I am having problems with my battery draining and not charging. I recharged it at home then when I started reconnecting it there was a lot of sparking as I reattached the power cables on the boat to the battery. The alternator on the engine doesn't seem to be working to top up or recharge the battery so it quickly becomes discharged again. any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks Jason
Sun, 21/07/2013 - 8:40am
#1
battery sparking/ draining
Morning Jason.
Fault finding ... one of the most fiddly things on a boat :cry:. I feel for you.
What type of battery and how many do you have and how old is it/are they ? Does it keep a charge well when charged at home and not connected in the boat ? If you have two batteries one can easily drain the other if connected together. Have you checked the output of your alternator ? Get yourself a cheap multimeter from Argos or Maplins for a few quid if you haven't got one,yet. What is connected to the battery ? Do you have a mains switch to disconnect all from the battery bank ? If your battery holds a charge well when not connected and the alternator's output is ok, you might have to disconnect one electrical gadget, the light, the bilge pumpss etc after each other to see if you have a short circuit somewhere and if it makes a difference. Also, once your system is safe and working again you might want to install a small solar panel as trickle charger to keep the battery fully charged. Just a few random thoughts but hopefully we can all help with a bit more info.
Best wishes,
Immo
Off to the water for the rest of the day :D :D :D
there may be a small spark when connecting the battery but a juicy spark indicates a short
the only reliable method of fault finding is eleminating various loads by switching off / removing fuses
if it gets deep then physically disconnecting cable may be necessary
the cheap multi meters are just that cheap- insensitive and slow acting , do not waste your money
try and borrow a clamp ammeter , like this http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TMDL6506.html?source=adwords&kw=meter+%2bclamp&gclid=CIzQ-7vT2rgCFfLHtAodaR0AvQ
these will show any current flowing in cables without disconncting them , you can then switch off equipment / remove fuses until you find the problem circuit.
if the clamp ammeter shows no discharge then it will either be a duff battery of alternator
It's better to soar with the eagles than scratch with the chickens
Jason, did you get it fixed ? Guess whose leisure batteries aren't holding a charge any more now ... grrrrrr !
Hello all. Thank you all for your helpful suggestions. I don't know how I missed seeing them at the time but I have only just spotted your posts. I am getting Poppy off Windermere soon so will hopefully get to the bottom of the battery/electrics problem over the winter, ready for next season