Charger working intermittently?

[ThomasHJ]

Hi everyone, hope someone can help me out. I'm in Spain with the Cali and having some issues.

Hooked up to EHU and had the charging icon (plug) on the control panel. All seemed fine. Later on I noticed the plug icon was gone. Checked that the problem isnt in the EHU or my cable from EHU to van. I have electricity at the kitchen 220v socket. Can charge things. But the Cali batteries arent being charged. The control panel doesnt show the plug icon.

Read some threads and figured the charger connection came loose or charger overheated, which is very possible because of 40 celcius over here. STRANGE THING is that when I hookup to EHU again, sometimes the plug icon DOES show on the control panel. And after a while it disappears again.

A few questions:

1. What could cause the intermittent charging? Overheating?
2. Does the fridge get electricity through EHU even if the charger isnt charging the batteries?
3. Do the batteries get charged when driving even if the charger doesnt work on EHU? (Is it 1 batterycharger for both EHU and while driving)?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Stu@rt]

Hi everyone, hope someone can help me out. I'm in Spain with the Cali and having some issues.

Hooked up to EHU and had the charging icon (plug) on the control panel. All seemed fine. Later on I noticed the plug icon was gone. Checked that the problem isnt in the EHU or my cable from EHU to van. I have electricity at the kitchen 220v socket. Can charge things. But the Cali batteries arent being charged. The control panel doesnt show the plug icon.

Read some threads and figured the charger connection came loose or charger overheated, which is very possible because of 40 celcius over here. STRANGE THING is that when I hookup to EHU again, sometimes the plug icon DOES show on the control panel. And after a while it disappears again.

A few questions:

1. What could cause the intermittent charging? Overheating?
2. Does the fridge get electricity through EHU even if the charger isnt charging the batteries?
3. Do the batteries get charged when driving even if the charger doesnt work on EHU? (Is it 1 batterycharger for both EHU and while driving)?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

I do wonder if the plug on the charger is loose and making / breaking connection. I think I would be checking that. Inside the access panel with the 2nd leisure battery under the rear wardrobe. Seems to crop up time and time again on other threads

 

[flying banana]

The fridge runs off the batteries. Hook up charges those batteries,or should do. The fridge does not run off hook up 240v. . I think you are already suspicious of the problem, your battery charger is disconnected or failed. You have checked the trip switch in the wardrobe? And wiring?

 

[WelshGas]

Hi everyone, hope someone can help me out. I'm in Spain with the Cali and having some issues.

Hooked up to EHU and had the charging icon (plug) on the control panel. All seemed fine. Later on I noticed the plug icon was gone. Checked that the problem isnt in the EHU or my cable from EHU to van. I have electricity at the kitchen 220v socket. Can charge things. But the Cali batteries arent being charged. The control panel doesnt show the plug icon.

Read some threads and figured the charger connection came loose or charger overheated, which is very possible because of 40 celcius over here. STRANGE THING is that when I hookup to EHU again, sometimes the plug icon DOES show on the control panel. And after a while it disappears again.

A few questions:

1. What could cause the intermittent charging? Overheating?
2. Does the fridge get electricity through EHU even if the charger isnt charging the batteries?
3. Do the batteries get charged when driving even if the charger doesnt work on EHU? (Is it 1 batterycharger for both EHU and while driving)?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

If your Avatar information is correct you have a T5, so pre 2010?
If so the Battery Charger is located below the fridge. In this position it can be exposed to some significant temperatures AND it has a Thermal cut off if temperatures rise too much.

Open L hand kitchen cupboard door. Remove any inspection panels on the L wall of the cupboard.
Ensure the Drivers side of the vehicle, especially sliding window to rear wheel is in shade or put some kitchen foil over the body work to drop temperature of the body panel.
If you have a fan, direct it into the open L kitchen cupboard.
if that doesn’t work then the Charger might be literally cooked.

NB. If charger stops due to thermal cut off it won’t restart until it has cooled. Also, it may need to have EHU unplugged, allow to cool and then reconnect EHU.

 

[Kingfisher]

It does sound consistent with the overheating of the EHU charger in my experience, because of the heat wave and because charging comes back after reconnect, but only for a while. In my 2010 T5.1 the charger was directly below the fridge. In later versions this location was changed, I believe. So your nice outside fridge isolation foil should help a bit there to keep it cooler . Getting some airflow there also helps, by removing the hole covers in the left side walls of the kitchen cupboard and in the back bottom of the wardrobe (also keep the cupboard doors partly open).

Checking the 230 plug on the charger is also worthwhile, that can be half loose. Again on the 2010 T5.1, I could access that plug through the covered hole in the left side wall of the kitchen cabinet. I’m betting on the overheating in this case though.

Charging while driving uses the engine alternator, completely separate from the EHU charger. So that‘ll still work.

 

[Kingfisher]

Just to add that in my experience the EHU charger does not restart itself after cooling down, you can only force that by unplugging the EHU. Maybe not physically unplug, toggling the switch in the back cupboard off and on might be enough.

If you cannot get the charger cool enough during the day, you could at least get it to work when night falls and charge through the night maybe.

 

[ThomasHJ]

Thanks to all for the swift and usefull replies. I have taken your advice and checked the cupboard. All plugs seem in place and connected. So far the charger has stopped several times but also started again after unplugging and replugging the cable to the EHU. It doesn't always work right away, so eveything seems consistent with overheating. Opening the cabinet and using the isolation foil on the outside seems to have a positive effecft. During the night it works and I have been able to freeze water bottles that keep the fridge cold enough during the day. Trips with the van to go and swim to cool off the humans also helps charge the fridge. So for now were coping and can enjoy our holidays.

Once again thank you very much to everyone who responded. It's appreciated!