Leisure Battery - How do i know it is one!! DUH !

[Moondance_Scotland]

Go easy chaps, just a new bongo boy.....
I would like very much to get myself power 240v
meanwhile for a hook up i will use a simple cable thus not causing leisure battery probs...mmm

I know nowt about this issue at all, hope someone could perhaps explain more, ive read all the interesting techie info....
need an easy answer, the two batteries i have each side are almost new...and exact same, Bongo from South Japan NOT north.
hope that helps me get a simple answer soon, bit concerned as i dont wish harm on the electrics being new to Bongo

John
Scotland

[pippin]

Do you have a switch that has an engine symbol on it in the bank to the right of the steering wheel?
Do the positive terminals of both batteries have similar very thick cables connected to them?

If the answer is yes to both then your Bongo has the winter pack of two engine batteries and the passenger side one has not been converted for leisure batttery use.

Also, please see my comments in the other post that you have made on this subject.

[moonshine]

If you do have two starting batteries as I suspect, I would just have the nearside one re-wired with a split-charge relay and use it as a leisure battery instead. It may not be a proper deep-cycle battery, but it will still last a good while. I had an ordinary car battery wired as a leisure battery on my last boat, and it lasted for years running all the boat's electrics.

[mikeonb4c]

If you do have two starting batteries as I suspect, I would just have the nearside one re-wired with a split-charge relay and use it as a leisure battery instead. It may not be a proper deep-cycle battery, but it will still last a good while. I had an ordinary car battery wired as a leisure battery on my last boat, and it lasted for years running all the boat's electrics.

Must admit, I'm suspicious about leisure batteries (i.e. crap with a fancy name) and inclined to agree with moonshine. My leisure battery appears to be no good at maintaining voltage at anything above a low current (amperage), whereas my spare car battery doesn't complain at all. Hmmmm.

....so you might as well use it as lose it.

[helen&tony]

Hi
How to check if it's a leisure battery:-
1/. Take battery out
2/. Put it on a deckchair
If it appears to be enjoying itsself, it's a leisure (loving) battery
Seriously, the only leisure batteries i've bought, have a carrying handle that hinge over and cover the terminals....i.e. it looks like a "transportable" battery. I would expect your setup is the "cold start" setup....as moonshine and Mike suggest....use it until it is kaput....if it lasts well, make your own mind up as to what type to buy next time....I've always stuck with "deep-cycle" , or leisure batteries for camping, and given them a right caning....if you re-charge promptly, they don't seem to suffer
Cheers
Helen

[johnzbenson]

Hopefully when you look at your battery it will specify the cold cranking maximum current sometimes listed as CCA if its over 300amps its a normal battery. Batteries are listed by current capacity -typically 105 ampere hours and then a maximum current load eg 320CCA-
whats the difference you may ask- a leisure battery can be cycled from fully charged to flat with no discernable effect 500 cycles before the battery shows age). leisure batteries are often left discharged for greater periods of time.
physical differences: a high current normal battery has less plates within the battery (but they are thicker in construction to handle greater amperage)
the leisure battery has more plates within the same space ( greater surface area for longer charge but less current carrying capacity)
also there is a greater space between the bottom of the battery and the plates for the leisure battery ( long duration of discharge will mean the potential for deposits in the bottom of the battery from positive pillar decay (this difference is to obviate the premature failure).

or the simple answer batteries of more than 5 years of age are on borrowed time and if you want to know about a battery get the serial number and make and enter it on google.

ok ladies and gents panic over you can now remove you anoraks