Battery Charger - Distribution Block?

[Boatingfool]

The port batteries (the two 8D's which seem to both start the port engines and are the house batteries) were dead. I noticed underneath the Mastervolt battery charger there was a gold color block with heat sinks that looked burnt.

I replaced the batteries and they work well. I still do have a "charge fault" error light on the Mastervolt and it defaulted to "Bulk Charge".

Does anyone know what this gold colored block does? I monitored the block & wires all weekend and they never got warm...so I suppose it's still functioning but I am going to replace it when I figure out where to purchase.

 

[elreyos]

If your boat is like mine used to be I believe thats a splitter/isolator. It allows your charger to charge two batt. strings while isolating them from each other. I've replaced the old Mastervolt with a new one that can handle multple batt. strings. Your isolater looks like it might be "toast". Anyway thats what I think.

 

[Alegria]

Ouch Mike that's pretty hot to melt that insulation. Lucky you found it before it got worse. I wouldn't trust that lug on that wire anymore either. That gold thing is the isolator/crossover charging system to charge multiple batteries. I would imagine that if your batteries have a solid charge on them, but the charger is going into Bulk Charge mode immediately and not coming off then that crossover charging system is shot and that may have caused the overheating issue.

Here is a post explaining I think the gold crossover system a little more..

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19422&highlight=fuses

The manufactuer is listed on my Parts list for my boat at Sincera, but I googled it and don't see a replacement. I found this on on sale on EBay CA

http://cgi.cafr.ebay.ca/Battery-Isolator-SeaRay-part-980730_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ350197178529

Looks like Conquest Industries? Here are some from Charles Marine

http://www.charlesindustries.com/main/ma_batiso.html

I most likely am wrong but I thought that these were used in conjunction with your alternators to keep the banks charging while under way?

Sorry I couldn't be of more help!!!

 

[ProMariner]

From what I understand that charger is a single output 24volts and 100 amps. To break up the output an isolator is used to gain more outputs. I would check the connections to make sure they are clean and tight. If that is not the case you may require and new isolator box (judging by the looks I think it is done). Also before you just replace it with an isolator I would check with the manufacturer MasterVolt as it might be a special box and do more then just isolate the batteries and increase the number of outputs. What I mean by that is usually a battery isolator rated at lets say 130amps drops the voltage by .6 of a volt because it passes through diodes. I just want to make sure that you do not lower the voltage by using some other competitor product come to find out you ruin your batteries from undercharging. Go to www.mastervolt.com that should be a start.

Jim

 

[Boatingfool]

Thanks for all the info & help guys!