Flat battery!

[Mibongo]

Last november I stayed on site for a few days and my battery went flat. Can I use leads from my leisure battery to my main battery as I was hooked up and the leisure battery was well charged?
Rob

[tay]

hello,i recentley had same problem and just used a set of jump leads
from leisure bat to starter bat no problems.i would get youre battery and alternator checked for faults tho. turned out mine was just a duff starter battery.

[Simon Jones]

I think this has been covered here before. As I recall, it's probably ok to connect the two batteries in parallel to get you going in an emergency, but proper leisure batteries are designed to give a slow steady release of charge, rather than a short bursts for starting. If your 'leisure' battery is actually a starter battery, then there should be no problems. By the sounds of it: either your main battery is faulty, or you've got a load on it when you're parked up, such as interior lights or the radio.

[Mibongo]

Thanks for the info. Yes I had the radio and lights on a lot (november nights ....)
Sorry to be a pain but, how would I know if my leisure battery was capable of the start up?
Rob

[g8dhe]

Most L/B will work for the occasional starting, do use both jumper leads don't rely on the earth to the L/B as its probably only rated for 30 Amps or so!!! It will be fine for starting a V6 but a diesel will impose a much bigger starting load I believe (Glow plugs + starter+ higher compression ratio?) so don't do it to often otherwise you will knacker the L/B very rapidly...

[missfixit70]

Why not transfer the lights & stereo onto the LB? SB shouldn't go flat then

[Ron Miel]

Wouldn't the best solution be, time permitting, to just use the jumper leads to interconnect the batteries long enough for the good leisure battery, with a higher terminal voltage, to put enough charge to start the engine back into the starter battery - removing the leads before attempting the start? That way, no risk of buckling plates, or other damage to the leisure battery. Admittedly, it will take longer but hey, you're camping and chilled out! Have another slow beer, or if that takes you over the limit, have a zizz, while you wait. Mind you, haven't tried it, so perhaps it would take an unreasonable time - but it's what I would try first, anyway.

[Ron Miel]

Wouldn't the best solution be, time permitting, to just use the jumper leads to interconnect the batteries long enough for the good leisure battery, with a higher terminal voltage, to put enough charge to start the engine back into the starter battery - removing the leads before attempting the start? That way, no risk of buckling plates, or other damage to the leisure battery. Admittedly, it will take longer but hey, you're camping and chilled out! Have another slow beer, or if that takes you over the limit, have a zizz, while you wait. Mind you, haven't tried it, so perhaps it would take an unreasonable time - but it's what I would try first, anyway.

Also, of course, the result might just be two batteries with too low a terminal voltage, depending on how bad the starter battery was at the beginning. At that point, I would just have to call the nice man with the yellow van - or the not so nice man with the white van, and a straightjacket. Are you coming quietly?