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'82 Grady-White charging problem.

L

LX Kid

Regular Contributor
Took the "old gal" out this morning for a little fishing trip. For some reason the battery doesn't seem to be taking a charge. The battery is a new 1000 cold crank amp, deep cycle marine battery. My on board volt meter says 13.5 volts when traveling around the bay. When moored the only thing on is my Lawrence HDS-7 sonar. After few minutes the sonar beeps and says low voltage and cranking power is weak but does start. Belt is tight. Any ideas? Don't have an amp meter to test charging amps.
 
Bad connection, something else draing battery, bad battery.
13.5 to 14.5 at 1500 to 2000 rpms is normal... best to check at battery posts to be sure.
 
LX Kid said:
Yes, of course! Gotta "always" have two batteries. I have one on the port side and one on the starboard side installed with battery select switch.
Click to expand...

Running on "both" or "all" reduces battery life. Both/all for use only when neither battery alone won't start the engine. Also used when you have one battery that won't start the engine. In this case, start engine on other presumable good battery and then while engine is running switch to the low battery by rapidly moving battery switch thru the both/all position (never OFF) to select the low battery.
 
I just had the battery checked and it's good. Guessing I've got an alternator problem even though it "say's" charging at 13.5 volts. The alternator does have an internal voltage regulator.
 
What you need to do is disconnect the positive side of the battery completely.


Get a amp meter and connect it in series between the positive battery post and each wire that connects to the positive post one at a time.

See if any are drawing any amperage.

Typical should be .07 amps or less with nothing on.

if you are over .1 amps you have a current draw.

I have seen the alt as the source of the draw before. Everything disconnected but the alt and it was drawing .24 amps........internal issue.

This takes some trouble shooting.

If the Alt is out puting 13.5 volts to a charged battery then that is good.

If the battery is low or drained and the alt does not out put 14 to 14.5 temporarily that may not be so good.

I once had an issue of my battery going dead overnight.

I did the above test and it turned out to be the radio. It was staying powered on even when it was turned off and looked turned off.

SH!T canned the stereo............Purchased a new one and problem solved.
 
Had the alternator checked at Advance Auto and it was bad. $45, 65 amp new alternator hopefully cures my problem. New voltage regulator was $25 so I went with new alternator and has a lifetime guarantee.
 
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