Cali not starting

[emma harvey]

Hiya, we are on our way home from France early partly due to the weather but also because we’ve had an issue with it not starting.

First night, not plugged in, not been used as a camper since August, but used every day for shorter commutes to work, heater going, various things plugged in, Cali doesn’t start. Call AA however luckily the campsite manager jumped started it and it was ok. Lent us his portable jump starter pack and off we went. FYI. Great campsite - forest view France.

Thought it was just because we hadn’t used the leisure battery for a while. Plugged it in the next few nights and it seemed to be fine.

Following 2 nights didn’t plug in. Second night It didn’t start. So jumped start it.

Plugged in next night, it was fine. Kind man at the campsite, checked the battery, numbers were fine but alluded to the fact it could be that the smart battery relay could be faulty so leisure battery was taking power off the main battery.

However, last night plugged in and flat as a pancake this morning!!!

Any ideas?????

 

[Hotel California]

Is this the original battery from new?
Did you drive the Cali inbetween those problems?
Did the AA man checked the health of the starterbattery and if the alternator worked propperly?
When the starterbattery is flat you can not charge it overnight just on hook-up as the system first charges the lesure batts and then last the starter batt.
You need to check things and try to charge the starterbattery direct with a seperate charger if it has been fully flat ( might even need to change the battery if you drained it sevral times in a few days ) .
I would stop at a service station and have the starter batt. changed.

 

[emma harvey]

Thank you so much for your help. We did drive the Cali in between nights sometimes for a few hundred km!! Didn’t check the health of the starter battery or the alternator. Getting a ferry tonight so will pop into kwik fit which is across the road tomorrow. Really appreciate your advice as we can’t seem to see a pattern at the mo!! Emma

Is this the original battery from new?
Did you drive the Cali inbetween those problems?
Did the AA man checked the health of the starterbattery and if the alternator worked propperly?
When the starterbattery is flat you can not charge it overnight just on hook-up as the system first charges the lesure batts and then last the starter batt.
You need to check things and try to charge the starterbattery direct with a seperate charger if it has been fully flat ( might even need to change the battery if you drained it sevral times in a few days ) .
I would stop at a service station and have the starter batt. changed.

 

[emma harvey]

Also what is a starter battery? Is that the actual car battery or is there another battery?

 

[Alan]

Car battery

 

[Hotel California]

Also what is a starter battery? Is that the actual car battery or is there another battery?

The starter battery is the one witch is connected to start the engine , located under the bonnet /engine compartment.
The other two batterys (as you have a SE ) are ther to give power for all things specific to the camping part of the Cali

 

[WelshGas]

Also what is a starter battery? Is that the actual car battery or is there another battery?

The California has 3 Batteries on board. 2 x Leisure and 1 x Engine or Starter Battery.

The Mains charger will Charge the Leisure Batteries BUT will only Trickle Charge the Engine Battery.

If you have a Flat Engine Battery then Plugging in the Mains Charger or Driving will NOT be able to recharge it back to its normal healthy condition. It will need to be connected to its own charger for probably 24 hrs. Cold weather will expose any failing battery.

An engine battery will normally last anything from 3 to 5 yrs or possibly longer if looked after. Likewise Leisure Batteries can last and function properly for 5 + years if properly looked after.

 

[emma harvey]

Thank you to you all for such amazing advice.

WelshGas do you think giving our battery a full charge on the mains will solve the problem of what sounds like a failing battery or is it more likely we will just have to get changed?

Thank you again. It just doesn’t make sense that one morning it’s fine and the next it isn’t!! So odd.

 

[emma harvey]

Think battery is from new and Cali is 2011

 

[WelshGas]

Think battery is from new and Cali is 2011

If the Engine Battery is 7 years old then you would probably be better off getting it replaced. You might be able to resurrect it for a short time by using a dedicated smart Charger on it but I think you will be changing it sooner rather than later.

 

[emma harvey]

If the Engine Battery is 7 years old then you would probably be better off getting it replaced. You might be able to resurrect it for a short time by using a dedicated smart Charger on it but I think you will be changing it sooner rather than later.

Thank you so much for your help!!

 

[stephen watson]

If you haven't been able to replace the starter battery before you get home and have to stop overnight try not to use anything that takes power from the starter battery - ie the radio and I think the USB charger in the dash (even if you are plugged in). I flattened my perfectly healthy new starter battery doing this until WG and others helped me understand how it all works. I found it all quite confusing at first - somethings are powered off the engine battery and some off the leisure batteries and as WG says plugging the van in (rather than using a dedicated battery charger) won't help much.

 

[emma harvey]

So apparently the battery is only running at 40%. They’ve checked everything else. They will change the battery and then we will leave the heater and fridge on tonight and see what happens!! Once again, thank you all!!

 

[MattBW]

A good piece of info that's useful in a T5, is that the 12v socket on the top of the dash should be the leisure battery (I say should there have been some cases of them being incorrectly connected) and the one in the lower tray on the lower part of the dash is the Starter Battery. Avoid charging from the lower one when the engine isnt running.

Likewise your radio will be on the starter battery too. Most flat battery problems are as a result of radio use, front cab light left on and charging things from the starter battery. Although yours is probably just tired from age. Good luck!