92 California Battery Replacement advice

[Levitated]

The batteries on my Westy are running low very quickly and need to be replaced.

I'm looking for some advice please?

1. Can I install standard lead-acid leisure battery or do I have to use a Gel battery? The price difference is astronomical, two large Gel batteries can cost up to £600!!
2. What's the dimensions of the biggest batteries I can fit?
3. I have found cheaper Gel batteries with similar specification, has anyone tried these?

All advice would be very appreciated, thank you.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

No idea about the Gel batteries in that link, but they do have different terminals, so be aware you would probably need some wiring changes if you went that way.

The Westy design does not have anywhere for lead acid batters to vent gas, so it ends up in the living space. Also, the charger is configured for Gel batteries, the charging voltage is slightly different. I seem to remember that that can be changed (one of the dip switches on the overhead controller?) but am not 100% sure.

Yep, the Gels are expensive. I fitted two new Sonnescheins four years ago, made the accountant cry but they are decent quality and are still working fine. Can you really put a price on a nice cold G&T?

I think I have the dimensions scribbled down somewhere, I'll see if I can find them later.

dan

 

[2into1]

I went slightly off-piste and bought an AGM (absorbant glass mat) leisure battery - mine just has one massive battery. Did I read that new Cali batteries are AGM? Seems to be fine.

Edit : a quick Google quickly finds theories that AGM have many advantages over Gel, but that may just be from the people who make them!

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Early T4 based Westys had 1 or 2 smaller batteries (second was an option, or part of the eberspacher option). Later vans went to one larger battery, due to the relocation of the water tank and gas cylinder.

Obviously the exclusive has a very different laybout. Not sure what the Club had.

 

[sidepod]

Take the hit. Do it properly.

 

[WelshGas]

So how old are these Leisure Batteries?
10 years old?
You will be unlikely to get Lead Acid batteries lasting that long if used as Leisure Batteries as they are not designed to undergo deep discharge cycles and maintain efficiency.
Buy cheap - Buy twice.

 

[Levitated]

Thank everyone for the help. I hadn't considered AGM Gel batteries but they do seem like a good alternative from both a price point and specification. I would be keen to hear from anyone who has used them please?

@TwentyOneThirtyFive - Everybody raves about Sonnescheins batteries but the price is outside my budget, this would be my first choice if money was no object. I have an eberspacher and space / terminals for two batteries.

@WelshGas - I'm no expert but I think most standard leisure batteries are lead acid, but specifically designed for deep cycle range.

 

[WelshGas]

Thank everyone for the help. I hadn't considered AGM Gel batteries but they do seem like a good alternative from both a price point and specification. I would be keen to hear from anyone who has used them please?

@TwentyOneThirtyFive - Everybody raves about Sonnescheins batteries but the price is outside my budget, this would be my first choice if money was no object. I have an eberspacher and space / terminals for two batteries.

@WelshGas - I'm no expert but I think most standard leisure batteries are lead acid, but specifically designed for deep cycle range.

Correct provided they are correctly installed and vented properly outside the vehicle as in caravans or motorhomes that have external battery compartments and heavily reliant on mains power. Not something the California is designed for.
The more modern AGM or Gel batteries would be better and safer in a California.

 

[Levitated]

Thanks WelshGas. AGM Gel is the avanue I'm going to follow.

Does my Westy isolate the batteries when they drop below a certain voltage? If so what is the voltage?

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

I thought I posted this yesterday, but it is still sat here in the typing-things-in-box....

Have you considered Exide? G80 looks a likely candidate. Need to check dimentions and terminal positions though.

https://www.tayna.co.uk/Exide-Leisure-Batteries-S1254-1.html

Regarding cutoff - not as such. The fridge won't run below a certain voltage and the heater won't start (because it can't ignite the fuel), so you are protected to a certain extent. But there is nothing stopping you from leaving the interior lights on, or running things via the Hella plug.

 

[Levitated]

I popped out tonight to open up the battery cupboard for the first time, this is what I found. I've included dimensions as it maybe helpful to others. I have no history and they both look like lead acid batteries, the one on the right looks like a standard car battery!

Now I have the dimensions I can price-up replacements. Matt

 

[WelshGas]

To get the best out of Leisure Batteries they should be identical batteries. You will get less than optimum performance from dissimilar batteries.

 

[Levitated]

After chatting to customer services at www.tayna.co.uk and giving them the dimensions. They have recommended two Exide ES 950 gel batteries, happily the price is also within my budget!

I'm a little concerned that the pervious owner could have changed to charging system jumpers / switches to the lead acid setting. Would anyone know the jumper positions for two Gel batteries please and how I access the jumpers? I think they are behind the control panel but I'm not 100%.

 

[sidepod]

Jumpers? Do you mean the DIP switches on the over head control panel?

If so, pull out the panel and adjust as required. There is Intel on this in the useful post section in T4 world on this site.

If you mean jumpers on the batteries then just connect both in parallel.

Have you confirmed you have the correct Westy charger ?

Pod.

 

[Levitated]

Hi Pod, sorry when I refer to jumpers I do mean DIP switches. Thanks for the heads-up, I'll take a look at the useful post in the T4 section.

I haven't confirmed that I have the correct Westy charger, how would I do that please?

Matt.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

How is your German?

Control panel info: http://westfaliat4.info/WestfaliaT4CentralElectronicUnit.pdf

Given that the previous owner put in two dissimilar batteries, I'd question their ability to change the dip switch settings to match

The charger is under the fridge. To access, seat all the way forward, undo the 3 or 4 screws on the lower panel and pull out from the bottom (I hook something through the grill and pull).

The original is a Philips unit. If it has been replaced, just need to check that it's replacement is compatible with Gel batteries. Do you get a plug sign on the control panel when you put the van on hookup? If you do, then it is likely that the charger is original, this is usually the first feature to go when non-standard chargers are used.

Original charger info here: http://westfaliat4.info/WestfaliaT4BatteryChargerInfoWM.pdf

 

[Levitated]

My German is non-existent, but I have some friend I can ask to translate.

Agree about the previous owner, but if its easy to check then I think its worth doing before I fit two new batteries. I'll take a look at the charger tonight, thanks for the tip. I do get the plug sing so it sound like it could be the original.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Switch 1 should be in ON position (2 batteries)
Switch 2 should be in OFF position (Gel)

Then Switch 3 should be ON (Fridge) and 4 however you want

 

[Levitated]

Brilliant, Thanks. Before I order the batteries I'll check the control unit and charger.

 

[sidepod]

Dan wrote that from memory by the way......

 

[Levitated]

I'm not sure if that translates into "Dan wrote that from memory by the way...... you should double check as him memory is rubbish!" or "Dan wrote that from memory by the way...... isn't Dan clever?"

 

[Levitated]

Is that a good or bad?

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Pod is being a cheeky chappie

edit: Personally I'd double check anything I wrote!

 

[sidepod]

Dan just knows stuff !!

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Dan's van has broken in lots of interesting ways a lot over the years, so he's had to find out where to find out stuff.

My latest discovery is that it as the wrong fuel filter and is missing the thermostatic valve. I didn't even know what one of those was last week.

Buy a campervan, they said, see the world, they said. Learn how to be a mechanic more like.

Anyway, get those batteries sorted and get out camping. Fantastic weather forecast this weekend