Possible dead battery 2015 Flying Cloud

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Caffeinated

CanAm charged you 500 for the converter? The PD 4655 is $215.17 with free shipping from Amazon Prime, and it's not that hard to install.

$215 US would be about $315 Canadian including tax.

[Caffeinated]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

$215 US would be about $315 Canadian including tax.

More like $285.00, according to Google. Still...

Mike

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Caffeinated

More like $285.00, according to Google. Still...

Mike

Still ... You forgot to add the 13% sales tax - $37 Canadian. Amazon charges the tax in Canada, whereas they didn't in USA until the beginning of the month.

[Caffeinated]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

Still ... You forgot to add the 13% sales tax - $37 Canadian. Amazon charges the tax in Canada, whereas they didn't in USA until the beginning of the month.

Living in Oregon, which has no sales tax, I always forget about it and am shocked when I travel and get charged extra.

Mike

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Why limit the daily charging to one hour, when you have a new smart charger? You may have actually not been charging the batteries correctly all winter IMO.

Also, your batteries might have been bad when you picked up the trailer, also IMO. Did you or Can Am test the batteries throughly before the 4655 was installed?

In any event, I would get new batteries -- a very small percentage of your overall investment.

The 4655 unit could be bad also. There are threads/posts here on this if you search.

Peter

That 'one hour charging' was when I had the Parallax. OEM converter.
As you know they are prone to overcharge batteries.
When the Progressive Dynamic was installed, I left it plugged in the house full time.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by MelGoddard

That 'one hour charging' was when I had the Parallax. OEM converter.
As you know they are prone to overcharge batteries.
When the Progressive Dynamic was installed, I left it plugged in the house full time.

Thanks for the clarification. My lay impression is that the "one-hour charging every day" is not a good way to charge flooded cell batteries, so you may have compromised them. The batteries want a continuous charge for 2-4 days (depending on state of discharge) until they reach a full charge. Then shore power can be removed until the batteries register (after waiting an hour) about 12.5 volts, which represents ~90% of capacity. For us, with the Use/Store switch in the Store mode, it takes about 7-10 days for this to happen. Then we plug into shore power again for 3 days or so, during which time we may use the trailer lightly in the driveway, thus using the batteries somewhat.

We seldom leave the trailer plugged into shore power for more than 5-7 days.

Substituting the "one hour a day" regimen does not satisfy the batteries' need to get a full and deep charge in one shot IMO.

Again -- just a lay opinion, but the bottom line is new batteries are in order, assuming the 4655 unit is not bad.

Happy Trails!

Peter

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Why limit the daily charging to one hour, when you have a new smart charger? You may have actually not been charging the batteries correctly all winter IMO.

Also, your batteries might have been bad when you picked up the trailer, also IMO. Did you or Can Am test the batteries throughly before the 4655 was installed?

In any event, I would get new batteries -- a very small percentage of your overall investment.

The 4655 unit could be bad also. There are threads/posts here on this if you search.

Peter

These batteries were new. With Jan/Feb dates on the tags, of 2016.

[MelGoddard]

YOIKS!
I got egg on my face!
While doing another check on my specific gravities, discovered that the bulb on my old trusty Hydrometer was broken.
No wonder it read 'dead battery'.

Now I'll have to go to Canadian Tire, and purchase another one that will probably be not as good as my 'ancient and honourable' old soldier.
Phooey!

(I'll post the results of my findings when I get the new one.)

[MelGoddard]

So, having purchased another glass SG Testor, I measured most of the cells in the white area (1.200-1.125) with the batteries at 12.7 VDC.
This, after being on charge from the converter for 20 hrs.
The converter us putting out 13.5 VDC, as shown on the coach meter reading, and confirmed by my VOM.
I think that I will run down the batteries for a bit; then use the 'Genius' smart charger on it.
The resulting SG readings should determine fault with either the batteries or the charger.
( The history of the charger has 'raised an eyebrow.)
Stay tuned!

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by MelGoddard

So, having purchased another glass SG Testor, I measured most of the cells in the white area (1.200-1.125) with the batteries at 12.7 VDC.
This, after being on charge from the converter for 20 hrs.
The converter us putting out 13.5 VDC, as shown on the coach meter reading, and confirmed by my VOM.
I think that I will run down the batteries for a bit; then use the 'Genius' smart charger on it.
The resulting SG readings should determine fault with either the batteries or the charger.
( The history of the charger has 'raised an eyebrow.)
Stay tuned!

If you are getting 1.20 and under SG readings, those batteries are bad. 1.125 is essentially discharged. Should be up at 1.265 or more across all cells. Try another full charge but if that specific gravity numbers doesn't bump up, batteries need replacement.

My Interstate 24s (new last October) have been on a tender all winter, checked them this week, after letting rest for an hour, both at 12.7V and 1.270-1.275 across all cells.

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by pcskier

If you are getting 1.20 and under SG readings, those batteries are bad. 1.125 is essentially discharged. Should be up at 1.265 or more across all cells. Try another full charge but if that specific gravity numbers doesn't bump up, batteries need replacement.

My Interstate 24s (new last October) have been on a tender all winter, checked them this week, after letting rest for an hour, both at 12.7V and 1.270-1.275 across all cells.

That's not too bad.
I put a 'Genius charger' (with charge wizard) on it earlier after shutting off the Battery Switch, and three hours later, the 'green light' indicated fully charged, and the voltage reading showed 13.1V.
(The 'house' voltage display agrees with my multi-meter.)
I pulled the house power from the Genius then, and am letting the batteries rest overnight.
Tomorrow I'll do an SG reading again to see what I got.

BTW; I looked for the fuse for the propane detector, and found nothing.
I pulled every fuse out in the panel, and that little green light stayed on.
So where the hell is it?
It's not a problem, as it draws so little power, but it's a curious question.

[Caffeinated]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think there is a fuse for the propane detector. It's not designed to let the owner turn it off.

Mike

[Biker]

Originally Posted by MelGoddard

I pulled every fuse out in the panel, and that little green light stayed on.
So where the hell is it?

The LP detector is wired directly to the battery bus bar. There should be an inline fuse on the wire there.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by MelGoddard

. . .
Tomorrow I'll do an SG reading again to see what I got.
. . .

Please also let us know your battery voltage reading from the monitor panel.

In addition to the propane detector, there have been other direct-wired parasitic drains mentioned over the years, such as the radio/audio components, sub-woofer hidden someplace, and so forth. Not saying you have these -- FYI. Also, the lights inside the exterior storage areas are often left on by accident. FWIW

[Rocinante]

I'm thinking about having one of these installed, either inside or outside the battery box. It's a marine switch, rated for exposure to all kinds of stuff, so either way should work. https://www.fisheriessupply.com/blue...-switches-6006

[Paprika]

Good choice. I've used Blue Sea m-series switches (as well as various other Blue Sea products) in several places. It's good stuff--the marine market is much more quality-conscious than the RV market.

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by Biker

The LP detector is wired directly to the battery bus bar. There should be an inline fuse on the wire there.

Not a big deal; I doubt that it would draw enough power to start a Firefly's Dynamo.

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Please also let us know your battery voltage reading from the monitor panel.

In addition to the propane detector, there have been other direct-wired parasitic drains mentioned over the years, such as the radio/audio components, sub-woofer hidden someplace, and so forth. Not saying you have these -- FYI. Also, the lights inside the exterior storage areas are often left on by accident. FWIW

Today, Easter Sunday, I measured the SG, 22 hours later, at mostly in the red, (1.225 and below), some in the white, (1.250-1.225) and the panel voltage was 12.7.
I put the Genius charger back 'on' and waited for almost an hour for the green full charge light to come 'on', as expected. Nope!
So I removed the Genius; obviously the batteries were 'pooched'.
Panel voltage showed 13.1V
So the question is:
Is the Progressive Dyn. converter at fault for damaging two good batteries?
(Two and three months ago, I was showing SGs at 1.300 and above on all cells, curious; but the water levels were right where they should be.)

Or did the batteries, one year old, the other two and a half, give up the ghost prematurely?

I'll get in touch with Progressive tomorrow, and see what they say, before going back to CanAm for follow -up.

[MelGoddard]

Regarding the issues that I have with my two batteries, and poor 'state of charge' with the PD4655 converter:
I have been in touch with CanAm RV Centre, and Andy and Marshall have come up with a curious question:
"Is my Hydrometer calibrated for Deep Cycle batteries"? Or just the standard ones?

I thought that ALL batteries used the same electrolyte, and the differences were in the construction of the plates.
Anybody know any different?

[OTRA15]

Apparently different:

https://www.google.com/search?q=hydr...utf-8&oe=utf-8