Home › Forum topic › Campervan Conversions › Help I’m new to campervan life and don’t know how to use a leisure battery.
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lazarus.
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- June 24, 2012 at 6:05 pm #106512
Sparkley
ParticipantI recently bought a Ford Freda which is brilliant. It’s fitted with a leisure battery under the bonnet and a supercharger in the rear conversion. There is a switch on the dashboard which I think has something to do with the conversion but I don’t know how the leisure battery charges or swops from normal car battery to leisure battery. The dealer I bought it from was a car dealer and hadn’t a clue. I would be so grateful if anyone could give me and help.
June 24, 2012 at 6:16 pm #123089mgroadster
ParticipantI knew a woman called Freda
I knew a woman called Freda once. Pray tell us,(maybe with a pic) what a Ford Freda is? ta.
Normally the charging is split between the leisure and the car battery.
I’m stabbing a wild guess that the switch is…if you switch it on, it will start to charge the leisure battery.?? (shared with the motor battery).June 24, 2012 at 6:16 pm #123091mgroadster
ParticipantI knew a woman called Freda
I knew a woman called Freda once. Pray tell us,(maybe with a pic) what a Ford Freda is? ta.
Normally the charging is split between the leisure and the car battery.
I’m stabbing a wild guess that the switch is…if you switch it on, it will start to charge the leisure battery.?? (shared with the motor battery).June 24, 2012 at 6:16 pm #123094mgroadster
ParticipantI knew a woman called Freda
I knew a woman called Freda once. Pray tell us,(maybe with a pic) what a Ford Freda is? ta.
Normally the charging is split between the leisure and the car battery.
I’m stabbing a wild guess that the switch is…if you switch it on, it will start to charge the leisure battery.?? (shared with the motor battery).June 24, 2012 at 6:16 pm #123097mgroadster
ParticipantI knew a woman called Freda
I knew a woman called Freda once. Pray tell us,(maybe with a pic) what a Ford Freda is? ta.
Normally the charging is split between the leisure and the car battery.
I’m stabbing a wild guess that the switch is…if you switch it on, it will start to charge the leisure battery.?? (shared with the motor battery).June 24, 2012 at 7:16 pm #123096Sparkley
ParticipantI tried switching the switch
I tried switching the switch on and drove for an hour down the motorway but still nothing. A Ford Freda is the same as a Mazda Bongo. I wish I could attach a picture but I don’t seem to be able to. I don’t think me and switches and buttons seem to get on very well!June 24, 2012 at 7:16 pm #123099Sparkley
ParticipantI tried switching the switch
I tried switching the switch on and drove for an hour down the motorway but still nothing. A Ford Freda is the same as a Mazda Bongo. I wish I could attach a picture but I don’t seem to be able to. I don’t think me and switches and buttons seem to get on very well!June 24, 2012 at 7:16 pm #123104Sparkley
ParticipantI tried switching the switch
I tried switching the switch on and drove for an hour down the motorway but still nothing. A Ford Freda is the same as a Mazda Bongo. I wish I could attach a picture but I don’t seem to be able to. I don’t think me and switches and buttons seem to get on very well!June 24, 2012 at 7:16 pm #123105Sparkley
ParticipantI tried switching the switch
I tried switching the switch on and drove for an hour down the motorway but still nothing. A Ford Freda is the same as a Mazda Bongo. I wish I could attach a picture but I don’t seem to be able to. I don’t think me and switches and buttons seem to get on very well!June 25, 2012 at 9:52 pm #123102lazarus
Participantif you don’t have a
if you don’t have a multimeter then get one its going to be really useful figuring out whats going on with electrics.
in this case, hook the multimeter to read the voltage of the leisure battery. now start the van. if the meter is reading 13 volt or above then charge is been pushed to it. now flip the switch, if the voltage drops to 12v(ish) and below (or visa versa) then that switch controls the split charge. if nothing happens then either that switch controls some thing else, or its broken.as for how the swapping about goes. most systems be they simple relays or posh multi step chargers the swap is automatic. If the engine is running then then the leisure battery is charging, turn it off and the leisure battery is isolated from the vehicle starter battery to you can’t flatten your means of getting home. some people add a switch inline with the wire that signals the relay to close (not the main feed between the batteries) so they can have more control over the charging and prevent the leisure battery been charged if it is know to already be full.
June 25, 2012 at 9:52 pm #123107lazarus
Participantif you don’t have a
if you don’t have a multimeter then get one its going to be really useful figuring out whats going on with electrics.
in this case, hook the multimeter to read the voltage of the leisure battery. now start the van. if the meter is reading 13 volt or above then charge is been pushed to it. now flip the switch, if the voltage drops to 12v(ish) and below (or visa versa) then that switch controls the split charge. if nothing happens then either that switch controls some thing else, or its broken.as for how the swapping about goes. most systems be they simple relays or posh multi step chargers the swap is automatic. If the engine is running then then the leisure battery is charging, turn it off and the leisure battery is isolated from the vehicle starter battery to you can’t flatten your means of getting home. some people add a switch inline with the wire that signals the relay to close (not the main feed between the batteries) so they can have more control over the charging and prevent the leisure battery been charged if it is know to already be full.
June 25, 2012 at 9:52 pm #123112lazarus
Participantif you don’t have a
if you don’t have a multimeter then get one its going to be really useful figuring out whats going on with electrics.
in this case, hook the multimeter to read the voltage of the leisure battery. now start the van. if the meter is reading 13 volt or above then charge is been pushed to it. now flip the switch, if the voltage drops to 12v(ish) and below (or visa versa) then that switch controls the split charge. if nothing happens then either that switch controls some thing else, or its broken.as for how the swapping about goes. most systems be they simple relays or posh multi step chargers the swap is automatic. If the engine is running then then the leisure battery is charging, turn it off and the leisure battery is isolated from the vehicle starter battery to you can’t flatten your means of getting home. some people add a switch inline with the wire that signals the relay to close (not the main feed between the batteries) so they can have more control over the charging and prevent the leisure battery been charged if it is know to already be full.
June 25, 2012 at 9:52 pm #123113lazarus
Participantif you don’t have a
if you don’t have a multimeter then get one its going to be really useful figuring out whats going on with electrics.
in this case, hook the multimeter to read the voltage of the leisure battery. now start the van. if the meter is reading 13 volt or above then charge is been pushed to it. now flip the switch, if the voltage drops to 12v(ish) and below (or visa versa) then that switch controls the split charge. if nothing happens then either that switch controls some thing else, or its broken.as for how the swapping about goes. most systems be they simple relays or posh multi step chargers the swap is automatic. If the engine is running then then the leisure battery is charging, turn it off and the leisure battery is isolated from the vehicle starter battery to you can’t flatten your means of getting home. some people add a switch inline with the wire that signals the relay to close (not the main feed between the batteries) so they can have more control over the charging and prevent the leisure battery been charged if it is know to already be full.
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