Converting 'spare' battery to leisure battery.

[klmx]

Hello,

I have a twin battery and someone mentioned on here before that you can change one into a leisure battery? How would I do that???

Thanks

[miker]

There is a difference between a leisure battery and the type used for a 'main'. Do a web search for that but basically to do with the life you can expect out of a charge and the life expectancy overall when using it as a leisure battery.

To use a battery as a leisure battery you need a split charge system, this allows the 'leisure' battery to be charged while the engine is running and then a relay separates them when the engine stops, you run some services off the leisure battery and then they are also available when your engine is not running.

I use a Willinton's intelligent split system, he sells them on Ebay and they are a very well built bit of kit! and extremely simple to fit, all the hard work and thinking is done for you - well recommended.

Here is what he sells with pictures of the Bongo fit .....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAZDA-BONGO-100-A ... 5001r20759

[francophile1947]

I just used one of these on the passenger side battery http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Battery-Disconnec ... 3a4e068990 . Obviously you have to remember to isolate it when parked up, so that you don't drain the starter battery, and reconnect it ,after you have started the engine, to allow it to recharge. You will also need to modify the fusebox so that the interior lights, cigar lighters and radio etc work off the "leisure" battery - I used Pippin's instructions that I posted in this thread http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... in#p304148 .
I agree with Miker that the Willinton kits are the best way of doing it though.

[Alacrity]

I have a twin battery Bongo that I have converted to split charging. I am, at the moment still using the 2nd start battery as a leisure battery & it is fine at the moment - although I am well aware it is the wrong type of battery for this use & will not last long, if drained on a regular basis. When it dies I will replace it with a proper leisure battery. Just being tight really, it doesn't get a lot of leisure use as it is an unconverted vehicle. Wish I had known about the kit shown here when I did mine, looks good. I have my blinds, ciggy sockets, interior lights & radio running from it.

A word of warning if fitting a Sony radio with a removable front. The radio settings (i.e. stored stations, nauseous flashy equalisers & beeps switched off etc.) are stupidly stored in the removable front of the radio where there must be a little rechargeable battery - fine if you use the car on a regular basis, which I tend not to do this time of year (it's my boat tow vehicle that I sleep in at weekend events). So my choices are: leave the front on (with its pretty lights glowing all the time even though it is switched off) - which flattens the leisure battery, or take it off & lose the radio settings after about a week. The front can be left on & the lights turned of by holding the 'off' button down for a couple of secs - but the radio then looses its settings again if left. Brilliant eh?

[Doone]

So my choices are: leave the front on (with its pretty lights glowing all the time even though it is switched off) - which flattens the leisure battery, or take it off & lose the radio settings after about a week. The front can be left on & the lights turned of by holding the 'off' button down for a couple of secs - but the radio then looses its settings again if left. Brilliant eh?

We'd heard about that happening with Sony radios SEE THIS LINK but weren't sure if it was fact or fiction. Thanks for confirming it as fact. It's a pretty annoying design!

[Bin Bongoed]

With my Sony if you hold down the off switch for 3 secs it all turns off, lights and all. Then you have to hit Source first b4 it'll turn back on. Battery flattened twice when in the Garage worked on it, probably why it's now pretty naff, have to get a new one.

[Bombadilo]

So my choices are: leave the front on (with its pretty lights glowing all the time even though it is switched off) - which flattens the leisure battery, or take it off & lose the radio settings after about a week. The front can be left on & the lights turned of by holding the 'off' button down for a couple of secs - but the radio then looses its settings again if left. Brilliant eh?

We'd heard about that happening with Sony radios SEE THIS LINK but weren't sure if it was fact or fiction. Thanks for confirming it as fact. It's a pretty annoying design!

i have a sony CDX-GT410U wired up to my leisure battery along with the internal lights and blinds etc.

to turn the stereo off i just remove the face-off. the radio stations are stored in the unit no problem. when i put the face-off back on they are still there.

its a great little stereo as it plays home made mp3 cd's. a usb stick can be plugged into it to play songs and there's an aux socket if you want to plug an ipod/walkman/external music player into it.

phill

[klmx]

Thanks everyone...nice little job for my hubby

[Alacrity]

to turn the stereo off i just remove the face-off. the radio stations are stored in the unit no problem. when i put the face-off back on they are still there.

That is the same as mine - providing I don't leave it more than a week or so. I dare you to leave you radio front off for a length of time & see what happens!

With my Sony if you hold down the off switch for 3 secs it all turns off, lights and all

Again same, & again if you leave it like this for a week or more all the settings are lost.

I generally don't go for Sony stuff as I believe you pay a lot for the name & there are products out there that are as good that are priced better. But this time I was in a hurry (having just bought the beast with it Jap radio) & this was reasonably priced & came with the remote & had a clock that can be permamently displayed.