Battery Issue in 1.5 year old Vehicle

Is there an easy place to charge it from under the hood or did you connect direct to battery?


Hi

I have the same warning, the vehicle always starts though!

I have only done 5000 miles in 5 years so again mine is infrequent use.

I use a solar charger on the dash with a dedicated OBD plug that just plugs into the OBD socket when i'm not using the van.
 

#yardsale

The cruelest dream, reality.
Is there an easy place to charge it from under the hood or did you connect direct to battery?
Word that I have read is you can use a low amp charger hooked to the jumper posts in the engine bay. It is better though to charge the battery directly. Which is easy to do, once you open the battery box and install a pigtail to which you can easily attach your charger to from then on without opening the battery box.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Word that I have read is you can use a low amp charger hooked to the jumper posts in the engine bay. It is better though to charge the battery directly. Which is easy to do, once you open the battery box and install a pigtail to which you can easily attach your charger to from then on without opening the battery box.
The jumper post -to- battery cable is very short, so for a "low amp" (anything 40 amps or under) charger it's OK.

--dick
 

dobermankby

Seattle WA, USA, 2021 144 gasoline mtb/kite rig
For now it's connected directly to the battery terminal with the battery cover removed (VS30 battery is under driver foot area that requires removing 6 bolts and two different covers to access - not sure about older models). I'm currently recovering from a surgery, hence not able to use the van for a while, so I didn't worry about a long term solution yet. I was planning to make an extension cable with wire lugs connected to the battery terminals and sticking out from under the cover, with the charger plug on the outer end, so that I can easily plug it without opening the cover.
I will also look into where these jumper posts are and whether I wanna use that instead.
 

patchesj

Well-known member
I would try to extend your monthly driving times to 20+ continuous minutes regardless of the battery charger. You should really get the oil temp up to operating range for a bit to help boil off any moisture/etc. Short trips are notoriously bad for these vans. just my 0.02.
 

dobermankby

Seattle WA, USA, 2021 144 gasoline mtb/kite rig
I would try to extend your monthly driving times to 20+ continuous minutes regardless of the battery charger. You should really get the oil temp up to operating range for a bit to help boil off any moisture/etc. Short trips are notoriously bad for these vans. just my 0.02.
Good point, I will make sure I do that.
 

JimK50

New member
I am observing Parasitic draw of about 260-280 miliamps after the system goes to sleep. Opening a door draws about 4 amps for about 5-6 minutes. This battery draw is significant and can bring a battery down in about a week or so. I have installed a Blue Smart IP65 charger under the hood, and connect it to the jump posts when in use. It connects to a smart phone via blue tooth which allows monitoring and programming a 4 / 15 amp charge rate. It also will charge Lithium batteries (I replaced my AGM with one). 2020 Sprinter 3500 / 2121 Pleasure-way coach.
Amp Meter.jpgBlue Smart Charger.jpgCharger connections.jpg
 

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