Battery Losing Charge!!

[Delores]

Did a test today to see if my house battery will need replacing or what.
11 am. Unplugged shore power. Nothing else on except fantastic fan. Monitor reading 14.07
12 pm. Monitor reading 12.78. Turned off fantastic fan.
3 pm. Monitor reading 12.55
7pm. Monitor reading 10.49
Also, Sun explorer showed battery voltage At 10.7 and was blinking.

Looks like battery will need to be replaced. Any thoughts appreciated.

[68 Overlander]

10.7 is certainly flat and I'd venture to guess your Parallax converter was mostly responsible if it is stock. You can't leave those single voltage stage connected like you can with the 4 stage units.

[Delores]

Failed to mention this is a 2016 AI. The magnum converter was off the entire time.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

... wait a sec here .... if the battery was above 14V at the start .... that's not a single voltage converter.

Are you *sure* there's nothing else running in the MH?

If you have flooded cell batteries .... check the water level.

Bob

[Delores]

It was on shore power at the beginning. Batteries are lifeline GPL 24t. Absolutely nothing else on. Battery Connect is on.

[Delores]

One last test. 10:30 pm. Plugged back into shore power, 20amp at home. power Control Center is only showing 1amp draw. Nothing visible is on. Let awing out a little to check awing lights. It’s off. plugged in battery status immediately goes to 13.97. Magnum Converter is reading Battery 14.1V status Absorb. ???

[Delores]

Originally Posted by 68 Overlander

10.7 is certainly flat and I'd venture to guess your Parallax converter was mostly responsible if it is stock. You can't leave those single voltage stage connected like you can with the 4 stage units.

Just pulled out converter Manuel and it is a 4-stage battery charger. It also has dead battery charging for batteries that are extremely low.

[DKB_SATX]

You have multiple batteries, right?

You may have a situation where one battery isn't dead yet but the other is, the not-quite-dead battery gets dragged down quickly by the one with a few dead cells once the charger turns off. If that's the case, most likely the charger is abusing the not-quite-toast battery during charging, because the pair look like one needy battery to the charger. I think the batteries need to be tested individually as part of the troubleshooting process. Those are sealed batteries I think, so you'll only be able to do load tests (rather than specific-gravity tests by cell).

If one's dead, you need two new ones because the other will follow it to the grave soon after all this.

[Pahaska]

The batteries that were in my 2014.5 when I bought it would go down quickly when not being charged. I found that one battery was weak, but the other battery would drop to 9v just as soon as the charge was removed. I replaced the batteries and I now can last all night with the refrigerator and a few lights on.

Sounds like you may have a similar problem.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

The batteries that were in my 2014.5 when I bought it would go down quickly when not being charged. I found that one battery was weak, but the other battery would drop to 9v just as soon as the charge was removed. I replaced the batteries and I now can last all night with the refrigerator and a few lights on.

Sounds like you may have a similar problem.

Boondocking and/or using my batts even for 1 night is not my normal usage pattern. We are mostly full-hookups type campers. And when home, it is indoors & plugged in, so my solar does not even have to do much charging. But reading this thread (along with the many previous others that I have read from the other unlucky ones) have convinced me to set aside a controlled overnight test just like OP has done. Even though I do not depend on battery usage, if my batts have been neglected by dealer & factory prior to delivery, I want to find out while my warranty is in it's infancy. Thank you OP & all.

[rowiebowie]

I had two brand new flooded batteries in my Avenue when I purchased it. Manufacture date was the prior month so they were really fresh.

Anyway, they wouldn't discharge overnight with everything off and unplugged, but they would not last a week. Turns out one was bad or damaged before I got it.

I may have gotten by with replacing one of the same brand since they were so new, but I did both of them. Solved my problem. On a battery a few years old, all advice I've read on this forum is replace both with matching new ones.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

On a battery a few years old, all advice I've read on this forum is replace both with matching new ones.

ROWIEBOWIE - would never have known this from just reading AI Users Manual. It makes sense, I think even more so for those who have a series config. How does this apply/relate to the chassis battery, since the Battery Separator sometimes has them connected/disconnected? Would they all have to be replaced, so a really oldie chassis one does not drag down the house one's when in combined state charging? This is my first vehicle with multiple batteries, so clueless on long-term replacement strategy.

[Delores]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

You have multiple batteries, right?

You may have a situation where one battery isn't dead yet but the other is, the not-quite-dead battery gets dragged down quickly by the one with a few dead cells once the charger turns off. If that's the case, most likely the charger is abusing the not-quite-toast battery during charging, because the pair look like one needy battery to the charger. I think the batteries need to be tested individually as part of the troubleshooting process. Those are sealed batteries I think, so you'll only be able to do load tests (rather than specific-gravity tests by cell).

If one's dead, you need two new ones because the other will follow it to the grave soon after all this.

Thanks

[Delores]

Thanks all. I also bought my AI used 1 year ago. Private owner had only used it for a few trips and didn’t know a lot about the ins and outs of the components. FYI, I had to show him where the awning switch was. Ha ha. That being said, I’m sure he didn’t know how to keep battery properly charged. It has taken me a year, with it parked in driveway and reading all the manuals over and over and over, to be able to at least understand enough to ask a sensible question. Now I know I’m just get 2 more batteries and feel good that, that is one more thing I should not have to worry about for awhile.

[J&J In A Can]

Originally Posted by Delores

Did a test today to see if my house battery will need replacing or what.
11 am. Unplugged shore power. Nothing else on except fantastic fan. Monitor reading 14.07
12 pm. Monitor reading 12.78. Turned off fantastic fan.
3 pm. Monitor reading 12.55
7pm. Monitor reading 10.49
Also, Sun explorer showed battery voltage At 10.7 and was blinking.

Looks like battery will need to be replaced. Any thoughts appreciated.

Your batteries may be a little weak if they have been run low a few times. However, there are a couple parasitic loads that you should be aware of on the 2016 AI. First is the Magnum itself. Even when off, it will draw just under and amp just to power its own circuits. When you flip the main disconnect switch, a relay opens and disconnects the Magnum from the battery. Otherwise it is connected and burning power. The other is the propane shutoff valve. As long as the propane valve is turned on, it draws about an amp. I usually leave mine off most of the time because we don't use it much.



There are a few other smaller loads like the TV amplifier and CO monitor, but they matter less. The moral to the story is that it really isn't that hard to run the battery down with apparently nothing turned on. You will need to learn about the electrical system and how to manage it, especially if you invest in new batteries. This forum is a good place to learn.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

ROWIEBOWIE - would never have known this from just reading AI Users Manual. It makes sense, I think even more so for those who have a series config. How does this apply/relate to the chassis battery, since the Battery Separator sometimes has them connected/disconnected? Would they all have to be replaced, so a really oldie chassis one does not drag down the house one's when in combined state charging? This is my first vehicle with multiple batteries, so clueless on long-term replacement strategy.

ALEX - I think you can treat the chassis battery as an independent item. Replace it when it’s not holding a charge. But then once all your batteries get old it might be smart to replace them all together.

I’m still running the original 2012 Sprinter battery in my 2013 Interstate. This starter battery seems just fine. But it is kept fully charged by my 400W solar array and 440AH coach battery bank. The BIM will routinely connect the starter/chassis battery when I have full sunshine to keep that battery topped off.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

ROWIEBOWIE - would never have known this from just reading AI Users Manual. It makes sense, I think even more so for those who have a series config. How does this apply/relate to the chassis battery, since the Battery Separator sometimes has them connected/disconnected? Would they all have to be replaced, so a really oldie chassis one does not drag down the house one's when in combined state charging? This is my first vehicle with multiple batteries, so clueless on long-term replacement strategy.

In my case, the engine battery was not being drained (at least not nearly at the rate of the two coach batteries). It has a date of '2017 (about a yr. old when I purchased) and is doing fine. I treat is as I would any of my car batteries, which means I never look at it until it won't start my vehicle.


.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

ALEX - I think you can treat the chassis battery as an independent item. Replace it when it’s not holding a charge. But then once all your batteries get old it might be smart to replace them all together.

I’m still running the original 2012 Sprinter battery in my 2013 Interstate.

MIKE - that pretty good for 6yr old battery. When I lived in Chicago & now in LV, most of our regular car batteries would last 3-4yrs, 5 if we were extremely lucky. Fails in Chicago winters & fails in LV summers. I think the extreme heat here will probably shorten all my batteries life as compared to most, so I dont expect mine to last as long as yours

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

I treat is as I would any of my car batteries, which means I never look at it until it won't start my vehicle.

ROWIEBOWIE - that's how I been treating mine & felt I was ignoring it in favor of paying all the attention to my house batteries, especially with all the discussions about them

[Air99]

Hope this helps, snapshots of voltage profiles during our recent 3 nights camping trip to Crater Lake with daytime temps in the 70 and nights in the 50. Our batteries are four Group 24-12v Costco Interstate, 1 year old, only the fridge and minimal light on/off during bathroom use and LP switch is off until we use the water heater or furnace, all cooking done outside since weather was super nice.

First day arrival

Second day, ran generator only half hour with solar charging causing some voltage spikes but not much else (original 50w panel and sunny day)

Third day, ran genset about 45 minutes, note the jaggies caused by fridge cycling, and more sagging as LP switch and furnace being used in the morning (or the wife would not get out of bed!)

Last day, then the drive home, and back on shore power for about an hour bulk charge before floating as batteries are full again.

The newly installed LP switch made a huge difference to reduce battery draw, the genset must be run at least 2 hours each day to keep batteries above 12.0v!

[Delores]

Originally Posted by Air99

Hope this helps, snapshots of voltage profiles during our recent 3 nights camping trip to Crater Lake with daytime temps in the 70 and nights in the 50

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