floatysarah
New member
Hi, I am hoping there are some tests that I can do to narrow down what the hell is going on with my charging system!
I have 3 banks (inverter,house,engine) and 2 alternators. The engine battery isn't charging and only has 3 wires attached: an earth to the engine, an earth to the other batt banks, and a positive to the starter (presumably to the solenoid). There wasn't a problem with the engine battery charging previously, so I assume that this wiring is sufficient. The other two banks are charging at 14 point something.
However, I dont understand how the engine batt can be charged, so I dont know where to begin with testing things!! Does the charge come through the starter motor? In one of my other boats, I have a charging wire and a starting wire (positive) to the battery.
I have measured the output of the top alt and its 15.3V. the bottom alt has a "plug in" connection, so hte only way to measure this is to pull it off and run the engine with this off.
Is this safe/good idea to do?
One of the alternators has a belt that slips sometimes (can hear it, dont know which one) and when I hear it slipping, the rev counter stops working and the engine batt starts charging. This usually happens when I have recently started engine (lister 4 cylinder on narrowboat) and stops when things have presumably heated up.
I have a Sterling 4 step Alternator Booster. I believe this may provide the alarm I hear. On this box a light shows Low Voltage Warning. On the engine panel, the batt light lights up (so could be producing the alarm noise, however, I think it is coming from the sterling box.)
The volume of the noise and the strength of the engine panel light increase together. If I increase the revs (last time to 2000) the noise and light go out: however, the engine battery still ISN'T charging. Its all weird to me.
The set up also has a split charge diode (that's what it looks like anyway) and a box called Control Relay Box - 2 are to do with heaterplugs, cant remember what the third says.
Anyone got any ideas - I dont even understand what all the wires coming out of the alternators are for.
thanks, sarah
I have 3 banks (inverter,house,engine) and 2 alternators. The engine battery isn't charging and only has 3 wires attached: an earth to the engine, an earth to the other batt banks, and a positive to the starter (presumably to the solenoid). There wasn't a problem with the engine battery charging previously, so I assume that this wiring is sufficient. The other two banks are charging at 14 point something.
However, I dont understand how the engine batt can be charged, so I dont know where to begin with testing things!! Does the charge come through the starter motor? In one of my other boats, I have a charging wire and a starting wire (positive) to the battery.
I have measured the output of the top alt and its 15.3V. the bottom alt has a "plug in" connection, so hte only way to measure this is to pull it off and run the engine with this off.
Is this safe/good idea to do?
One of the alternators has a belt that slips sometimes (can hear it, dont know which one) and when I hear it slipping, the rev counter stops working and the engine batt starts charging. This usually happens when I have recently started engine (lister 4 cylinder on narrowboat) and stops when things have presumably heated up.
I have a Sterling 4 step Alternator Booster. I believe this may provide the alarm I hear. On this box a light shows Low Voltage Warning. On the engine panel, the batt light lights up (so could be producing the alarm noise, however, I think it is coming from the sterling box.)
The volume of the noise and the strength of the engine panel light increase together. If I increase the revs (last time to 2000) the noise and light go out: however, the engine battery still ISN'T charging. Its all weird to me.
The set up also has a split charge diode (that's what it looks like anyway) and a box called Control Relay Box - 2 are to do with heaterplugs, cant remember what the third says.
Anyone got any ideas - I dont even understand what all the wires coming out of the alternators are for.
thanks, sarah