Leisure battery issues and recommendations

[Daveo]

I've recently bought my first Alphard and the previous owner said he never used the leisure battery as he was never off grid. I think this probably explains why I haven't got it to work since it is most likely discharged. So I've tried to charge it up on a smart/trickle charger but just get an error code (ER2) on a Ring 4A Charger. Prior to this I also had some nasty odours given off when we were hooked up to the mains at a campsite, I'm thinking this may have been the battery. Anyway, assuming the battery is beyond it's useful life, possibly due not being charged up every so often, I perhaps need a new one. Now I've made quite a few assumptions here so let me know if there are other reasons for my faulty/discharged battery. Its a Varta LFS75 12v professional dual purpose and then I have a Powerpart PDU Converter. Should I do a like for like replacement or opt for an AGM battery instead? Thanks in advance.

[Rojie]

10 hours ago, Daveo said:

I've recently bought my first Alphard and the previous owner said he never used the leisure battery as he was never off grid. I think this probably explains why I haven't got it to work since it is most likely discharged. So I've tried to charge it up on a smart/trickle charger but just get an error code (ER2) on a Ring 4A Charger. Prior to this I also had some nasty odours given off when we were hooked up to the mains at a campsite, I'm thinking this may have been the battery. Anyway, assuming the battery is beyond it's useful life, possibly due not being charged up every so often, I perhaps need a new one. Now I've made quite a few assumptions here so let me know if there are other reasons for my faulty/discharged battery. Its a Varta LFS75 12v professional dual purpose and then I have a Powerpart PDU Converter. Should I do a like for like replacement or opt for an AGM battery instead? Thanks in advance.

 

Hello, What is a PDU convertor ?

 

Leisure batteries are normally charged through a split relay by the alternator.

 

I use a cheap voltmeter plugged into an accessory 'cigarette' socket wired to the leisure battery to, crudely, monitor the charge.

 

OK, I looked up PDU; facilitates 'all' the leisure electrics.

Seems to provide charging to the leisure battery from the mains hook up.

As far as I am aware, my mains set up does not use a PDU, just a split charger and fuse/rcd.

So, I do not think my leisure battery is charged when connected to the mains.

 

That Varta battery seems to be for starting small marine craft !

 

Imho, starter batteries are not suitable for leisure batteries.

I stand to be corrected.

 

Have you measured the leisure battery voltage ?

Off load, and on load ?