Re: Dead alternator Reply #25 – August 16, 2016, 07:16:02 pm Thanks, all. As soon as I'm done with dishes I'll go out and hook up the engine batteries so they can start charging. As I said on the other thread about a new isolator, a new Argofet 200-2 is on the way from Alan at Bay Marine. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #26 – August 16, 2016, 07:25:17 pm At this point for the test you only need to concern yourself with the start battery. This test merely checks the output of your alternator and nothing to do with batteries. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #27 – August 16, 2016, 08:27:05 pm I hooked everything up again a few minutes ago. We (all of us Laborers here) are going out to eat tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday evening, so this weekend I'll crawl underneath and move the alternator cable from #2 to #4, fire up the Detroit and see what happens.I decided to unhook the batteries for two reasons. First, I wanted to verify that I didn't have a bad battery in the mix, and second, when I cleaned the connections at the isolator I didn't want to have spitzensparksen in my face. Of course I took the opportunity today to clean up the start battery terminals. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #28 – August 16, 2016, 08:43:19 pm A load test is the only way to find if a battery in a bank is bad Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #29 – August 16, 2016, 09:00:26 pm Yes, load testing is an excellent test. If wet cell, a hydrometer will also give you good insight.But after weeks of being disconnected and still 65% of full charge, does not suggest that the batteries are bad. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: Dead alternator Reply #30 – August 17, 2016, 12:50:58 am Quote from: wolfe10 – August 16, 2016, 09:00:26 pmYes, load testing is an excellent test. If wet cell, a hydrometer will also give you good insight.But after weeks of being disconnected and still 65% of full charge, does not suggest that the batteries are bad.I am out of my technical expertise area but I have had batteries show correct volts I think but have a weak cell.No substitute for a hygrometer if wet cell. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #31 – August 17, 2016, 08:43:12 am If you are going to do an adequate load test on a fully charged 8D battery you need a much bigger tester than a 100 amp one. Peter Flemming spotted one on ebay a week or so ago and posted it. You don't load test a bank of batteries, you load test each one individually. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #32 – August 17, 2016, 10:07:50 am I found this one at a yard sale $25.00 many years ago. 600 amp Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: Dead alternator Reply #33 – August 17, 2016, 11:07:08 pm The carbon pile load testers generally are set to one half the cca (cold cranking amps) or three times the 20 hr Amp hour rating. To test our 8D AGM (O'Reilly AGM8D- 20 Amp Hour Rate (Ah): 245Ah, 1450 CCA), I set the load to about 725 amps for 15 seconds, and then read the voltage chart. To test, the battery should be fully charged, and then have sat disconnected for 8 hours or so or use the load tester on a low setting (given in the manual to suit the battery capacity) to remove the surface charge. The load tester I have is a 1000 AMP Solar (brand name), Model No. 1876. It can test batteries up to 2000 CCA. It can do 6V, 12V, or 24V batteries. I think I paid about $280 or so for it. I was looking for unit like the one Peter posted on eBay for awhile and would have jumped on that one if it had come up. It is an 800 AMP unit and would be adequate for 8D batteries. As Roger says, test each battery separately.DonQuote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 – August 17, 2016, 08:43:12 amIf you are going to do an adequate load test on a fully charged 8D battery you need a much bigger tester than a 100 amp one. Peter Flemming spotted one on ebay a week or so ago and posted it. You don't load test a bank of batteries, you load test each one individually. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #34 – August 18, 2016, 08:33:32 am EBay new battery tester sold for $275, someone got a good deal. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #35 – August 18, 2016, 08:36:15 am Don has all of the details. ✔️. I found (thanks to Peter, he must live on EBay) a slightly used 800 amp tester. I won the auction for $160. It works very well. It is really the only way to know if your batteries are cpable of doing the job. Amazingly, two of the original Lifeline 8Ds from my coach still charge up, hold charge and pass the 15 second 750 amp load test. They run my electric chain saw out in the woods using a motor generator, a 1600 watt, 2-12v motor driven 110v generator power supply used in ambulances. They last longer than I do cutting wood. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #36 – August 18, 2016, 09:42:35 am Geez! I leave my headlights on for a few minutes, and it's FREE. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #37 – October 01, 2016, 09:30:57 pm Well, I got all the wiring moved to the new equipment in the compartment at the foot of the bed (see my other post about moving the isolator) and had the first trip yesterday. I had good charging for the first 30 minutes or so, and then it dropped to just below 12 volts according to the dash volt meter. If I turned the lights on voltage dropped to about 11 volts. Turning the lights off brought it back up.I'm happy that it looks like I don't have a dead alternator, and the next two travel days are 200 and 250 miles, so I think that I can get by with what I have. I'll be parked for about three weeks after that last run, so I can pull the alternator and have it tested. Quote Selected
Re: Dead alternator Reply #38 – October 01, 2016, 09:31:57 pm See reply on your other post, same symptoms. Quote Selected
Topic: Dead alternator