Bongo Fury

Hi there,

I am new to all this! Have had the bongo a few months and finding the leisure battery is draining extremely quickly (within a few hours with nothing really running). Even the clock stops!

I'm afraid I don't know details about it, but I can always have a look under the bonnet and provide any details that would help. The leisure battery was new when we bought it from the previous owner (receipt provided), so I'm a little confused.

If anyone has an idea where I can start trying to find out what's wrong, I'd really it.

Thanks

Is your fridge on

No. we only run it when hooked up and the leisure battery still drains then. Nothing should be running from it I don't think

Simple test with a fully charged leisure battery is to remove the negative battery connection, then check to see what is no not working ..ie: maybe blinds .. radio .. power points interior lights or what have you ..

Leave the connection off and see if the battery still discharges .. if it does the battery is knackered .. if the battery retains its charge .. then something in the van is using lecky .. when it shouldn't ..

Hi.. im guessing its a 110mah... they are rated in deep cycles.... i.e. when totaly flat, how many times you can re-charge it. Some are 150 some are 300 someone mentioned 500 but I have not seen one. If it keeps going totally flat it could be past it...

I run a few vehicles so I work on the theory...pence to pounds

Lead acid batteries can be "brought back"...often the main reason they fail is that their is too much build up of crap on the lead plates, this drops to the bottom or actually layers up till 2 plates are contacted... "not good"
You dont need to hear waffle on how batteries work but... Any old battery will have a build up... you cant stop it, you can slow it down or you can reduce it to a point that the battery will last a lot longer. I took the challenge of bringing back a 70ah 12v battery. It would hardly light the dash light. Here's how...

Caps off, Carefully turn upside down over a bucket, observe evidence of crap, purchase 5 litres of de-ionised water for £3 from euro parts, fill each section, leave to settle, give it a little shake an hour later, drain again, fill again (DO NOT OVERFILL), drop in x2 bataids per hole, leave for a day caps off, slow charge, take to halfords and ask if your caravan battery is OK. They will load check it and try to sell you one for £120.

Most leisure battiers I have seen are not maintenance free...i.e. they have caps. I prefer these as you can "maintain" them..... Be careful using bataid, to many tabs and over filling or charging at a fast rate will split your battey

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Granville-Bat ... 1041wt_932

De-ionised water £3 + Bataid £3.50 = £6.50

P.S. If your battery does not come back from the dead its a good opportunity to magnetise your spanners... Check area for gaseous fumes i.e.... open petrol cans. Cut a coat hangar in to a line... coil it round a spanner, tap the coat hangar on each battery contact, duck away from sparks, repeat for each spanner, dispose of battery down the dump.

There are LION (not lithium ion) (Lion the brand name) batteries out there for £80. Im looking at a europarts deal on a bosch one at the moment £80 with a trade card. Its a bit tight but I may move the tray a touch.