New Battery Losing Charge

[station-rat]

If you set the scale to 2000k
Ground to Yellow/Grey reads 520 (leads reversed reads 1 )
Ground to Yellow reads 620 (leads reversed reads 1 )
Red to Yellow/Grey reads570 (leads reversed reads 1 )
Red to Yellow reads 590 (leads reversed reads 1 )
These are reading from a known good rectifier, Yours may not be exactly the same
Station-rat

[Splash]

Thanks SRAT.

If I set the Fluke to this scale (2000k), I see nothing.

[station-rat]

On the 2000K setting does it show 1 without touching the leads together and 000 if you touch the leads together???

[seabug]

Hi Splash,
It might be worthwhile getting an auto electricion to LOAD Test your battery.
I know of 3 instances where new batteries were not holding charge and the problem was a dead cell.

Two of these were standard truck batteries and the other was a Calcium battery.

One of these was tested on a $3000 computerised test machine and OK'ed
A test on a small machine at the auto electrician showed the faulty cell

Regards
seabug

[station-rat]

Splash
Where have you gone mate,You are very quiet tonight

[Splash]

hi guys.

still here..

Jsut had to book some flights online for Sept this year.

GOve - Cairns - LA - Cairns - Gove : HUGE Holiday coming up (IN USA) later this year...

I also jsut watched the biggest bank robbery/shootout in American history on Austar - real footage - fckn amazing stuff - those cowboys!!

2 Bank robbers fitted out with steel full body armour and steel piercing rounds with AK47 automatic machine guns.... wasted away the Bank of America then walked ut and blasted the crap out of all the coppers and theirs cars with bullets going right through the cars and blasting human bones away on the other side...then one robber ends up putting a bullet through his chin/brain - the other hammered with 30 shots in his lower legs by SWAT (only part that was not protected..)

Yes, we will be taking out life insurance before we depart. .........

SRAT - On the Fluke scale - all I can do is change the decimal point position to alter the scale. I am unable to see number "2" on any scale setting. The only reasonable readings I get is when I use mV scale.

I do not see 1 - but I do see 000 when leads are not touching..

Seabug - What do I ask for when I want a load cell test?

Splash

[driveon]

Hi Splash, as both Seabug and I have suggested, take your battery and boat to an auto elecs and they will sort it out in minutes.

There are too many possibilities as to what is causing the low battery and as you really don’t have the experience needed to use the multi meter in this situation, you may end up costing yourself more money than is really needed if you misdiagnose the problem.

Take it too an expert and even if you only get the load test ( which should be free ) you will at least have a known starting point.

Right now you are just flying in the dark.

Cheers and best of luck.

[Splash]

Thansk SBug.

I think it's called "PISSING IN THE WIND....".

Do i need to take my whoel rig to get a load test or just my battery?

Besides, how woudl I know if the auto electrician is telling the truth and not rippin gme off? We don't have many choices up in Black Land...

Cheers!

[seabug]

Thansk SBug.


Besides, how woudl I know if the auto electrician is telling the truth and not rippin gme off? We don't have many choices up in Black Land...

Cheers!

Sorry Splash
But I have just decided that you are not worth helping
Regards
seabug

[finga]

We all need a little faith in our fellow man
Gees that sounds a iddy bitty congregational. Sorry about that

Did you actually check the voltage on the battery when the motors going??
I had a quick swizz through the pages but didn't see anything.
But if that's around the 13.8 (give or take a bit) then just take the battery to the auto guy.
You should see the result on the screen like him and if it's a dud......
It's a new one so it'll be under warantee.

There's a very good chance the rectifier/reg. is okky dooky if the taco needle moves when you start and rev. the outboard.

[Splash]

SRAT, Seabug and Finga.

The FLUKE Multimeter I am using does not have any option to select 2000K. I believe I have used the multimeter correctly. Those mV readings seem accuate to me.

Interested to hear what SRAt has to say on these new mV readings..

Have a great day team!

Spalsh

[station-rat]

Splash
What ohms Ω settings do you have on that multimeter?
Do you have a diode test setting?

[driveon]

Hi finga, 13.8 is actually the lower limit at which a battery can be fully charged but as Splash posted he was only getting 12.97 with the motor running, so he has a serious system fault.

Whether this low voltage is caused by a faulty battery and the alternator is being loaded beyond what it can produce, thus the low voltage reading or if it’s because alternator itself is the problem can’t be easily determined while he uses the existing battery ( whether it’s good or not ).

Splash, if your so convinced an auto elec will rip you off, try removing your boat’s battery and substitute it with the one out of your vehicle, if you still have the same voltage readings then it’s safe to say the alternator is in need of repairs but if the voltage is 13.8 or above, then the problem is most likely your battery.

A little warning, do not swap batteries while the motor is running, that is a sure fire way to really stuff the alternator.

[finga]

Have a gander here splash
http://www.themarinedoctor.com/cgi-b...num=1191470277

Personally I think your going way too deep into multi-meter readings.
You could get yourself into more strife then Speed Gordon could handle.

If the battery terminal voltage is around the 13.8V-14.4 (give or take a little) when the motor is revving a bit (around 1000-1200) then it's charging. No more to look at from the motor side of things. (has this been done yet??

If there's no appreciable current drain at the battery when the motor is off then it's not the boat wiring (a few mA up to say 100 is fine). In this case there's no problem.

If that fails to find the discharging battery then charge up and leave on the bench connected to didly squat. Take a voltage reading after it's been off the charger for about 6 hours.
Leave it alone for 3 or 4 days and take another voltage reading.
If this varies by more then 1/4 volt get the battery tested.

Any more then that I'd recommend see the boat doctor because you can really stuff things up very easily.

[finga]

Hi finga, 13.8 is actually the lower limit at which a battery can be fully charged but as Splash posted he was only getting 12.97 with the motor running, so he has a serious system fault.
Goodo, thanks matey

Whether this low voltage is caused by a faulty battery and the alternator is being loaded beyond what it can produce, thus the low voltage reading or if it’s because alternator itself is the problem can’t be easily determined while he uses the existing battery ( whether it’s good or not ).
A clip on ammeter would be handy here

Splash, if your so convinced an auto elec will rip you off, try removing your boat’s battery and substitute it with the one out of your vehicle, if you still have the same voltage readings then it’s safe to say the alternator is in need of repairs but if the voltage is 13.8 or above, then the problem is most likely your battery.
A clip on ammeter would be handy here

A little warning, do not swap batteries while the motor is running, that is a sure fire way to really stuff the alternator.

I have to learn to type faster.
I didn't see this post before a posted mine above