Pump issue help needed

[HWCS]

Have just gone out to my van for first time in 2weeks, got in and the battery is totally dead, ive looked in back of the van and one of my pumps is flashing 'Bat' but the pump is turned off.

Any ideas why it would do this?

 

[Pjj]

Have just gone out to my van for first time in 2weeks, got in and the battery is totally dead, ive looked in back of the van and one of my pumps is flashing 'Bat' but the pump is turned off.

Any ideas why it would do this?

Sounds like one for @spruce or @Apw1210 first thing I would do is disconnect the batteries and re charge them and look for  bad connections.could be something is draining the batteries ?? 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Have just gone out to my van for first time in 2weeks, got in and the battery is totally dead, ive looked in back of the van and one of my pumps is flashing 'Bat' but the pump is turned off.

Any ideas why it would do this?

It sounds like you have current drain either by faulty wiring or the controller not being isolated. 

It's always good practice in my opinion to have a battery isolation switch so you can switch of the power to your auxiliary window cleaning circuit. 

If you have a split charge relay such as the generic Durite 0-727-33 they actually work as a two way system so if your van starter battery is lower they can trickle back.

A common sense approach and something to consider for public holidays such as Christmas is to isolate your system and a big issue with starter batteries if your vans battery isn't in optimum range.

The busiest time of year for the RAC & AA with vehicles left stood for days on end 

 

[HWCS]

I have a bat 2bat charger

 

[CMcB]

If possible I would charge it using a decent smart charger from the mains.  The ctek mxs 5.0 (I'd recommend it) has reconditioning mode. If that doesn't work, I think you'll need a new battery 

 

[dazmond]

Have just gone out to my van for first time in 2weeks, got in and the battery is totally dead, ive looked in back of the van and one of my pumps is flashing 'Bat' but the pump is turned off.

Any ideas why it would do this?

You should leave your batteries on trickle charge over an extended break as there's normally some sort of drain on your batteries (albeit a small one)but it adds up over days and weeks....

Try charging your batteries up overnight and try again...if your still getting BAT flashing on your controller then your batteries are toast and you ll need to  replace them!

 

[Deleted member 7446]

If possible I would charge it using a decent smart charger from the mains.  The ctek mxs 5.0 (I'd recommend it) has reconditioning mode. If that doesn't work, I think you'll need a new battery 

Very valid point ? 

 

[HWCS]

Update:

I managed to get the van started, went to a automotive parts shop,the bloke put a meter on my battery and it was b0ll0xd, so im £120 lighter but the van has a shiny 100% battery??

The pump issue was a dodgy wire i believe as i changed a wire that looked iffy and it seems to have fixed the issue.

Cheers for the pointers and advice

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Update:

I managed to get the van started, went to a automotive parts shop,the bloke put a meter on my battery and it was b0ll0xd, so im £120 lighter but the van has a shiny 100% battery??

The pump issue was a dodgy wire i believe as i changed a wire that looked iffy and it seems to have fixed the issue.

Cheers for the pointers and advice

Wiring issues can go two ways 

1, a flat or inoperative battery 

2, burnt to a crisp van or new baked bean can 

Check everything if it's a DIY installation and ensure your connections are rock solid 

 

[spruce]

A battery can appear to function one minute and then be completely dead the next day @HWCS. It's usually a short in the battery due to a failure of some sort.

I have mentioned this before regarding leisure batteries and my controllers.

I started off with a Varistream controller and used them ever since. The ones I still have on my van are the first digital controllers Varistream made, so are probably around 12 years old. When you switch off those controllers, there is zero current consumed by them.

However, the later VSD6 controllers made by Varistream were totally different. It employed a battery voltage bar gauge which did consume current. Williamson pumps told me it was negligible, but I disagree. My son-in-law's van stood for 3 weeks on our driveway while he was in Australia. His 85amp leisure battery was fully charged to begin with and after a week was down to 75% of charge. I swapped my son's battery with his and the same thing happened with son's battery - same make and size.

When I connected the battery up you could hear a 'thump' from the pump motor, but the current wasn't enough to turn the motor.

I added an on/off switch to the circuit before the controller to switch the power off totally. There was no current draw in the 3rd week from the leisure battery - it stayed fully charged.

I still have a spare controller on the shelf. It's one of those VSD6 controllers. I've added an on/off switch into the casing to switch off current going to the controller should I ever use it in the future. It's been on the shelf for over 8 years.

I believe the new V16 Spring controllers has an on/off switch which I understand switches the power off to the controller. I believe the older V11 did consume a small amount of current, how much though I don't know.