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Topic: unknown current drain on batteries (Read 4 times) previous topic - next topic
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unknown current drain on batteries
Yahoo Message Number: 144011
Hi Aad. I've mentioned this before on this forum, but it did happen to me.  It is subtle. Make sure your heater is turned off. I forgot to turn mine off  once, but the temperature was set low enough that it wouldn't run during the  day. Because I had turned the gas off at the tank, it wouldn't get warm, so the  fan would run all night. In the morning, the sun warmed up the  motorhome, and the thermostat would shut off the fan. I had the motorhome  parked in the driveway, but the heater exhaust was on the side away from where I  walked. The solar would charge the battery during the day. I finally walked by  the side of the motorhome early in the morning and heard the fan running. I  learned to turn off the heater by switching the thermostat off at the bottom. I  remember that recently there was discussion about oiling or replacing blower  motor bearings.
Those inexpensive meters from Harbor Freight (sometimes free)  can measure up to 10 amps with an internal shunt (more like a piece of wire).  That is the best method to find small current drains. You don't have a short.  That word is used to denote current drains that melt wiring, blow fuses and/or  cause fires. I've had occasion to find 'real' shorts in multilayer pc boards,  where the Vcc and ground planes inside a board were touching. Less sophisticated  methods would leave smoking craters in the boards. Effective and quick, but  expensive to repair. Hope you find the offending current drain. RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: unknown current drain on batteries
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 144018
Let me reemphasize what Ron said (and I said earlier): You don't have a short. If you did, you'd have either a blown fuse or a fire.

You have a current drain--either low-level or intermittent. Ron's advice to check the furnace is good; I've been caught that way once or twice myself, when I thought I had turned off the thermostat, but had failed to move the lever all the way to the left. (In my 2003, the thermostat has no on-off switch on the bottom.)

An inexpensive DC ammeter can be helpful in troubleshooting, but forgive me if I repeat that there's no substitute for a LinkLite-style battery monitor when diagnosing any kind of battery problem.

Andy Baird
http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: unknown current drain on batteries
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 144019
I thought I had turned off the thermostat, but had failed to move the lever all the way to the left. (In my 2003, the thermostat has no on-off switch on the bottom.) --- In earlier rigs without the off/on thermostat switch, turn the thermostat/furnace off completely by (gently) pushing the lever to the far left until you feel and hear it *snap* into the complete 'OFF' position.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: unknown current drain on batteries
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 144020
I have owned R V's for a good many years without many major problems. Yes, I have replaced batteries etc. whenever needed and do routine items to mainta
2001 MB
 
unknown current drain on batteries
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 144021
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_7?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=12%20volt%20systems&sprefix=12+volt%2Cstripbooks%2C2664

Aad I recommend the book at the above URL. Next, after reading that I recommend you consider a battery monitor if you intend to do any boondocking Tom
As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.