Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Adapted Vehicles.

VEHICLE MENU: www.wheelchairdriver.com/accessible-vehicles.htm

Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Lshno1 » 03 May 2017, 15:16

Hi, I've seen some old posts here Re chrysler battery's.

The battery keeps dying. Seems like something is still running whilst the engine is off along with lights, radio etc. Not sure what's draining battery. Do I need a powerful battery. Will Odyssey 1500pct work. What resolved your chrysler battery problems. I'm having to jump start it everyday. Please help. Thankyou
Lshno1
 
Posts: 2
Joined: 03 May 2017, 13:19

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 03 May 2017, 19:28

Problem. These vans drain batteries fast anyway if parked. Theres a multitude of small things that take power such as the remote key entry receiver, radio memory, engine management memory, alarm,clocks, etc. Say in a month parked IF the battery is quality and fresh. Add the computer in the boot, and another key entry rx running all the time and shorten that to 2 weeks.

But the battery deteriorates fast because batteries love being full, hate being even partly discharged. And being too flat to start the engine several times means they are basically ruined. Even though they seem ok once jump started. So it happens over and over. And then its dead in a week.

A PC1500 Odyssey helps, in ONE WAY, in that the battery is a true deep cycle battery, so it doesn't deteriorate as fast. And that even if half flat its got enough cranking amps to start the van. But it wont cure the problem. Only adding power will do that.

I used to leave a maintenance charger connected when not in use. But its a pain. The real cure, is a 50 watt solar panel on the roof at the rear. And a charge controller that CORRECTLY charges and maintains the battery. And a PC1500. I did this years ago and its faultless even in winter after months sat unused.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lensun-20W-30 ... xsPenGV4nw

There are cheaper panels. Smaller wont do the job. The flat angle means you get less power. The winter means it can be down to about 2 or 3 watts for just a couple of hours a day. This is efficient, encapsulated, on a fiberglass backing, and will survive years on a car roof. You cannot see it. I wouldn't use anything else. Mine is simply stuck with clear silicone rubber sealant as used on baths. The cables extended, run down the rubber in the tailgate, and the charge controller below set to 13.4V is used. It connects to the wiring just behind the right side plastic side panel, wherever you find battery voltage with the key in your pocket! Actually that bit was dead simple.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371837291938? ... EBIDX%3AIT

There are many charge controllers. I have 6 now. THIS ONE does the job correctly, can be set to a long term low 13.4V float, and has proper solar panel tracking for increased power from the panel, useful in winter when light is low. This lives next to the computer/spare wheel in the rear.

Dont think one of those solar panels you stick in the dashboard and leave in front of the windscreen will do the same job. It wont! Tried a 20 watt one. Useless. They dont work through glass and dont have enough power in winter.
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby rustyjames » 03 May 2017, 21:14

Lshno1 wrote:Hi, I've seen some old posts here Re chrysler battery's.

The battery keeps dying. Seems like something is still running whilst the engine is off along with lights, radio etc. Not sure what's draining battery. Do I need a powerful battery. Will Odyssey 1500pct work. What resolved your chrysler battery problems. I'm having to jump start it everyday. Please help. Thankyou


If your battery checks out as being good, and it goes dead overnight, then I would suspect your alternator is what's draining the battery.
rustyjames
 
Posts: 927
Joined: 12 Dec 2011, 17:59
Location: Central New Jersey, USA

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 04 May 2017, 10:19

You can just see the solar panel on the top rear of the van on my security cam...

I have an external 12V power connector under a wheel arch. It allows me to measure battery voltage at any time, day or night, winter or summer. During a night, it falls to 12.65V in winter. During the day it reaches 14.7, then drops to 13.4V float. So battery is kept topped off, perfect for longest service life and always full. And not ever overcharged. It a PC1500 so should be very healthy after another decade.
Attachments
Image1.jpg
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby LROBBINS » 04 May 2017, 12:36

I think there are two possibilities. (1) The battery is at the end of its useful life because it was drained down too much and too often. (2) There's a short somewhere that's causing a big drain when the car is off. (Could be the alternator, could be elsewhere.) An ammeter on one battery lead, most convenient is a clamp meter, will tell you how much drain there is when the car is off. There will be some, but I'd guess it would be less than 1/2 amp (perhaps no more than 100 or 200 mA). The permanent cure for (1) is what John suggests - a good fresh battery and some way (solar or small charger) to keep it charged when you are not using the car. The cure for (2) is to track down where the short is and fix it. One way to do that sleuthing if there is a short is to pull fuses one by one. If the excessive drain disappears when a fuse is pulled, you know which circuit has the problem.
LROBBINS
 
Posts: 5543
Joined: 27 Aug 2010, 09:36
Location: Siena, Italy

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 04 May 2017, 14:03

I did this with mine. Its a bunch of small things, added to the computer in the boot that all suck power. Drain was around 150mA after 40 mins with everything locked. OR 18 to 20 days to dead flat. Wont start after 10 or 12 days because of resistance increasing with discharge. If you check any rollx or similar van you will find the same thing. This soon makes a good battery a bad one...

All modern cars need a solar panel to make up all the small losses from radios, remote entry, engine management, alarms, fuel computers, etc etc. As batteries would last a lot longer! Even without added adaptation computers and added remote open.

I did once have a higher drain, from the wheelchair tie down that was jamming and the release solenoid stayed energized. That did the trick overnight.
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Cal » 05 May 2017, 16:46

I have Munro air levelling suspension on my Chrysler. After a fairly short time from new I found that I was having problems with the battery and starting the car. It became obvious that it was something to do with the conversion, and then one day I noticed when approaching the car to get in that I could hear the air compressor running for the levelling suspension system (just for short periods). Basically it was still live, even with the engine off and car locked, but any gust of wind or vibration which 'moved' the chassis would trigger the air levelling suspension.

If parked up for a few days or weeks with this happening intermittently, the battery wouldn't have enough charge to start the car (it's also a diesel so requires more cranking amps than a petrol). This, combined with the folding side ramp always being live, was definitely a 'drain' issue, so I had an auto electrician install a switch on the dash which can cut power to the side ramp and air suspension (I switch it off when locking up the car), and also installed an Odyssey PC1500 battery.

I haven't had the problem since (several years on). So yes, I think you wouldn't go far wrong with installing the Odyssey PC1500 battery anyway, but may want to check that you don't have an additional drain elsewhere.

For most of us, having an unreliable car isn't acceptable since we are so reliant on them and cannot afford to be stuck. I say this with years of experience of throwing an embarrassing amount of money at mine to keep it going :oops:
Cal
 
Posts: 93
Joined: 13 Jan 2011, 11:22
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Lshno1 » 06 May 2017, 12:38

Thank you very much to everyone that has replied. I will try your suggestions and see what happens. For a start the battery has arrived today to put in then 2nd step is to check the alternator. Let you know how it goes. Thanks again for your help.
Lshno1
 
Posts: 2
Joined: 03 May 2017, 13:19

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 06 May 2017, 15:25

Remember that if you allow it to get discharged deeply, or leave it less than full for long periods you will soon be replacing it.
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby LROBBINS » 06 May 2017, 16:35

The car manufacturer's figure that you'll be using the vehicle every day, and perhaps running it more than once each day. If you are not doing that, a maintenance charger or solar panel as John described will keep your new battery from a premature death.
LROBBINS
 
Posts: 5543
Joined: 27 Aug 2010, 09:36
Location: Siena, Italy

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby rustyjames » 06 May 2017, 21:28

Additionally, the remote control system for the ramp and door will also contribute to draining the battery. I installed a switch on my control system so I can shut it off in the even the van will be parked for awhile.
rustyjames
 
Posts: 927
Joined: 12 Dec 2011, 17:59
Location: Central New Jersey, USA

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 10 May 2017, 17:00

Problem is that after you do that, the vans system still sucks about 80mA out all the time. So you are still ruining the battery over time and after a certain time it will not start regardless. The maintenance charger or better still, solar/charge controller setup, set to 13.4V and temp compensated etc, means your battery is always stored full, and will last a decade or so. And always good to go. And other than the minimal cost its actually simple to DIY in about an hour for an AB...

Heres an ACTUAL reading, 200mA... (.2a) on a cheap clamp meter.
My more accurate meter showed this to be 155mA after around 40 mins sleep and and van locked up.
http://www.wheelchairdriver.com/charging-batteries.htm

And no the alternator cable shows just 0 to 1mA drain...

Its a multitude of small things, plus the computer that controls the ramp/kneel/door etc. Approx half each responsible.
155mAh is 17 days to 100% discharge on an odyssey. After 60% it wont start. So after a week to 10 days you are screwed.

Modern vehicles, the nature of the beast. They need a solar/charge controller system.
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 17 May 2017, 10:13

So he never came back.
My guess:

He fitted his new battery, and the problem has temporarily gone away as its still got enough left to start the van with his regular usage intervals.

But the expensive odyssey battery is now spending a lot of time slowly discharging causing sulfation, and never spends adequate time on charge (10 to 16 hours) to get to 100% full and reverse it. So it will be ruined sometime in the next 3 months to 12 months approx.

Then he will come back, read, understand better and do what he should have done earlier. Fit a solar panel/charge controller. The difference is he now wasted £240 on an excellent battery that he ruined, which could have lasted 10 to 12 years. And now he needs another! Doing it correctly first time would have been much cheaper, and far less trouble!

Plus its very satisfying to know your battery is at 100% no matter how long its left, summer or winter. And will start and last as long as it is possible.
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 18 Sep 2017, 16:02

50 Watt solar panel, glued to rear roof. From my front door camera. With charge controller in the spare wheel compartment.
Attachments
panel.jpg
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 23 Nov 2017, 13:11

I ran a long cable to the van battery, so I can MONITOR the battery voltage and graph it with the PL8V2 charger. No charging, just to watch what the solar charger does.

I set the solar charge controller to 14.5V over the November, December, January months, as daylight and sun is short, sun at low angle etc. So some days no sun, others 4 or 5 hours at best.

Heres a graph, showing 7am and dark with voltage dropping from midnights 13.10V down to 12.85 overnight. As the sun appears the voltage goes up to 14.5V and charges. The wigglyness at full voltage is clouds/roofs/trees etc. If we have a few days (4?+) one after another of solid cloud, in winter, it falls to 12.4V.
Attachments
VAN-SOLAR.GIF
VAN-SOLAR.GIF (10.83 KiB) Viewed 11511 times
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 23 Nov 2017, 13:15

After end of january, I will set the charge voltage lower. To 13.8 to 14V, and in March, and until september I will set to 13.4V or 13.5V as theres lots of hours of light and the battery is warmer.
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Chrysler Voyager Entervan Battery problems

Postby Burgerman » 26 Nov 2017, 21:53

Right now, because I am stuck on bed and bored, I decided to measure my van battery capacity. The voltage looks low because the long cable has a lot of resistance. But that doesent matter. I lowered the end point voltage to match.

This is at 8.9A so is the 7.5 hour rate. If its still as new, from about april? then it will give me about 63Ah at this discharge rate if the solar setup on its roof is treating it well.

This is after 4 hours and a bit over half way. At 35Ah Or 35,000mah.
Attachments
Image1.gif
User avatar
Burgerman
Site Admin
 
Posts: 65050
Joined: 27 May 2008, 21:24
Location: United Kingdom


Return to Adapted Cars Vans MPV's

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests

 

  eXTReMe Tracker