NorthStar Draining Truck Battery ?

[SueMcD]

Please forgive the long post but as you will read, we have had an odd battery problem and so I want to share all the details. We have a 2014 Navara with a 2014 NorthStar 750. I am hoping to get advice/suggestions before we head off to the local repair centre.

We had a fabulous 2 weeks in the Outer Hebrides earlier this summer but we had a few problems with our truck battery. On the first day of our trip we drove about 2 hours and then parked at the Ullapool Ferry Terminal. We went for coffee and when we came back for loading, the truck would not start. Absolutely nothing... starter did not turn over - just a clicking. After putting the jump cables on, the truck started immediately and we loaded onto the ferry. To load the ferry, we drove for less than 5 minutes. We fully expected another problem off-loading in Stornoway but it started first time, no problem ! It did take about 20 minutes until all the gauges to read normally. We had the fridge on battery power for the drive to Ullapool but we have done this before without problem. I did turn off the fridge after we jump started in Ullapool so it was not on during the ferry crossing. I don't think anything else was on.

We travelled twice more between campsites without problems. I think we had the fridge on for both journeys, but I cannot be sure - Age related memory loss ?

We then travelled to Leverburgh for the ferry to Berneray and the truck started without problem to load the ferry... only for it to fail to start when we tried to drive off the ferry ! This time, the truck did not start immediately when the jump cables were connected and we had to leave it for a minute or two to charge before it would start. After this second episode, we did not travel again with the fridge on battery power.

I recall reading somewhere in the forum that NorthStars are "known" to drain the truck battery but cannot find that posting again.

So, I would appreciate any ideas, comments, or suggestions as to what the problem might be and how we might get it fixed. I won't play with the electrics but would love to be able to point the service engineer in the right direction to minimise the time it takes to troubleshoot the problem.

Thanks in advance.

[keeflester]

It's likely that whoever wired it up did it wrong. Your fridge should be wired to the red wire on your grey connector. This is only live when the engine is running. Your leisure battery should be wired through some kind of split charge relay which can only draw current when the starter battery is fully charged and the engine running.

It's unlikely that your leisure battery alone will drain the starter battery, even if the split charge relay has failed to a short circuit. Unless you are running some high current device, like an inverter supplying 240v to something. This would require two things to be wrong at once so is unlikely but not impossible.

It's possible to diagnose the problem with a cheap multimeter, if you brought it to me the diagnosis would only take a few minutes, half an hour at the most. It's unlikely you would come to Scotland just for that, I only give the example so you don't get intimidated by a crooked mechanic sucking his teeth and trying to figure out how much you can be taken for.

Let me know how you get on, or if you need more advice. I'll follow this thread.

[sabconsulting]

I can't comment on Northstars, but here are some things to consider.

I assume you have a 3-way fridge and run it on 12v when driving. They do draw a lot of current.

Probably worth trying to understand how your fridge and 12v system are wired. Could it be wired wrongly?

Certainly I'd expect the wiring to be such (possibly via a relay) that the fridge is only connected to the truck battery / alternator when the engine is running. Could it be there is no relay and the fridge is draining the battery whether the engine is running or not?

Could it be that the fridge has basically killed your truck battery? It might have repeatedly drained it down to 50% charge or less, but enough to still start the truck. However, regular flooded cell lead acid batteries as would be fitted to your truck, have very little tolerance of being discharged more than a small amount - discharge them to 50% a few dozen times and they will be toast and won't hold their charge properly.

So you may well need a new truck battery. But before you do that you need to find and fix the problem that was causing the fridge to discharge the truck battery.

Steve.

[Pauls130]

It certainty sounds like the fridge. If your fridge has a manual changeover (Battery/240v/gas) switch it to battery. Turn the ignition off. does the light for the fridge stay on? If so its wired to the permanent live (I'm assuming new single euro plug?)
If so the fridge or more likely the 13 pin plug needs rewired. The system needs an extra relay (or perhaps has an existing relay sticking with the circuit closed) someone with a multi meter and a knowledge of 12v wiring systems should be able to sort this in under an hour.
Perhaps Northstar could provide the wiring topo?

[Big Jim]

Are the battery terminals clean and tight ? It is odd that it did not start , and then would after 5 minute drive .

[SueMcD]

Thanks for all the ideas. I will do a bit of troubleshooting to see if I can narrow down the issue.

[zildjian]

How have you got on Sue?

[Toshbins]

Now heres a weird thing. Amarok wouldn't start today. According to the VW roadside assistant man, theres a 2.5 - 4 watt discharge when everything is off. He's eliminated the air suspension so it's something in the truck.

[zildjian]

I know you will, but let us know and we'll drop it in the Amarok-pedia for reference

[sabconsulting]

Now heres a weird thing. Amarok wouldn't start today. According to the VW roadside assistant man, theres a 2.5 - 4 watt discharge when everything is off. He's eliminated the air suspension so it's something in the truck.

I bet there are a lot of things in a modern truck that run all the time. Alarm, receivers for remote control central locking, backup power to the stereo. Probably many other things besides. You can imagine the logic - "I know, we'll keep the GPS powered 24x7, that way as soon as the driver gets in it still has the satellites acquired for immediate navigation."

Steve.