Electrical Mains power not charging battery

[BunchOfHunts]

Hi. I have a 2014 17.56.1 Expanda that we currently live in travelling around Oz.

Problem:
We are on mains power but it is not charging the battery and nothing that is 12v powered (eg lights, USB ports) work when the battery switch is off. All of the power points are working fine. We just went over a heavily corrugated road coming into our latest camp spot so I presume something has rattled loose.

I've checked all the wires running to the battery and all of the fuses. Some of the wires are hidden behind panels tho so I haven't been able to check everything.

I'm wondering where the most likely failure point is and what I should be checking next.

Any help greatly appreciated!!!

 

[poor but proud]

Hi. I have a 2014 17.56.1 Expanda that we currently live in travelling around Oz.

Problem:
We are on mains power but it is not charging the battery and nothing that is 12v powered (eg lights, USB ports) work when the battery switch is off. All of the power points are working fine. We just went over a heavily corrugated road coming into our latest camp spot so I presume something has rattled loose.

I've checked all the wires running to the battery and all of the fuses. Some of the wires are hidden behind panels tho so I haven't been able to check everything.

I'm wondering where the most likely failure point is and what I should be checking next.

Any help greatly appreciated!!!

Hi what type of battery charger is fitted , mine is an older van and the only way I can recreate you symptoms if if the battery charger is turned off or the plug has come out of the power point , same type of thing happened once when a cooking pot turned our fridge power point off making us think the fridge had failed on the 240 volt circuit KISS. Look for the simple things first , we now have a small piece of tape over the switch

 

[mfexpanda]

check that the 240v plug is still connected

 

[BunchOfHunts]

All of the 240 switches in the van are working and able to run the portable fridge, kettle etc.

We have the old setec with the black cover and 3 lights. The mains light is not on (despite us having mains power). I can't upload pic as we are fairly remote.

 

[Hitting the road]

You wrote..."We are on mains power but it is not charging the battery and nothing that is 12v powered (eg lights, USB ports) work when the battery switch is off."

All the mains power will do is charge the battery, All lights, USB etc are 12v. If you turn the battery switch off the 12v outlets, lights etc won't work. If the battery charger is not working you should know as the battery level would be going down.

If an indicator light is not on to indicate the mains are connected then it is quite possible the battery charger itself has failed. Do you have a Multimeter to check whether there is 12v coming from the charger when disconnected from the battery?

 

[poor but proud]

All of the 240 switches in the van are working and able to run the portable fridge, kettle etc.

We have the old setec with the black cover and 3 lights. The mains light is not on (despite us having mains power). I can't upload pic as we are fairly remote.

Still sounds like it could be turned off or unplugged? You could try using an extension cord from a plug outlet you know works

 

[poor but proud]

You wrote..."We are on mains power but it is not charging the battery and nothing that is 12v powered (eg lights, USB ports) work when the battery switch is off."

All the mains power will do is charge the battery, All lights, USB etc are 12v. If you turn the battery switch off the 12v outlets, lights etc won't work. If the battery charger is not working you should know as the battery level would be going down.

If an indicator light is not on to indicate the mains are connected then it is quite possible the battery charger itself has failed. Do you have a Multimeter to check whether there is 12v coming from the charger when disconnected from the battery?

Actually ,my van does not need the battery to supply the 12volt circuits,the 240v converts to 12v and is distributed through the fuse panel and board. The only time the battery switch turns off the 12 volt circuits is when there is no 240 connected

 

[BunchOfHunts]

Actually ,my van does not need the battery to supply the 12volt circuits,the 240v converts to 12v and is distributed through the fuse panel and board. The only time the battery switch turns off the 12 volt circuits is when there is no 240 connected

This is the case in my van too. Normally I can have the battery control switch off but still run all my 12v appliances such as lights. Thats what is so strange about this situation. The battery is losing charge, and unless the battery switch is on then I can't run lights.
It basically means that I am having to charge the battery via solar even tho I am happily plugged into mains.

 

[BunchOfHunts]

Still sounds like it could be turned off or unplugged? You could try using an extension cord from a plug outlet you know works

Unfortunately we are in the last plug so that would mean unplugging someone else's van.

My best guess at the moment is that a cable to the setec has come loose. Its very difficult to access the back of the setec to check as it would mean taking the whole batter out to get to the access panel.

 

[BunchOfHunts]

You wrote..."We are on mains power but it is not charging the battery and nothing that is 12v powered (eg lights, USB ports) work when the battery switch is off."

All the mains power will do is charge the battery, All lights, USB etc are 12v. If you turn the battery switch off the 12v outlets, lights etc won't work. If the battery charger is not working you should know as the battery level would be going down.

If an indicator light is not on to indicate the mains are connected then it is quite possible the battery charger itself has failed. Do you have a Multimeter to check whether there is 12v coming from the charger when disconnected from the battery?

Unfortunately I do not have access to a multimeter. We are at Barn Hill Station near Broome. I'm sure one of these old fellas has one.

 

[poor but proud]

Unfortunately we are in the last plug so that would mean unplugging someone else's van.

My best guess at the moment is that a cable to the setec has come loose. Its very difficult to access the back of the setec to check as it would mean taking the whole batter out to get to the access panel.

not sure we are on the same page, i mean supply the setec direct from a known active power scource, (from in your van as you say the points are active) to prove or disprove your setec is actually getting power, unless your setec is hardwired with no switching which i think would be odd?

 

[BunchOfHunts]

not sure we are on the same page, i mean supply the setec direct from a known active power scource, (from in your van as you say the points are active) to prove or disprove your setec is actually getting power, unless your setec is hardwired with no switching which i think would be odd?

Thanks. Appreciate your advice.

I think the setec might be hardwired as there are no cables that lead out to a power point.

My guess at the moment is that the cable to power it has become disconnected but in a hard to access/hidden place.

 

[jazzeddie1234]

If you have a setec fitted - check status lights on the front. I would expect the green to be on when plugged into mains, and orange on when the battery switch is on

Mains(GREEN) – is illuminated when mains power is present.
Battery(ORANGE) – is illuminated when the battery is connected to the loads.
Fault(RED) – is illuminated when there is a fault with the power supply.
Battery fuse Blown1
Battery connected reverse polarity2
Shut down condition (UV and OT)3
Main PCB micro controller malfunction4

1. Flashing 1s ON, 1s OFF.
2. Solid ON.
3. Flashing 1s ON, 1s OFF, with no battery connected the power supply may be in hiccup
mode which will cause the indication to flash with random duty cycle and frequency.
4. Fault Led= Solid On, All other leds = OFF, irrespective of actual mains or LVD status.

 

[BunchOfHunts]

If you have a setec fitted - check status lights on the front. I would expect the green to be on when plugged into mains, and orange on when the battery switch is on

Mains(GREEN) – is illuminated when mains power is present.
Battery(ORANGE) – is illuminated when the battery is connected to the loads.
Fault(RED) – is illuminated when there is a fault with the power supply.
Battery fuse Blown1
Battery connected reverse polarity2
Shut down condition (UV and OT)3
Main PCB micro controller malfunction4

1. Flashing 1s ON, 1s OFF.
2. Solid ON.
3. Flashing 1s ON, 1s OFF, with no battery connected the power supply may be in hiccup
mode which will cause the indication to flash with random duty cycle and frequency.
4. Fault Led= Solid On, All other leds = OFF, irrespective of actual mains or LVD status.

Thankyou

My mains light is not on. But I do have power to all my 240v points. So I'm assuming that the mains are not connected to the setec device as if it was then that light should be on.

 

[Drover]

Find the 240v GPO that the Setek plugs into, it won't be hard wired but the plug is often tucked away out of sight, it may be sharing with the stove, the plug has fallen out, the toggle has broken or similar, when you find it plug a test into it, toaster hair dryer etc, if it doesn't work pull the mains lead out of van, remove power point and make sure the cable is plugged into the GPO, these GPO's are plug an play meaning the power cables are plugged in at the back of switch, unlike household ones that are wired in, the plug may have disconnected, rare but possible.,,,,, if the GPO is tucked away in back of cupboard something may have fallen over and just turned the switch off.....

 

[BunchOfHunts]

Thanks for all your advice! Problem solved.

Now I need to hope my battery fully recharges. It got down to 11.84 before I noticed the problem and the most I could get it back up to on solar was 12.3.

 

[Drover]

Give it time it should crawl back, best solar of course being 1030 to 1330 in winter...........

 

[BunchOfHunts]

Give it time it should crawl back, best solar of course being 1030 to 1330 in winter...........

Thanks mate.

Its a very sunny 35 degrees here up near Broome.

 

[jazzeddie1234]

Just a thought - I carry a small battery charger with me for this type of problem, and to keep my tug's second battery topped up if I'm parked in the shade at a caravan park

 

[MDS69]

Thanks for all your advice! Problem solved.

Now I need to hope my battery fully recharges. It got down to 11.84 before I noticed the problem and the most I could get it back up to on solar was 12.3.

Good to hear. What was the solution. Be good info for the next person.