3 Batteries - WTF???

[highrover]

Ok, I'm no techie and know hee-haw about electrics, but Messy Bessie has three batteries - two under the bonnet and one in the Mazda kitchen unit.

Anyone know what they all do? Obviously one runs the starter etc and the kitchen one runs all the electrics for that. But what's the other one for?

Cheers

[madmile]

The one in the rear is the leisure battery for the mazda kitchen - and up front you have the winter pack which is 2 batteries wired together to give you a bit more power for cold starting.

[francophile1947]

You have the Winter set up, as fitted to some vans from the North of Japan, to cope with starting in very cold conditions.
The two under the bonnet are both starter batteries. The one in your kitchen cube is a leisure battery.

[You've Been Bongod]

you beat me to it madmile

[francophile1947]

You pipped me madmile

[highrover]

Aaaaahhh! I see!

Thanks guys. I suppose that is good when you live in the "Frozen North" of our island?

[You've Been Bongod]

yip you will find out if ever we get snow again

[haydn callow]

you will also see a switch low down with a "engine" symbol on it... this is also part of the winter pack. Switch this on (in really cold weather) for a faster warm up. Don't forget to switch it off once all is warm or your fuel consumption will go right down.

[highrover]

Thanks Haydn!!! That was going to be another of my questions.

Thanks all - this is a great site and you all make everyone so welcome.

[scanner]

Don't forget to switch it off once all is warm or your fuel consumption will go right down.

Your fuel consumption will go up, but your MPG will go down.

But I think you knew what Haydn meant.

[highrover]

And my SO says I'M pedantic!
But, yes, thanks Scanner, I got the gist of his message!

[mikeonb4c]

If you can rig up suitable switching for when parked up, and provided the main starter battery is happy starting the Bongo on its own, then you could connect the second battery in parallel with the leisure battery and you'd have a lot of useful leisure battery power for e.g. wild camping use.

[highrover]

I'm no techie and know hee-haw about electrics,

Ummmmmmmmmmmm Thanks Mike That scares the Cr4p outa me!

[dp bradford]

If you can rig up suitable switching for when parked up, and provided the main starter battery is happy starting the Bongo on its own, then you could connect the second battery in parallel with the leisure battery and you'd have a lot of useful leisure battery power for e.g. wild camping use.

If you're going to connect two batteries in parallel it's best if they're both the same capacity in Amp-hours

Dave

[mikeonb4c]

If you can rig up suitable switching for when parked up, and provided the main starter battery is happy starting the Bongo on its own, then you could connect the second battery in parallel with the leisure battery and you'd have a lot of useful leisure battery power for e.g. wild camping use.

If you're going to connect two batteries in parallel it's best if they're both the same capacity in Amp-hours

Dave

Useful info there Dave. My LB is 110Ah and the one I've been using in parallel is 75Ah. Any views on that? Should I not be doing it?