with cab 12v socket turn ignition key to on wait about 20 minutes to get enough charge from hab batteries to cab battery, hey presto engine starts. Any advice on what electrical minded people would be greatly appreciated.
 
Simple to fit a switch and 200ah relay to connect all batteries up, thats what i have, very handy for a jump start.
 
why don't you people get a decent solution instead of faffing around (and that includes YOU, Mr Clive Mott).

Budgie said:
Had to get breakdown out the other day, turns out my 2 year old bosch cab battery with 4 year warranty was goosed, the guy used a nico battery boost to get me going in about 2 mins, drove straight to euro parts and a new battery, the breakdown guy advised on me purchasing a booster for future peace of mind.
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Why did you not use the warranty to get a replacement instead of buying a new one? I am guessing it was because the battery failed as it was allowed to go dead?
If that is the case, then all a Booster would do is allow you to deal with ANOTHER dead battery. I would suggest that is not actually that useful a piece of advice you got and what would be better is:
Deal with what is causing the battery to go dead and stop it happening in the first place.

(of course, following the breakdown guys advice will make his job easier as he won't have to attend a call from you ;) )
 
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wildebus said:
why don't you people get a decent solution instead of faffing around (and that includes YOU, Mr Clive Mott).


Why did you not use the warranty to get a replacement instead of buying a new one? I am guessing it was because the battery failed as it was allowed to go dead?
If that is the case, then all a Booster would do is allow you to deal with ANOTHER dead battery. I would suggest that is not actually that useful a piece of advice you got and what would be better is:
Deal with what is causing the battery to go dead and stop it happening in the first place.

(of course, following the breakdown guys advice will make his job easier as he won't have to attend a call from you ;) )
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I was on my way from Windermere to Newcastle, never had any starting issues before, I had stopped for a coffee and van failed to start, the van has been on ehu all winter, and showed fully charged before I left home, it was the first time I had turned the ignition off since I left home that the fault appeared, I am going to look into claiming under the warranty when I get back home but at the time, I was a bit stuck and left with no option with purchasing a new battery in order to continue my journey,
Just would rather have another option than calling out the breakdown if it happens again.
 
Budgie said:
I was on my way from Windermere to Newcastle, never had any starting issues before, I had stopped for a coffee and van failed to start, the van has been on ehu all winter, and showed fully charged before I left home, it was the first time I had turned the ignition off since I left home that the fault appeared, I am going to look into claiming under the warranty when I get back home but at the time, I was a bit stuck and left with no option with purchasing a new battery in order to continue my journey,
Just would rather have another option than calling out the breakdown if it happens again.
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I have an Ablemail AMT12-2 Trickle Charger that will automatically transfer 3 amps from the Leisure to the Vehicle Battery every 10 seconds; it has the facility to cope with just about any combination of battery types (8 types IIRC), and has an extra manual override switch, giving a 9th option of making the Leisure Battery feed the Vehicle Battery for 9 seconds in every 10, i.e. almost constant. I have this selected permanently so the Vehicle Battery always has enough energy to start the M/home, and the Lithium Leisure Battery can wait for a combination of alternator and solar panel to regain the power it has transferred to the Vehicle Battery. Works in both a Scottish Winter and a Spanish Winter/Spring without trailing EHU leads across a public pavement

Steve
 
Given your experience a couple of years ago, plus all the various postings you see on "social media" regarding the airbag ecu problem, I think anyone with a Ducato (or Relay or Boxer) would be mad not to have something in place to keep their Starter Battery in a healthy state.
 
I carry a set of jump leads and a 13mm ratchet and socket so I can boost the VB from the LB and not bother with any Gizmos at all.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
I carry a set of jump leads and a 13mm ratchet and socket so I can boost the VB from the LB and not bother with any Gizmos at all.
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To replace that set of jump leads, ratchet and socket, I just let it look after itself automatically :)

Would you still go out and buy a TV that you have to turn a dial on to tune in a channel and then get up and repeat the process each time you wanted to change channel? Nah, probably just buy a TV that did that to start with and then just press a button to change channel (or even use voice control).

Why should maintaining a battery be any different. Get out of the stone age, Kev.
 
I've been already carrying the jump leads in every van David, I actually took the ratchet out of this van as I keep a cordless drill/driver in there with a Lidl 1/4 drive mini socket set which gets fully charged before we set off so it's no biggy.

Don't get the TV analogy.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
I've been already carrying the jump leads in every van David, I actually took the ratchet out of this van as I keep a cordless drill/driver in there with a Lidl 1/4 drive mini socket set which gets fully charged before we set off so it's no biggy.

Don't get the TV analogy.
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TV analogy? it is about making things automated and better to use when the technology is there and available.
Do you have a remote control for your TV? I am guessing yes. Would you go back to getting up out your seat to change channel, change violume etc?
Do you have a telephone in the hallway that you go to make calls and answer? I am guessing not and you likely use a mobile phone even when at home? why? because it is easier and the technology allows you to do it.
Want some information? do you go and get a volume of the Encyclopedia Brittanica to find it? Nah, you go to Wikipedia and the like. Why? Think we know why.
So why when there is a better and easier way is a Jump Leap and socket such a great solution? Baffles me.
 
Sounds like more complicated to me I'm afraid and more money.

I always go with the KISS principle wherever I can.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
Sounds like more complicated to me I'm afraid and more money.

I always go with the KISS principle wherever I can.
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My set up is KISS in the extreme, Kev. I have a switch on the side of the sofa (behind the passenger seat), and when I *don't* want the Leisure Battery to feed the Vehicle Battery for 9 seconds in every 10 seconds, I turn it off ... Fitted in early January 2022 and only turned off when the inverter was fitted, and again when the Leisure Battery was upgraded to a more powerful version

Steve
 
I used to fit the Clive Mott method to each van as I got it but the above made that redundant, I've only needed the jump leads twice in over forty years (same set) and believe it or not both times I'd forgotten to charge them up or switch them on but bugger me they worked like a charm both times, and I got two cars going, both ours.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
Sounds like more complicated to me I'm afraid and more money.

I always go with the KISS principle wherever I can.
Click to expand...
so how can something that you fit and can then just forget about be more complicated to use? words fail me.


Maybe you should remove the starter from your van and get an cranking handle instead. It is simplier and less complicated.
 
David, you like to fit stuff to your vans as did I once but I'm not up to it nowadays, and it cannot possibly be simpler or cheaper than my jump leads, all they need is to be accessible, they don't need to be fitted, they cost £15 almost 40 years ago, plus by chance they fit perfectly on any vehicle can be used to start ANY 12v and can be removed.

Each to their own.

Can we move on now.
 
I suspect that, as with quite a few things on the M/home front, Members will fit what suits them. I'm delighted with my 99.99% idiot proof set up (only have to remember to wait for the Warning Lights on the dashboard to extinguish and check that the airbag warning light is extinguished) and then start the engine

I shall need to use the grey cell (singular) in November to decide whether to play very safe and have the Yuasa Engine Battery replaced at 3 years old (makes it less than £1pw cost over 3 years) for peace of mind; or whether to wait for warning signs of a dying Battery to reappear

Steve
 
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