[C320-list] Starter Battery and Fuel Tank Question and Parts3Engines.com Warning

[Stephen Cox]

> 
> My starter batter that was purchased in 2011 is dead. The 
> current starter battery is a car battery from Costco. It has 
> 750 CCA. Do most people with a separate starter battery have 
> a car battery with similar CCA? 

Yanmar recommend at a 650 CCA for the 3YM30 so 750 CCA should be fine for
similar sized engines.

> My starter battery is wired 
> to #2 on my selector switch. However, it receives a charge 
> even when the switch is in the 1 position. Is it supposed to 
> do this? For some reason, I thought I would need to have the 
> switch set to both for both to charge. This issue came to my 
> attention because my alternator is not working and I went on 
> the hook overnight. I drained my house bank batteries and 
> switched to #2, whereupon I discovered 1V in my starter 
> battery. It has probably been dead for a while.

I presume you mean receives a charge from the mains powered charger when the
switch is set to off.  This being the case, the charger would need to have two
separate outlets that are isolated from each other (internal diodes).  You
would need to check the wiring there.  If they both charge from the alternator
independent of the switch you need to trace out the wiring to find out what's
going on.

> Second question: Is it easy to remove the diesel from the 
> fuel tank? Can I remove the shelf and suction the diesel out 
> of the tank? Twice I have had fuel-related issues, on the 
> water of course. My plan is to suction all of the diesel out 
> of the tank, put some acetone in the tank and slosh it 
> around. Suction any residual acetone and vacuum the tank. 
> Will this work? Going forward I will add a biocide to my 
> diesel and make sure that I keep reasonably fresh fuel in the tank.
 
I needed to replace my fuel gauge sender and had very stale fuel in the tank
so took the chance to empty it and clean the tank (a bit).  I bought a 12v
fuel pump off eBay similar to
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Electric-Fuel-Transfer-Pump-Diesel-Kerosene-Oil-Comme
rcial-Auto-12V-Portable-US-/153653220592?hash=item23c67214f0 and mounted it on
a board that could be clamped to the rails easily.  It emptied the tank easily
and cleanly. As the tank neared empty I was able to direct the hose end around
the tank near the outlet where a lot of sediment had gathered and remove it
successfully.  I cruise and need to transfer fuel from jerry cans occasionally
and this pump setup has made that process a lot easier too.


Regards,

Stephen Cox
Tegwen #1141
C320 MK II