LED Light failure causing alarm to go off randomly?

[jaydee]

Hi,

I've had a look through, and found some useful hints, but nothing along the lines of the problem I have at the mo. I'm not at all mechanically minded, so apologies for terminology - I need help!

We have just got home from a holiday in France. On the campsite, we got back to the van one evening to find it had no interior lights (it was on hook up). We assumed they had failed and got the torches out, but then the van gave a few beeps and the lights came back on again.

A while later.... more beeps and the lights went off again. Rinse and repeat.

The big kitchen light seems totally out, but the other lights - in "lights off" mode, have really dim dots - like it's just not got any power. They look to be LED lights.

We got home last night, but was woken up at about 3am by someones alarm going off - I went to check, but it didn't last long enough, so I went back to sleep, assuming it was someone else's.

Then, at 5:50am, it happened again - I managed to get up this time, and yes, was my alarm with no obvious reason. I turned it off and on again and went back to bed. Couldn't sleep though, for fear of it kicking off again.

This morning I gave the van a look over, nothing obvious, but tried the disabling of the interior sensors and locking using the key. Nothing until about an hour ago when it went off again.

Been out to have a poke round, and with the help of this forum, found the under seat fuse box. Pulled out the red 10 amp one and replaced it, flicked the trip switches on the box under the sink (and put on again), the light was still doing it's feeble dots thing.

I've left it now with the 10amp fuse removed, the sensors disabling the interior, and pressed the lock button twice.... hoping I don't disturb all the neighbours again, but a bit worried tbh.

If anyone has any ideas about what to try next, or what it might be, will be gratefully received!

 

[WelshGas]

Hi,

I've had a look through, and found some useful hints, but nothing along the lines of the problem I have at the mo. I'm not at all mechanically minded, so apologies for terminology - I need help!

We have just got home from a holiday in France. On the campsite, we got back to the van one evening to find it had no interior lights (it was on hook up). We assumed they had failed and got the torches out, but then the van gave a few beeps and the lights came back on again.

A while later.... more beeps and the lights went off again. Rinse and repeat.

The big kitchen light seems totally out, but the other lights - in "lights off" mode, have really dim dots - like it's just not got any power. They look to be LED lights.

We got home last night, but was woken up at about 3am by someones alarm going off - I went to check, but it didn't last long enough, so I went back to sleep, assuming it was someone else's.

Then, at 5:50am, it happened again - I managed to get up this time, and yes, was my alarm with no obvious reason. I turned it off and on again and went back to bed. Couldn't sleep though, for fear of it kicking off again.

This morning I gave the van a look over, nothing obvious, but tried the disabling of the interior sensors and locking using the key. Nothing until about an hour ago when it went off again.

Been out to have a poke round, and with the help of this forum, found the under seat fuse box. Pulled out the red 10 amp one and replaced it, flicked the trip switches on the box under the sink (and put on again), the light was still doing it's feeble dots thing.

I've left it now with the 10amp fuse removed, the sensors disabling the interior, and pressed the lock button twice.... hoping I don't disturb all the neighbours again, but a bit worried tbh.

If anyone has any ideas about what to try next, or what it might be, will be gratefully received!

Sorry, but exactly which vehicle have you got? Your Avatar information says T5 Beach, but the Beach doesn't have a sink.

 

[jaydee]

Good question, I think it's a bit of a confused van - looking at the V5 it says it has 7 seats and is a Beech.... but I only has 2 rear seats and a small kitchen area with a 2 burner hob and a sink. I bought it almost 2 years ago and only realised recently when my sister got one. She calls it "frankenvan" lol!

 

[jaydee]

*Beach

 

[ArunAlec]

I think you’ll have to supply a bit more info! Sounds like a Beach with an added kitchen pod of some sort? Trip switch under sink is a bit of a puzzle!

 

[WelshGas]

Good question, I think it's a bit of a confused van - looking at the V5 it says it has 7 seats and is a Beech.... but I only has 2 rear seats and a small kitchen area with a 2 burner hob and a sink. I bought it almost 2 years ago and only realised recently when my sister got one. She calls it "frankenvan" lol!

It sounds as if you have a Beach that has been modified both physically and electrically.

The Beach with Electrical Hookup has the Mains Socket on the Near Side Rear and behind that body panel a Mains Charger and a Mains RCD Protection Switch.
When you are on Mains is your Mains Charger working? Can you monitor the Leisure Battery Voltage? Because it sounds as if you have 2 problems.
1. Flat Leisure Battery hence no lights just a faint glow.
2. Vehicle Alarm problem or possibly a Moth brought home with you.

If you don’t have the above Mains system then your Beach might have come without Mains Hookup and an aftermarket system added hence the switch under the Kitchen sink.

I’m afraid we will need more information and/or pictures.

 

[jaydee]

Right, i'll go get some photos now - that's the problem with not knowing the full history I guess - I bought it from Glossop Caravans like this.

 

[jaydee]

Here they are...

 

[jaydee]

I took the red 10 amp fuse out to stop the lights being barely on, it seems odd that when the van beeps (I guess thats when the alarm goes off), the light come back on as normal. Except the middle big light over the sink.

 

[jaydee]

When you are on Mains is your Mains Charger working? Can you monitor the Leisure Battery Voltage? Because it sounds as if you have 2 problems.
1. Flat Leisure Battery hence no lights just a faint glow.
2. Vehicle Alarm problem or possibly a Moth brought home with you.

I'm not sure how to measure the voltage, but it sometimes works just fine - and was fine right up to the point on holiday where we went out for dinner. The lights were out when we got back, but it was plugged into the hookup and the plug socket was working fine still (that doesn't work when on just battery).

I'd expect that the lights would be on or off if the battery is on it's way out? Rather than the intermittent on/off. And the middle light has not worked at all since all this.

 

[WelshGas]

I took the red 10 amp fuse out to stop the lights being barely on, it seems odd that when the van beeps (I guess thats when the alarm goes off), the light come back on as normal. Except the middle big light over the sink.

Ok, that’s Not the VW Mains Hook Up System But aftermarket.
When you have the Mains Plugged was into the Van is that Mains Socket on the kitchen unit working?
Do you know if the Leisure Battery is charged?
Do you have a Mains Charger for the Leisure Battery

 

[jaydee]

Ok, that’s Not the VW Mains Hook Up System But aftermarket.
When you have the Mains Plugged was into the Van is that Mains Socket on the kitchen unit working?
Do you know if the Leisure Battery is charged?
Do you have a Mains Charger for the Leisure Battery

Ahh cheers, I suspected as much. Yes, the main socket was working fine on hookup, was just the lights - it's never happened before and i've used the van a lot this year. Not too sure why it kicks the alarm off though? or beeps - not all the time, just when the lights decide to work / fail. I've never had a problem to date with the leisure battery - but no, I don't have a separate mains charger.

 

[jaydee]

...just hoping that taking the fuse out, and with the lights currently looking like they're off, that it'll stop cheesing my neigbours off. Though, guessing it's a bit beyond me by the sound.

 

[WelshGas]

Ahh cheers, I suspected as much. Yes, the main socket was working fine on hookup, was just the lights - it's never happened before and i've used the van a lot this year. Not too sure why it kicks the alarm off though? or beeps - not all the time, just when the lights decide to work / fail. I've never had a problem to date with the leisure battery - but no, I don't have a separate mains charger.

I would invest in a Mains Charger for the Leisure Battery so when on Mains that is charged continuously.
Also, having stressed the Leisure Battery significantly it may not perform as it should and may need replacing.

 

[jaydee]

Ok, thanks, I'll take it back to Glossop caravans for a look, just puzzled - I thought the leisure battery charged when the van was being driven, and I'd just done 200 miles, probably my understanding being wrong. Also, it's intermittent nature, and all of a sudden. Anyhow, hoping that fuse removal will stop the alarm triggering tonight.

 

[ArunAlec]

An unrelated observation.... looks like your diesel filler flap has lost the little plastic bit that keeps it closed. A couple of quid on eBay. Stops it flying open.

 

[jaydee]

An unrelated observation.... looks like your diesel filler flap has lost the little plastic bit that keeps it closed. A couple of quid on eBay. Stops it flying open.

Ahhh is that what keeps it closed, it does annoy me - cheers!

 

[WelshGas]

Ok, thanks, I'll take it back to Glossop caravans for a look, just puzzled - I thought the leisure battery charged when the van was being driven, and I'd just done 200 miles, probably my understanding being wrong. Also, it's intermittent nature, and all of a sudden. Anyhow, hoping that fuse removal will stop the alarm triggering tonight.

The Alternator/Split Charger should recharge the Leisure Battery if working correctly, BUT if the Leisure Battery has been significantly flattened, as you said this started on site, then I don’t think the Alternator maybe able to re-Charge from a severely depleted level and the Leisure Battery will need replacing.
However, placing it on a Smart Charger May be able to resurrect it for a while.

 

[jaydee]

The Alternator/Split Charger should recharge the Leisure Battery if working correctly, BUT if the Leisure Battery has been significantly flattened, as you said this started on site, then I don’t think the Alternator maybe able to re-Charge from a severely depleted level and the Leisure Battery will need replacing.
However, placing it on a Smart Charger May be able to resurrect it for a while.

I don't believe it had been depleted at all, certainly not severely anyhow, it was on hook up at the time, was only 2 nights on the site and doesn't power anything except a few LED lights - I can't see how that'd be the case for a couple of hours use after driving so far and using hook up. I thought the hook up would also add some charge? That plus a 200 mile drive doesn't feel like this should happen

Anyhow, as long as the alarm is quiet until I can get it to a garage, I'm happy. And keeping fingers crossed it doesn't start going off at 3am.

 

[WelshGas]

I don't believe it had been depleted at all, certainly not severely anyhow, it was on hook up at the time, was only 2 nights on the site and doesn't power anything except a few LED lights - I can't see how that'd be the case for a couple of hours use after driving so far and using hook up. I thought the hook up would also add some charge? That plus a 200 mile drive doesn't feel like this should happen

Anyhow, as long as the alarm is quiet until I can get it to a garage, I'm happy. And keeping fingers crossed it doesn't start going off at 3am.

Why would being on Hook Up add some Charge to the Leisure Battery if you don't have a Battery Charger installed?

If taking out the Fuse for the Internal Leisure Lights that run off the Leisure Battery has silenced the Vehicle Security Alarm that runs off the Engine Battery then there is something very difficult to explain about your vehicle electrics.
Also, if you don't have a Mains Charger then unless the vehicle is used very, very regularly then I don't see how the Leisure Battery can be kept in a reasonable state. Even VW recommend, in the Handbook, that the Leisure Battery be charged for at least 12-24 hrs/month on a Battery Charger.

I'll leave you to sort it out.

 

[jaydee]

Thanks for your help I do appreciate it, just overtired after the alarm going off and having to turn it off before the neighbours kill me! Can't say the lack of sleep and worry was good.

From what I gather, seems like I have been a bit misinformed about the whole leisure battery thing for both this van and the motorhome before it... I was led to believe that the battery would be charged up both when driving and when on hook up - I've never once been told that I also need some sort of external battery charger. To be honest, getting the battery in and out of the underside of the passenger seat is probably a bit beyond me anyhow.

If an external battery charger also means plugging the van in when at home, that's also a non starter, because I can't actually park it anywhere near the house; so seems what I need to do is to budget for a new leisure battery every few years. It seems that the electric hook up only does power the plug socket, so I need to ask Glossop caravans what on earth is going on.

For now, pulling the fuse out seems to have meant a peaceful nights sleep - i'll take that for now, until I can get it booked in and fixed!