Fiat Ducato EC Monitor vehicle battery warning message. Help!

[AnEnglishmanAbroad]

Hello,
Can anyone help with a warning message and beeping from the Sargent EC 700 monitoring unit please? I have no knowledge of electrics or electronics. In France three weeks ago the monitor began to display a warning that the vehicle battery voltage was low, around 8 amps. We have an Auto Trail Tracker FB, 2019 registration. Anyone with this monitor will know the warning comes with a loud audible beep.

There was no warning light on the dashboard. And the MH was starting with no problem. I tested the vehicle battery with a multimeter and it was fine. No drop off at all. The monitor would periodically produce this warning, in an erratic manner. Sometimes when we hooked up or came off supply. Sometimes in the middle of the night when we were hooked up. The Smart Battery icon switched off and the warning might sound, or not and the system set the mains supply from the vehicle battery icon to the leisure battery for a reason I can't understand.

I spoke with our recovery people in the UK who took me through some verbal checks: vehicle battery tested and ok; no problem starting; no dashboard warning lights; the vehicle battery fuse is fine on the EM 40 interface etc and concluded that we could carry on with the holiday if we so choose as there probably was an electrical fault that could be rectified in the UK. We did that with no issues bar the continuation of the warning periodically.

Sargent's technical advisors suggested we check the vehicle battery fuse, and that the 4 way red connection block for vehicle battery supply was in good condition in the Fiat B pillar. Visually it seems ok and as I said the fuse is fine.

Has anyone had a similar problem? And if so can it be explained to an amateur?

Regards,

Mike.

 

[Cockers]

I would defiantly unscrew the EM40 fuse unit behind the seat and have a very close look at all the connectors as there is an issue with the connectors coming loose and melting, the EM40 unit carries a lot of amps to the fridge whenever your driving. We had an issue when in Spain the EC480 control unit was showing the vehicle battery was at 9.7 volts, the vehicle started with no issues, It turned out the red wires from the vehicle battery into the EM40 unit had melted. And damaged the EM40 circuit board. The problem with the EM40 is know by sargent but they won’t admit it’s a problem. But strangely they instantly offered me a wiring repair kit when I purchased a new EM40 unit.. I’m not saying you have the same problem as I did but definitely worth a look.

 

[AnEnglishmanAbroad]

Hi Cockers,
Thank you for this advice which is sound. I contacted Sargent and asked for their advice, and it was very much along the lines that you mentioned. I have had a close look and as far as I can tell the connectors are fine. The AA recovery advice was to take off the power sources for the MH overnight and re-test the batteries in their experience a failing vehicle battery can appear to be sound, and being charged from the alternator but it is potentially imperceptibly declining in terms of not holding the charge. I did that and put a multimeter on the battery after 24 hours without a supply, and it registered 12.25 volts. So I have arranged a bench test this week but almost certainly the vehicle battery needs replacing.