Chris-380
Well-Known Member
Keeping it simple. I can check the voltage with the shore power off on the batteries. Then start the engine, and I should see it increase about a volt, correct, if not alternator would be bad?
Battery Cable route
- Thread starter Chris-380
- Start date
Knot It
Member
Off shore power, I would see a drop in the voltage with out even starting the engines. With the engine started, it would not put out a charge at less that 2k rpm I think it was. A bad diode in the alternator will create a draw on your batteries in short order. On mine, I was at a raft up, generator/battery charger were on for over 4 hrs. Shut down, and an hour later, my batteries were dead and could not start the engine.
Chris-380
Well-Known Member
Chris-380
Well-Known Member
It appears that the ground goes to the engine block, then to the main ground bar. I say appear because they are tie wrapped and bundled and routed through the panduit wireway. There is 2 large grounds at the engine block. So I am pretty sure....
I did get about 1/8 turn on it, I don’t think that would be enough, but who knows...
I pulled all the grounds off the engine block, there is 7 wires under one nut, seems like a bad design. so i pulled all of them off, lightly sanded the lugs on what looked to be clean already... between the large lugs I installed “toothed lock washers” hoping that helps secure a good connection.
after this, I took a voltage reading, everything off, 12.6 volts. Started the engine, 12.7 volts. Revved engine up to 1700 rpm’s no change, still 12.7 volts. I then operated my mid cabin electric (DC) and it dropped back to 12.6 volts. I do see a change at the voltage guage on the dash....
Then Repeated the same processor the port engine, and basically the same results....
lastly, to simulate what happened last weekend I turned off shore power at 10:00am and left my normal stuff on as I changed to oils, gave her a wash and piddled on some little projects. At 6:00pm started right up....
So maybe it was the main ground, I won’t know til it happens again, or doesn’t....
I did get about 1/8 turn on it, I don’t think that would be enough, but who knows...
I pulled all the grounds off the engine block, there is 7 wires under one nut, seems like a bad design. so i pulled all of them off, lightly sanded the lugs on what looked to be clean already... between the large lugs I installed “toothed lock washers” hoping that helps secure a good connection.
after this, I took a voltage reading, everything off, 12.6 volts. Started the engine, 12.7 volts. Revved engine up to 1700 rpm’s no change, still 12.7 volts. I then operated my mid cabin electric (DC) and it dropped back to 12.6 volts. I do see a change at the voltage guage on the dash....
Then Repeated the same processor the port engine, and basically the same results....
lastly, to simulate what happened last weekend I turned off shore power at 10:00am and left my normal stuff on as I changed to oils, gave her a wash and piddled on some little projects. At 6:00pm started right up....
So maybe it was the main ground, I won’t know til it happens again, or doesn’t....
Last edited:
Chris-380
Well-Known Member
Spent about 8 hours yesterday with nothing fridges running, no issue starting up, so far so good....
