volt meter screaming

[james]

Hi C-Dory friends!

Ran in to a situation this weekend that I thought I might share, just in case someone else ever has this problem.

Was out cruising, noticed volt meter reading creeping up to 16.2 volts...
needless to say I was freakin out!
Switched batterys thinking maybe a bad cell in the one, no difference.

Finally I stopped by the ramp thinking that I was going in, I thought I better check the connections on the batterys..

well thats what it was....Duh

turned into a GREAT weekend!

James

 

[flapbreaker]

Thanks for the heads up. Seems like the most frequent issues with boating is electrical/battery.

 

[thataway]

Did you check the actual voltage with a separate digital volt meter? I agree that the regulators on outboards leave something to be desired, considering how sophisticated the rest of the engines have become. I think you got a free "equalizing" if that voltage was correct. If you have an AGM--it could have damaged the battery--a Lead Acid would probably survive a few hours of that voltage--but check the water level.

 

[Larry H]

James,

The terminals on a marine battery should be tightened with a wrench or pliers. The batteries are supplied with wing nuts which would lead one to believe they should be tightened by hand.

Hand tightening is not tight enough!!

Its best to use a tool, and be careful not to short out the terminals. Insulated pliers would work. The wing nuts can also be replaced with hex nuts and tightened with a wrench that is too short to touch both terminals at once.

 

[TyBoo]

The wing nuts can also be replaced with hex nuts and tightened with a wrench that is too short to touch both terminals at once.

That's the best - use 316 stainless steel nuts and tighten with a socket. Be be careful to not overtighten or reef too hard on them because the lead the studs are attached to on most batteries is soft.

 

[Adeline]

be careful not to short out the terminals

and

a wrench that is too short to touch both terminals at once

are two suggestions that I heartily endorse. I learned this lesson the hard way many years ago.

 

[Sea Wolf]

Hey Pete-

Sorry to hear about the mistake! Hope you were OK!

I bet you get a hot a hand holding a wrench with 500+ amps surging through it!

Does it weld to the terminals/cables? Can you get it off and stop the current flow w/o burning yourself?

I guessing that if you leave it connected, the battery will start boiling, steaming, and spewing acid all over.

Joe

 

[TyBoo]

I guessing that if you leave it connected, the battery will start boiling, steaming, and spewing acid all over.

Well I can tell you this from experience: if the battery has been recently charging when the terminals are shorted, the boiling, steaming, etc., only lasts a short while. Once the case splits open, it goes dead pretty quick.

 

[Sea Wolf]

I guessing that if you leave it connected, the battery will start boiling, steaming, and spewing acid all over.

Well I can tell you this from experience: if the battery has been recently charging when the terminals are shorted, the boiling, steaming, etc., only lasts a short while. Once the case splits open, it goes dead pretty quick.

HOLY SPLITOLY FUMEROLY BATTERYMAN!!!

(Sorry, no Batman, Robin photo, can't post but one image on each thread!)


Joe.

 

[Pat Anderson]

That's what Google Images is for, Joe! And the "one per thread" is your sig picture anyway...

HOLY SPLITOLY FUMEROLY BATTERYMAN!!!

(Sorry, no Batman, Robin photo, can't post but one image on each thread!)


Joe.

 

[Sea Wolf]

Yeah, Pat, I had the photo all picked out of Google Images, but couldn't get it to show up. Changed it around a couple of times, but then decided that I've got a one photo per thread limit set on my postings, probably because of the elaborate signature I have with the graphics. This doesn't apply to everyone, does it? I can see why it was done, though, with all the postings and bandwidth/time issues. Joe.