moneypit...the saga continues

[norbert]

Well, we got tv goin...replaced ant head....in the process the batt. randown....i thought that not normal..have now found a short in circuit #5...not a dead short..but enuff to drain the batt. could not find.. only supposed to be 2 bird bath lights but the radio was also connected...still have the short.. the radio is supposed to be on circuit #4...circuit#3...has power i am assuming the previous owner wired the solar panel into the circuit....any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated...i hope i dont have to start tearing up the interior......
norby

[thenewkid64]

If the solar panel is direct wired it can work as a drain at night.

There should be a diode or a regulator between the solar panel and the 12 volt buss in the coach. The way to check is to see if you have voltage at the wire where it attaches to the panel. Of course this means disconnecting the panel, but that is the only way to know. The power should flow from panel to battery only. If if can go both ways the panel will drain a battery at night.

If the panel is small, 10-20 watts a diode from radio shack will work, and only cost a buck or two

[garry]

A little over kill but on ckt #5 I would pull both bulbs and the fuse to the radio and check again for the short.
If you go with a diode on ckt #3 as recommended the end of the diode with a band on it must be away from the solar panal and towards the batt or your solar panal will no longer provide a charge.

Garry

[74Argosy24MH]

If you have a VOM with an ammeter that will take the solar panel output hook it up at night between the panel charge wire and mounting lug. It shouldn't show any current draw if there is a diode in the circuit.

John

[norbert]

thanx to all...the solar panel has a small orange module with 4 leds on it analyze, charge, cant think of the others...i suppose it could have a bad diode incorporated in it , but i suspect circuit #5 to be the culprit and am hoping when i get back to check it i can find something...worked til after dark last night by flashllight....gotta get a bigger flashlight.... all the other circuits checked out so i would imagine with #5 im not reading resistance of the lightbulbs..but i will check to make sure the switch is open.. after all it was a long nite and when you are tired its easy to overlook the simple stuff....
norby..

[norbert]

well, i spent the whole afternoon trouble shooting(when i wasnt swatting flys)....only to realize towards the end that the engineering drawing supplied in the owners manual isnt worth a S#@t !! in addition to what was supposed to be on circuit #5 was the radio and an aditional light fixture...so that took care of the"short"...which leaves the solar panel which i think is ok..i have to measure the panelsize to figure output...(always think of something on the way home...what if the batterieswont hold a charge...althought the p.o. told me the batts were only one year old...(why do i keep thinking of that line about old age and larceny)....does anybody have some thoughts on this?
thanx norby
i still think i might still have a wiring problem....probably left the factory that way.....the rocker switch cuts off the radio.

[norbert]

years ago in trade school one learned to start at the plug.. i wish i had remembered that... batteries are shot... also pulled the doorbell button out and found one post highly heat oxidized....could i have found the initial cause?..i dont know... but at least when i replace the batteries i can feel somewhat secure about hitting the road.....and nothing will rear its ugly head..
norby

[norbert]

Miss Moneypit..got her shoes balanced and rotated..and a new set of shocks to put a little spring in her step ....i therefore announce it be time to trip!......
norby

[Happycampers]

Norbert.. love the name it is soooooooo true .. that is the way ours is becoming.. when do we stop.. lol.. Annie

[norbert]

thank you for your post annie.....while my name choice may not be as original as some of the other members, it certainly seemed apropos....

norby

[overlander63]

what if the batterieswont hold a charge...althought the p.o. told me the batts were only one year old...(why do i keep thinking of that line about old age and larceny)....does anybody have some thoughts on this?
thanx norby

Time flies... The p.o. , if he is like me, loses track of time. If he thought they were one year old, they probably are two or three years old.
We usually recomend replacing the deep-cycle marine batteries every two years at the shop where I work. You >MIGHT< get another year out of them, but do you really want to take a chance?
We have an Interstate Battery distributor here, that will sell a "blemished" marine (deep-cycle) battery for $30.00. They are new in every way, but have a cosmetic defect that prevents them from being sold for full price.
Since nobody but you is going to see it/them, who cares if they have a discoloration or dent?
Anyway, that is probably one of the least expensive things about our units, and replacing them every year or two will actually help keep the "crud & corruption" down to a dull roar in the battery compartment, as they won't be in there long enough to make a mess.
You did ask...
Terry
(in Florida)

[norbert]

thanks terry,
you are right...the batts were older..as i found out at interstate, but interstate said they were still good i still havent resolved the problem(perceived or otherwise) it took 2 and1/2 days to fully charge each one....left my catalytic heater on all night..the next dayi drove over 100miles when i checked them with a hydrometer it still showed the batteries as being discharged....am i wrong in thinking they should have charged up?....or do i have to drive all damn day to replenish?
norby

[garry]

Starting at the source it could still be the batts but if both are down is there an isolator ? Is the hydrometer good ? When you say discharged how far down, as in are they dead ??? Can you ck voltage with a VOM ? Is your alt. putting out the right voltage? I would think if they were both below 12V and no isolator then you do have some type of short in the coach and it will be a circuit by circuit isolation over time to find the short or if you have an ampmeter you can put the meter in series with each circuit.

garry

[thenewkid64]

Even if the batteries test ok indivudally there could still be a prblem. All it takes is one battery being a bit weaker that the other or having a bad cell. It will charge, and the alt. will try, but the bad battery will drain the good battery and never really charge up.


This is why you sould replace them in pairs, with the same size and if you can same lot number batteries. A matched set will alst longer and work better in the long run. I would try going on just one battery for a day or two and see if it works like it should if not switch them and see if the results are the same. If they are the same, (dead or weak on univolt) then I would try to charge them on a standard charger. If non of this works it is time to visit the battery man.

[overlander63]

the next dayi drove over 100miles when i checked them with a hydrometer it still showed the batteries as being discharged....am i wrong in thinking they should have charged up?....or do i have to drive all damn day to replenish?
norby

IIRC, you have the capability with everything being perfect, of charging your batteries at 20 amps through your vehicle's charging system.
If you have two batteries, you are charging them at a maximum of 10 amps each.
Think of a battery as a one gallon milk jug. One gallon is 128 ounces. If you fill the jug at a rate of 10 ounces per hour, it will take 12.8 hours to fill the jug.
A deep cycle battery accepts a charge slightly differently, but it still takes quite a while to charge it fully.
Without going into a huge discourse on battery theory, Brett is right, you could have one bad cell in one battery that is draining both of them. Another possibility is that if the batteries have not been used/charged for a long time, they could have become sulfated. That means the Sulphur in the battery acid has coated the lead plates, drasticalliy reducing the batteries' capacity.
The best thing to do with them is to disconnect them both from the trailer, make sure they have enough water in the cells to cover the tops of the plates (don't fill to the top, it will overflow), and charge them both until the hydrometer reads at least 1.265.
Allow them both to sit undisturbed for about 24 hours, then check again with a hydrometer. If they both still read 1.265 on all cells, hook them up to the trailer, and go from there.
I am getting a real charge from this electrifying thread...
Terry
(in Florida)