Solar panel/leisure charging/battery problem. Help

[Paulro]

I bought the kit off Roger Donahue a year ago. I think it has worked for about a day only.
All of the rest of the time it shows no charge being given to the battery.
Today I took it to Taunton where Roger looked at it, tested of the component parts, the panel, the charger, the connections etc.
So, the solar panel is producing charge and when connected to a remote battery which was not fully charged continued to charge to normal values.
The charger worked well with the remote battery.
All connections on my California leisure battery and fuse were checked. All ok.
But the charger would not charge because it was reading the rear leisure battery as fully charged although the control panel shows 90% and 12.3v.
Roger said that the two batteries do not seem to be connected?
I have no idea about electrics and will most likely need an auto electrician but someone here might be able to shed some light on this.
The batteries should have been well charged as they had been on charge for around 24 hours but this issue of the leisure batteries not being connected?
Is this possible?
Is there some sort of breaker between the two batteries that might account for this?
Help.....

 

[Hotel California]

One word : warrenty

 

[Meoncoast]

Warranty - from who

 

[Hotel California]

Warranty - from who

Quote OP.....bought a kit one year ago. ....worked for about a day only....

 

[WelshGas]

Quote OP.....bought a kit one year ago. ....worked for about a day only....

Has been checked out by the supplier, as the OP stated.
Problem seems to be with the Leisure Battery Circuit. There is a fuse between the 2 batteries but I'm not sure where it is located.

 

[Max-Felix]

Are you on the original leisure batteries from 2007?

 

[Hotel California]

Has been checked out by the supplier, as the OP stated.
Problem seems to be with the Leisure Battery Circuit. There is a fuse between the 2 batteries but I'm not sure where it is located.

If a salesman sells me goods i expect it to work.
Unwire the solar panels and start working from there to see if everything is normal as it should when back to original.
Have you checked every connection yourself ? Battery's and charger (original Cali charger)
Mesured the battery's separate ?
There's a fuse on the batery under wardrobe in the rear ....but as they say they checked the battery ....they should be aware of the fuse.
You say i need to find a auto electrician , that guy who sold you the panels should have knowledge about auto electric or stop selling solar panels for campervans.

 

[Paulro]

No. New ones about two years ago. I do make an effort every month to charge them.
They are fine with a bit of driving. We were away 8 days last week, fridge running , no problems.
But, no charge from solar going into battery.

 

[Hotel California]

Are you on the original leisure batteries from 2007?

They checked the battery's so worn out battery's should appear if propper tested.

 

[Paulro]

If a salesman sells me goods i expect it to work.
Unwire the solar panels and start working from there to see if everything is normal as it should.
Have you checked every connection yourself ? Battery's and charger.
Mesured the battery's separate ?
There's a fuse on the batery under wardrobe in the rear ....but as they say they checked the battery ....they should be aware of the fuse.
You say i need to find a auto electrician , that guy who sold you the panels should have knowledge about auto electric or stop selling solar panels for campervans.

Done all of this tonight. All working and charging a separate battery that the supplier used.

However, when fitted back to Cali battery, no charge. Well did for a second or two, recognised the battery was fully charged and stopped charging.

This is the default setting and other than on one occasion when I reset it last summer.
I repeat, all of the components are working.

 

[Max-Felix]

They checked the battery's so worn out battery's should appear if propper tested.

I did not read in the OP that the batteries were checked (ie a proper auto electrician charge/discharge test etc) he just said connections were tested?

 

[Paulro]

I did not read in the OP that the batteries were checked (ie a proper auto electrician charge/discharge test etc) he just said connections were tested?

The two leisure batteries were not tested. Just the solar components. They worked (were able to charge a battery) and were individually checked.
The solar charger reads the batteries as fully charged and does not charge (I guess it wouldn't) but the overhead panel in the Cali shows them at less than fully charged.

 

[WelshGas]

If a salesman sells me goods i expect it to work.
Unwire the solar panels and start working from there to see if everything is normal as it should when back to original.
Have you checked every connection yourself ? Battery's and charger (original Cali charger)
Mesured the battery's separate ?
There's a fuse on the batery under wardrobe in the rear ....but as they say they checked the battery ....they should be aware of the fuse.
You say i need to find a auto electrician , that guy who sold you the panels should have knowledge about auto electric or stop selling solar panels for campervans.

That's what the OP and the Supplier did today. But if there is a fault with the Vehicle Leisure Battery Circuit then I, personally, cannot see how it is the responsibility of the Supplier to diagnose and fix that problem.

 

[WelshGas]

The two leisure batteries were not tested. Just the solar components. They worked (were able to charge a battery) and were individually checked.
The solar charger reads the batteries as fully charged and does not charge (I guess it wouldn't) but the overhead panel in the Cali shows them at less than fully charged.

I would check the fuse connecting the 2 Leisure Batteries, which, if @hotel california is correct, is located near the rear Leisure Battery.

 

[WelshGas]

This might help.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/leisure-battery-blown-fuse.5574/

 

[Paulro]

I would check the fuse connecting the 2 Leisure Batteries, which, if @hotel california is correct, is located near the rear Leisure Battery.

If the fuse was blown what else would be affected?
The fridge works fine. Everything works fine.
I left the fridge on and open overnight on about 5 setting. It drained the batteries.
But, might only one be working?

 

[WelshGas]

If the fuse was blown what else would be affected?
The fridge works fine. Everything works fine.
I left the fridge on and open overnight on about 5 setting. It drained the batteries.
But, might only one be working?

Correct, and by the look of it the one under the passenger seat.
The engine Alternator would charge the passenger seat battery, as would the Mains Charger.
The Solar Panel, connected to the Rear Battery , has fully charged that battery, but of course that Battery could be disconnected from the Passenger seat Battery if the fuse has gone.

 

[Roger Donoghue]

If a salesman sells me goods i expect it to work.
Unwire the solar panels and start working from there to see if everything is normal as it should when back to original.
Have you checked every connection yourself ? Battery's and charger (original Cali charger)
Mesured the battery's separate ?
There's a fuse on the batery under wardrobe in the rear ....but as they say they checked the battery ....they should be aware of the fuse.
You say i need to find a auto electrician , that guy who sold you the panels should have knowledge about auto electric or stop selling solar panels for campervans.

HI guys. Please let me clarify the situation. (And I believe Paul has also made this very clear)

1) All my kits are tested as charging before dispatch.

2) Paul's kit worked, and still works , perfectly.

His kit appeared to work for "one day" because the solar charger charged the battery until it was full, and them as it should, it stopped charging.

6 months ago, Paul contacted me when on holiday abroad, and I explained how, on the phone, to reboot the MPPT charger in case it had crashed (they can do if power is disconnected and reconnected rapidly). When he did this, again, it charged for a little while (until the battery was again full). He emailed me the charging figures (3.6Amps) from Spain to confirm.

More recently, Paul contacted me again, and told me he was convinced the kit has never worked as it never showed any charging activity (battery was full). With my instruction, Paul went through a lot of diagnostics. What was odd was that when he switched a high load item like the fridge on, the solar charger didn't show any charging amps, nor did the battery voltage move, at all - this is why I assumed perhaps the charger needed a "reboot".

None of this worked so Paul came to see me last week, and for free, I spent 45 minutes diagnosing the solar panel, MPPT charger, and both panel to charger, and charger to battery cables. I swapped panels, chargers, and batteries. I even checked the soldering in the fuse holder, and the fuse itself.

It would all work perfectly, but only connected to a battery other than the rear leisure battery.... and then I realised. The rear battery was full, 13.8 / 14.2v - all the time, and this was why the charger wasn't charging.

We switched his fridge on, and the battery voltage didn't flinch.

It's not connected. At all. The rear battery has no loads connected to it. (Anyone else would have charged an hour's labour for this. But that's not how I operate.)

I explained this to Paul, and suggested the link between the two batteries has failed somewhere. Either the earth or live.

The solar charging is, and has, been working 100% ok. It's just he's charging a full battery.

I'm not an auto electrician, and I'm certainly not going to poke around in someone's van wiring when it is not what I do. I'm a helpful guy, but I am not going to get involved in someone's faulty vehicle electrics.

I feel I've gone out of my way to be helpful. I can't imagine how much more helpful I could have been.

"Hotel California" - "that guy who sold you the panels should have knowledge about auto electric or stop selling solar panels for campervans" - I sell solar panel kits that connect directly to leisure batteries. They do not interact with the vehicle electrics at all. And that's how I intend it to be.

Seriously. I'm NOT and auto electrician. (Neither is a guy that sells split charging kits, or LED lighting kits, etc.). - it's why I don't work on people's auto electrics.....but I do try and be as helpful as I can.

 

[Roger Donoghue]

If the fuse was blown what else would be affected?
The fridge works fine. Everything works fine.
I left the fridge on and open overnight on about 5 setting. It drained the batteries.
But, might only one be working?

FYI - it didn't drain the "batteries". It just drained the front one. The rear battery is not connected to the fridge/other battery (I'm 100% sure of this). See above.

What Paul needs to know is where the battery to battery fuse is.

 

[Loz]

Its

FYI - it didn't drain the "batteries". It just drained the front one. The rear battery is not connected to the fridge/other battery (I'm 100% sure of this). See above.

What Paul needs to know is where the battery to battery fuse is.

all sorted, it was the fuse..

 

[Hotel California]

@Roger Donoghue , all good that you state the above and clear yourself from any responsibility , i don't know all the small letters in your sales agreement , all we got to read here is someone saying he bought panels that worked only one day , having problems , and the seller can't help him , witch to me is a strange thing.
So if i was buying solarpanels on my Cali ( witch i probally never be doing) i'd like to buy them at a company who gives full support....(as with other things you buy )
Each draw theire own conclusion....

 

[Roger Donoghue]

Its

all sorted, it was the fuse..

Excellent news

 

[Roger Donoghue]

@Roger Donoghue , all good that you state the above and clear yourself from any responsibility , i don't know all the small letters in your sales agreement , all we got to read here is someone saying he bought panels that worked only one day , having problems , and the seller can't help him , witch to me is a strange thing.
So if i was buying solarpanels on my Cali ( witch i probally never be doing) i'd like to buy them at a company who gives full support....
Each draw theire own conclusion....

You are kidding me right? Did you read what I posted? Or just post an "instant reaction"? I gave 100% support. Phone calls to Spain, countless emails, more phone calls, a free system check. I even diagnosed the problem - a problem what was nothing to do with me. For free.

You idiot. As far as drawing their own conclusions, I'm sure they have.

 

[Paulro]

Roger ( and everyone else) today I found that the 50a fuse, situated on the positive terminal of the rear leisure battery was broken.
I have ordered a couple from VW + £10 each and 2 from a company welshgas introduced me to.
Perhaps this is the problem because I know my equipment from Roger works very well.
Can I also add that over the period of having the solar panel Roger has been nothing short of amazingly helpful, answering my calls from across Europe, ringing me back and last week, as he points out went out of his way to establish my particular issue.
He showed me that the problem was not with any of his solar units but somewhere within the California.
I'm very hopeful that today's findings will sort the problem and was waiting until I saw the results before I told Roger.
I'm not too sure about the different solar types, packages available but I'd say, ( even though I have not had mine working) that Roger's kit is excellent.
The guy that checked my Cali today was very impressed.
So, this is an issue that lies with the van and not the solar.
Paul

 

[WelshGas]

@Roger Donoghue , all good that you state the above and clear yourself from any responsibility , i don't know all the small letters in your sales agreement , all we got to read here is someone saying he bought panels that worked only one day , having problems , and the seller can't help him , witch to me is a strange thing.
So if i was buying solarpanels on my Cali ( witch i probally never be doing) i'd like to buy them at a company who gives full support....(as with other things you buy )
Each draw theire own conclusion....

but this time I must Disagree. If I buy a TV that doesn't work at home, take it back to the shop and it works fine then I certainly wouldn't expect the shop to send someone out to check and fix my household electrics or TV aerial for free. That's my problem to sort out. This is exactly the same situation. The Solar Panel works the California doesn't .
Now we know the California has a fault which will shortly be rectified.
Do companies in Belgium offer such support for electrical goods, I think not, and if you bought Solar Panels from a firm that fitted them then I am very sure if they found a fault with your vehicle then they wouldn't fix it for free but inform you there was a problem and you would have to pay them to sort it or get someone else to sort it.