consumers switched off message

bridge player

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Hi can anyone help me with a problem I have with my e270 w211.when you turn the engine on there is no faults on the screen.when you drive a few miles the message appears consumers switched off.I have checked the voltage of the small battery under the bonnet and it is 12.73 volts , when I check it with the engine running it still reads 12.73 volts. I have also checked the battery in the boot and it reads 12.7volts engine off , 14volts with the engine running.I have replaced the alternator and the battery in the boot within the last month so they look ok.can anyone tell me how the small battery gets charged ?? or what could be causing the error message. The battery voltage is the same with or without the error message.
Any help thank

Hugh
 

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The consumers off message usually come up on a first start of the day when one of the 2 batteries are on the low charge state. They turn off when the battery voltage falls below 11.75 volt.

there is an inverter that keeps both batteries in order, and the second small battery is called upon to help out if the larger one cannot cope.

In cases where nothing is wrong there is an update to the system that dealers can do to stop the message from coming up
 

DIYMAN

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If the message only comes up after driving a few miles rather than the usual case when it comes up on starting and goes off after a mile or so, then it would seem that there is an excess current demand when running.

However it is strange the voltage has recovered by the next time you go to start up again.

Maybe Malcolm will have an idea what could be causing it.
 

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If the message only comes up after driving a few miles rather than the usual case when it comes up on starting and goes off after a mile or so, then it would seem that there is an excess current demand when running.

However it is strange the voltage has recovered by the next time you go to start up again.

Maybe Malcolm will have an idea what could be causing it.

I agree that this one is hard as it is the wrong way round unless the charge rate drops off, I cannot offer much more. STAR may be able to give a fault code
 
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Hi everyone thanks for the reply.I found it quite strange as well there doesnot seem to be any drain on the small battery.
Malcolm do you know where this inverter is and what does it actually do? Is the small battery charged by the alternator as well as the large one and does this invertor control the charge rate for each battery?
Thanks for any infoyou can give me

Hugh
 

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It is the inverter that works out what to charge and when, it normally sits near the main battery in the rear of the car, the little battery is called up when needed to assist in the current drawn is high. the main charge still goes to the large battery.

You could well have a fault in the inverter and again STAR may show this, it could just be in need of the update and this could be worth doing.
An indie with STAR can check any faults but it does require on line STAR to do the update.

I do have a high tech info sheet somewhere
 

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