batteryand first prob

paulo · Post by **paulo** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 12:22 am

poor thing would'nt start yesterday so put battery on charge, 2hours later started like a good un. Full of confidence went to her this am and she would'nt turn over again.

the battery is 3 months old but is only 72 ah do you wise bongonauts think I should get a better battery before I look at the other more frightening possibilities

any advice is appreciated

Paulo

alphabetter · Post by **alphabetter** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:02 am

I had a 55Ah battery in the Bongo for about 3 months and it was fine so I doubt that the battery capacity on its own explains the problem unless you are doing something very punishing like lots of short trips.

moonshine · Post by **moonshine** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:37 am

Sounds to me like either the battery isn't charging, or something is draining the battery overnight. Are you sure that nothing has inadvertantly been left switched on? Haven't got a cool box in there, have you?

If you can get hold of a voltmeter, put it across the battery terminals while the engine is running, which should tell you if it's charging ok.

smartmonkey · Post by **smartmonkey** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:36 am

In case you have a voltmeter:

Battery alone - 12.7V is good
Engine ticking over - 13.5V
Engine at half revs - maximum of 14.5V
Full electrical load and half revs - minimum of 13.3ish.

You should be well into 13+V with the engine running regardless of electrical load. Either you are not charging or you have a small electrical load permanently on (eg dodgy alarm or courtesy light etc.).

Dabs · Post by **Dabs** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:11 pm

Just a thought Paulo check the light in the freetop roof it may have been left on.

Dabs

pippin · Post by **pippin** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:50 pm

The roof light should go off automatically when the roof is lowered.

Post by **Ian** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:54 pm

But how do you know that it has?

pippin · Post by **pippin** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:57 pm

That is the real purpose of the flappy thing!

paulo · Post by **paulo** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:28 pm

Thanks everyone, I have put a new 95ah battery on (£82) because I thought I better had anyway. It does start fine at present but will have to wait overnight to see if I have got a problem with something else. I'm going to do the suggested tests with a volt meter that I have borrowed .

I am useless at auto-electrics but am learning fast.

Paulo

paulo · Post by **paulo** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:52 pm

All those volt meter readings check out if not even higher. Checked the roof light and everything else that could be draining the battery and there is nothing that is on.

Still starts well so will keep my fingers crossed and hope that it was the underpowered battery and a lot of short journeys that caused the problem.

Will find out tomorrow and let you know.

Paulo

paulo · Post by **paulo** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:06 pm

Just wanted to let everyone know, for future reference, that the problem was definatly the battery. I have been running for over a week now and all I did was put the correct battery on.

It was only 72ah but was supposed to be brand new so I thought it would be ok. Mind you I would'nt believe anything the people who I bought it from said so it could have been older.

It does show to me that a lesser powered battery will let you down without any notice and I am just pleased that it did'nt happen a few days earlier on our first weekend away.

thanks for the all the tips

Paulo

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:03 am

Paulo. I think it was Pippin (or ws it moonshine) who put me onto it, but for a few quid you can buy a battery terminal switch (has a knob that you unscrew). If there is any doubt about current leakage, this strieks me a a good dodge to get the pressure off while you investigate at your leisure. Funnily enough my Bongo came with a 72Ah that I was told was only a year or two old, yet proved unreliable within a couple of weeks. I didnt hang about - got myself a jiucy 95Ah and plonked it in. Yum yum, plenty of poke