[C320-list] Fwd: Battery Woes

[Jon Vez]

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Jon Vez <jonvez1800 at gmail.com>
> Date: June 16, 2020 at 4:07:55 PM EDT
> To: C320-List at catalina320.com
> Subject: Re:  [C320-list] Battery Woes
> 
> Frank,
> Testing for mA on the DC side is a great test that many don’t seem to utilize. Typically a perfectly clean boat (no leakage) should be 0, however that’s rare and anything less than 1 mA is considered good...Something to consider if your zincs are prematurely wearing away
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Jun 16, 2020, at 2:40 PM, P.F. Ross <pfrstl at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Dean,
>> 
>> I water skied on Lake Perry decades ago.  I recall nice water and the flat
>> plains surrounding would seem to make for good sailing.
>> 
>> Seems like Jack's ideas were good ones since it seems like you have a
>> massively bad connection somewhere.  I was going to suggest how I have
>> checked for phantom current draws in both boats and automobiles but these
>> phantom draws are often in the fractions of amps rather than a large loss
>> that would cause what you are seeing.
>> 
>> FWIW, I simply remove the positive lead from a battery and use a typical
>> multimeter in series with that positive lead and the positive battery post
>> from where it was removed.  Typical multimeters have an "A" (for amps)
>> setting (usually 10A max on small meters) and you (again typically) need to
>> change the lead on the multimeter to attach to the "A" terminal.
>> 
>> For example, I once noticed a very slight spark when I was attaching a
>> positive lead to a battery with everything in the boat turned off.  Hmm,
>> thought I, there should not be any current flowing in this state.  Using
>> the multimeter as described above, I was able to read (can't recall
>> exactly) something less than 0.2 amp draw.  Opening the electrical panel
>> and removing circuit connections one at a time, I narrowed it down to the
>> stereo.  Of course!  This stereo had a hot feed to store clock and tuning
>> info.  I had installed the stereo myself years before and had forgotten
>> about this lead.
>> 
>> While this situation was not really causing a problem, it just bugged me at
>> first to know some current was flowing when I thought there should be none.
>> 
>> This all just FYI, perhaps it will help someone down the line.
>> 
>> Frank Ross
>> Beta Wave #206
>> Naples, FL
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>> On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 11:00 AM Dean Vermeire <dean at vermeire.us> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Good info, Jack.  Much appreciated!
>>> 
>>> Dean
>>> 
>>>> On 6/16/2020 10:53 AM, Jack Brennan wrote:
>>>> Hi Dean:
>>>> 
>>>> If it is your system, it is in the ground cable. Make sure you didn’t
>>> forget to hook up one of the ground cables and that all of them are
>>> securely tightened.
>>>> 
>>>> In addition, there is a ground buss behind the circuit breaker panel.
>>> (Black wires) Poke around there with the 110 volt off, for obvious reasons,
>>> and make sure the large cable that runs from the buss back to the batteries
>>> is securely tightened.
>>>> 
>>>> You could charge the batteries for several hours with an auto store
>>> charger (only while you’re there and watching) and your boat electrics
>>> turned off. Then put a load on the batteries with a 12-volt fan or
>>> something similar connected directly to the batteries, not through the boat
>>> system.
>>>> 
>>>> If the voltage drops to 11 or so, it’s the batteries. If the batteries
>>> keep their charge, it’s the ground in your boat system.
>>>> 
>>>> My 320 was a repo that had been sabotaged somewhere along the way. One
>>> of the tricks was loosening the main ground cable at the buss.  I went on a
>>> short trip, and all of the electrical went out, with the system showing 11
>>> volts or so. (The diesel and start battery were wired separately and worked
>>> fine.)
>>>> 
>>>> I accidentally found the loose screw, tightened it and charged the
>>> batteries. Everything was fine after that.
>>>> 
>>>> Jack Brennan
>>>> Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
>>>> Tierra Verde, Fl.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>>>> 
>>>> From: Dean Vermeire
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2020 10:44 AM
>>>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>>>> Subject: [C320-list] Battery Woes
>>>> 
>>>> Ahoy,
>>>> 
>>>> I recently had two new batteries installed.  I will say up front that
>>>> they are not the greatest batteries or brand (Continental
>>>> maintenance-free 4Ds), but there are not as many choices here in
>>>> Kansas.  I also mostly daysail, and, if I do stay on the boat overnight,
>>>> I stay in the marina.  So, I basically need to start the engine and be
>>>> able to run the bilge pump, refrigerator, stereo, and instruments.
>>>> 
>>>> The first time I went out to the boat after installing the batteries
>>>> (about 4 days), the engine would not turn over.  I shut everything off
>>>> to let the batteries charge as much as possible for about 15 minutes.
>>>> When I tried again, I was able to start the engine.  I went sailing and
>>>> left the engine running the whole time.
>>>> 
>>>> Two days later, I went back out to the boat and took along a volt meter
>>>> and a battery tester.  With the charger on, I was seeing about 13.4
>>>> volts to the terminals.  I turned off the charger and waited 30
>>>> minutes.  When I hooked up the tester, it showed both batteries as bad
>>>> (less than 40% of the capacity).  I tried to start the engine, but it
>>>> would not turn over.  The voltage of both batteries then showed around
>>>> 11 volts.
>>>> 
>>>> So, in all likelihood I got two bad batteries.  But, what are the
>>> chances?
>>>> 
>>>> My real question to all of you battery wizards out there is what in my
>>>> wiring could kill two batteries?  I get the idea that something could
>>>> run them down, but kill them?
>>>> 
>>>> Our boat is #847, a 2001, with the original 2-battery configuration.
>>>> The batteries are dual-purpose, rated for 1200 CCA.  It was about 80
>>>> degrees when I tested.  The boat was out of the water for 18 months
>>>> before replacing the batteries.
>>>> 
>>>> Thoughts?
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> 
>>>> Dean Vermeire
>>>> 
>>>> Moonstruck II (#847)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>