Battery Drain 2017 Melbourne

[abarkl]

Originally Posted by TravelWriteGirl

The unit is at Mercedes now...I called Jayco before letting it leave there and they are supposed to call the dealer and the Mercedes repair shop. My hope is that they tell Mercedes to put it back in. I have no idea what brand is in there, but the dealer sure didn't tell me it wasn't a Mercedes battery, they said Jayco must have changed brands and not told Mercedes. Good grief....

I'm just so glad that I took it to Mercedes to find this out now rather than 6 months from now when there would be no certainty on their end that I didn't switch it out!

It sounds like the problem will be fixed. Let us know, and how it works after the repairs.

[TWG]

Originally Posted by abarkl

It sounds like the problem will be fixed. Let us know, and how it works after the repairs.

I'm not sure about that, after hearing nothing from neither Jayco or Mercedes, I called Jayco who says the dealer denies changing the battery out (of course, because they denied it to me). Jayco also did not change it, and obviously Mercedes didn't. So, I'm sure they are thinking that I did which is ridiculous! If I have to get into a they say / I say battle, I absolutely am ready to contact a lawyer. This unit has been nothing but trouble from the get go and this is far more than I am going to put with. Either the dealer is lying or they have someone stealing batteries, but THIS and all else that has been wrong is not what I paid for, this is NOT customer service, and this is unacceptable.

[koko]

It's ridiculous that they didn't just change to the right battery in the first place. Then, if you have no more problems, obviously that was the issue...seems simple enough, but they never make anything simple. Just can't figure out why they're making a warrantied issue so difficult. Hope this time all will be perfect.

We had not started ours in a month and a half, but yesterday we went out to start it and were impressed that, although it was dead, after we used the battery booster override switch, it started up. That ominous bright blue light on the Pioneer always stays on, even when the radio's off. We had the same blue light on our Jensen in the Keystone Premier.

[TWG]

Originally Posted by koko

It's ridiculous that they didn't just change to the right battery in the first place. Then, if you have no more problems, obviously that was the issue...seems simple enough, but they never make anything simple. Just can't figure out why they're making a warrantied issue so difficult. Hope this time all will be perfect.

We had not started ours in a month and a half, but yesterday we went out to start it and were impressed that, although it was dead, after we used the battery booster override switch, it started up. That ominous bright blue light on the Pioneer always stays on, even when the radio's off. We had the same blue light on our Jensen in the Keystone Premier.

Our bus is STILL at Mercedes...third day, Jayco has not even contacted them today, nor answered or returned my phone calls. Is it really this much of an issue for them to pay to have the right battery put in when the unit was delivered to me with the wrong battery??? Regardless of where it happened (dealer denies it and Jayco denies it), that is for them to hash out later and FIX THIS for the customer. I fear a lawyer and lemon law potential is in my future. Changing out parts, having a dealer deny it, and leaving the customer with the bag with a voided warranty....

[Jaycomelbourneng]

Just had Sprinter battery replaced. We bought unit in June 2016. Coach is 2016, house is 2017. Into Sprinter service today because rv dealership (Colerain Northside) couldn't see us till March of this year for that. We were told that there is some drain from radio even when powered off. I will install a Battery Tender hook up to trickle charge from time to time.

[koko]

Jaycomelbourneng - Glad to see another Melbourne owner added to the forum. We've had our unit since last May, have traveled extensively in it all over the southwest, and have yet to see another one actually on the road or in a campground! Hope you enjoy yours as much as we like ours. Hope TravelWriteGirl has had success with her battery. Don't like to hear of anyone having bad issues.

[oldmanAZ]

Welcome to the forum.

So you replaced the vehicle (Sprinter) battery because the radio is a drain on that battery? Were you not able to start the vehicle after it sat for a while?

In most vehicles today digital radios keep the station settings with the vehicle engine not running and that requires a tiny drain on the battery. That drain should alone should take a L-O-N-G time to drain the battery. As far as I know, a battery tender should be sufficient to keep a battery charged with only the radio drain.

In March, does the dealer plan to check for other drains on the battery?

[Pfflyer]

The Co2 detector I have been told also drains the starter battery as well as the radio but you should be able to start after a couple weeks. I know I cant go 3 weeks but not sure exactly when it was drained past being able to start. I keep both batteries topped off with a maintainer since that happened. Right now it is done with a 2 battery charger/maintainer connected to the coach battery and through the jumpstart points under the hood for the starter. I will eventually go with a trickle charger that plugs into cigarette lighter for the starter and have it plugged into shore and let the converter/charger keep the coach topped off.

[SouthCo]

So the mercedes dealer is saying your current, non-mercedes, battery is draining after a few days because it's not a mercedes battery? I have a feeling your going to be disappointed once you get the mercedes battery installed. That's not going to fix the parasitic draw that's draining your current battery after a few days. While there may always be some draw, it shouldn't be soo much that the battery is dead after a few days...

Good luck. Hope the dealer gets it fixed for you soon...

[Jaycomelbourneng]

Originally Posted by TravelWriteGirl

I forgot to mention that is a Mercedes Sprinter chassis, but could still do the same. I would pull the fuse IF I knew where to find it, but due to lack of documentation on which fuse is which, it would be a testing/guessing game. Would you have any idea on where to find that information?

Look under the driver's seat. There are some fuses there. I don't have any of my books, they are at the attorneys. I have a list of 30+ defects and the rv dealer wouldn't even look at the battery issue till March (though they did send out a tech). It is going to the factory in April to pull and repair the slide. ...

[Pfflyer]

Mercedes did provide a battery disconnect to the right of the gas pedal. Radio settings will need to be re-set. This is not a permanent solution to your issue but until you find the drain and or get the proper chassis battery installed it might work for you.

[campaholix]

Originally Posted by Pfflyer

Mercedes did provide a battery disconnect to the right of the gas pedal. Radio settings will need to be re-set. This is not a permanent solution to your issue but until you find the drain and or get the proper chassis battery installed it might work for you.

Hello...new Melbourne owner here experiencing the same issue with battery drain. Just discovered the disconnect switch you mention. What exactly does that disconnect do / what is it used for?


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[pconroy]

I'm NOT a Melbourne owner, but battery disconnects take the battery out of the circuit completely. Just like yanking the wire from the terminal.

They're handy to have in Winter months if you're putting your unit in storage. Disconnecting that battery prevents them from possible damage due to something still on draining the battery completely.

Dead batteries have shortened lifespans.

In this case, they can disconnect the battery while they look for the source of the power drain.

[Pfflyer]

The disconnect is also used when working on the chassis to prevent air bags from deploying from what I have read. Also to prevent shorting out electronics when working on and around electronic components. The upfitter connection to the chassis battery is under the drivers seat if Jayco followed MB guidelines. I linked to the upfitter guide in this thread or another Melbourne thread. If you need me to find it let me know. To isolate what is draining the battery that connection would be a good place to start. With non swivel seats it is possible to access this connection without removing the seat but with the swivel you will need to remove both the swivel and seat to get to it.

[Pfflyer]

Post 6 in the following link is the link to the MB upfitter guide for connecting to the starter battery. If Jayco followed the guide, all coach drains on the starter battery would be connected to one of the three posts. One of the posts is Powered just when the van is running and that is where the battery isolator should be connected. One of the other posts is power all the time and that is where I suspect you will find the drain on the starter battery. Good luck.
http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f4...tml#post474978

[TWG]

Originally Posted by SouthCo

So the mercedes dealer is saying your current, non-mercedes, battery is draining after a few days because it's not a mercedes battery? I have a feeling your going to be disappointed once you get the mercedes battery installed. That's not going to fix the parasitic draw that's draining your current battery after a few days. While there may always be some draw, it shouldn't be soo much that the battery is dead after a few days...

Good luck. Hope the dealer gets it fixed for you soon...

@SouthCo: No, the dealer never said the battery was the reason for the drain. They were pointing out that they couldn't do anything because it wasn't their product and it voided the warranty. Jayco stepped up and had them put a Mercedes battery in...drain issue still not resolved, but I had a month-long trip and had to get on the road. At least they stay charged when plugged into shore power.

[TWG]

Originally Posted by Pfflyer

Post 6 in the following link is the link to the MB upfitter guide for connecting to the starter battery. If Jayco followed the guide, all coach drains on the starter battery would be connected to one of the three posts. One of the posts is Powered just when the van is running and that is where the battery isolator should be connected. One of the other posts is power all the time and that is where I suspect you will find the drain on the starter battery. Good luck.
http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f4...tml#post474978

@Pfflyer: Thank you for that link and document! Always good to have as many of the manuals as possible.

[SouthCo]

Originally Posted by TravelWriteGirl

@SouthCo: No, the dealer never said the battery was the reason for the drain. They were pointing out that they couldn't do anything because it wasn't their product and it voided the warranty. Jayco stepped up and had them put a Mercedes battery in...drain issue still not resolved, but I had a month-long trip and had to get on the road. At least they stay charged when plugged into shore power.

You posts veered toward the battery and being upset that it wasn't a Mercedes battery and that no one was stepping up to replace the battery. And rightly so but I didn't see any mention of trouble shooting the parasitic draw. You mentioned how it sat for days while getting the battery brand straightened out. Why did the Mercedes dealer not trouble shoot the parasitic draw in the meantime? The battery not being theirs shouldn't keep them from working on the vehicle... that would have made me upset.

In any case glad you got your Mercedes battery and had a nice long trip... I need one too lol....

[TWG]

Originally Posted by SouthCo

You posts veered toward the battery and being upset that it wasn't a Mercedes battery and that no one was stepping up to replace the battery. And rightly so but I didn't see any mention of trouble shooting the parasitic draw. You mentioned how it sat for days while getting the battery brand straightened out. Why did the Mercedes dealer not trouble shoot the parasitic draw in the meantime? The battery not being theirs shouldn't keep them from working on the vehicle... that would have made me upset.

In any case glad you got your Mercedes battery and had a nice long trip... I need one too lol....

@SouthCo: Oh, let me close that loop...nobody ever fessed up to taking out the original Mercedes battery. Dealer denied it, Mercedes thought Jayco may have, Jayco seemed to believe I had done it. Mercedes wouldn't do anything without their battery in it, they said they weren't allowed. Anyway, after Jayco told Mercedes they would cover them putting a Mercedes battery back in, Mercedes just said that if it didn't solve the problem then it would need to be checked from the RV side to determine the cause since it was teh RV maker who put in the radio...so here I am in a typical Class C battle...RV dealer blames chassis maker, chassis maker blames RV side and I STILL have no answers....and yes, the dealer had already looked at it and they told me to go to Mercedes....ugh!

Is it like this with Class As??? Because I'm ready to offload this one for another already.

[DanNJanice]

Originally Posted by TravelWriteGirl

@SouthCo: Oh, let me close that loop...nobody ever fessed up to taking out the original Mercedes battery. Dealer denied it, Mercedes thought Jayco may have, Jayco seemed to believe I had done it. Mercedes wouldn't do anything without their battery in it, they said they weren't allowed. Anyway, after Jayco told Mercedes they would cover them putting a Mercedes battery back in, Mercedes just said that if it didn't solve the problem then it would need to be checked from the RV side to determine the cause since it was teh RV maker who put in the radio...so here I am in a typical Class C battle...RV dealer blames chassis maker, chassis maker blames RV side and I STILL have no answers....and yes, the dealer had already looked at it and they told me to go to Mercedes....ugh!

Is it like this with Class As??? Because I'm ready to offload this one for another already.

Yes, it is.
IMO the "Mercedes" battery is a red herring. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt if Mercedes makes their own batteries. They probably just slap their label on it and double the price.
Figuring out battery draw is not rocket surgery, any competent mechanic should be able to do it.