Wiggywormcake

Thanks Tony will see if we can get one tomorrow and if nothing else it’s convinced us that the starter battery is ok…as it should be it was replaced tail end of last year. Will see if the non starting reoccurs and take it from there 👍

Hi I meant…we have had the boat since 2016. We don’t live on the boat and it is kept on a private mooring with no facilities I.e. water or electricity. The system has been fine and worked ( with the same batteries) for all that time. Every visit one of the first things my other half does is to check the batteries and if necessary tops up with the battery water specific to batteries, bought from Halfords or the boatyard shop in Skipton. we haven’t had to do much else as this is the first time this has happened. We have supplemented battery power with solar and if we are here, as it’s generally for a few days/ weeks we’ve done it every other day or if the fridge light has come on. My other half was/ is convinced that the batteries are jiggered but I wanted to check every available avenue before shelling out £6/700 on new batteries..because we’d had the rev counter problem I thought maybe something had drained the batteries. The problems have come on after we returned late from winter …so although all electrics are routinely switched off before leaving I guess the batteries have had enough. Thankfully him indoors has muscles…and definitely much more electrical knowledge than I 😀

Thank you…engine back on till 8pm and we will see 🤞🤞🤞 That’s what we are doing there was no two hour gap…a couple of batteries have one cell each that is warm to the touch. No I agree there isn’t much more anyone can do…will keep it running see what happens tomorrow and buy new ones if necessary. if nothing else we’ve learned much and spoken to some v knowledgeable lovely people thank you for all your help Tony & Brian and everyone else that took an interest 🤣

After 2 hrs Hours and revved House batteries batteries 12.94 Starter battery 13.2 solar panel is input 13v at end of the test the batteries from start to finish were already topped up (he has always kept them topped up) none boiled, no dry cells or obvious change in water level. Hope this is more useful, thank you and also thank you to everyone else who has spent their time on this 👍 Duly noted Brian that was the results of beginning to test as per Tony’s instruction. Thank you 😀 Thank you…engine back on till 8pm and we will see 🤞🤞🤞

Thanks Tony…I have now properly grasped what I have to do…I think will get back with the readings. Tony Not started 12.7 on house batteries 12.6 on starter battery Revved at 1300 House batteries 14.29 Starter battery 14.4 The solar panels are 200 each Engine running and will take again in a couple of hours Hope I am now on the right track? 🤞😀

Hi Tony I am confused. I did supply the voltage readings for two nights once the solar panel had effectively stopped inputting power…tonight the Starter battery was 12.6v and the leisure batteries 11.7v yesterdays readings were not too dissimilar. We had no opportunity to separate the batteries to test them independently today and will post the individual readings as soon as we’ve separated the leisure batteries. The one who will do it was unwell today and he was also the one who was involved in the inspection with the engineer…so I can’t recount the conversation…I do know the engineer has has a boat himself for many years so hopefully he has the knowledge re the alternator.

Thanks Brian I’m sort of struggling to understand….can you give me an idea of what charge I should be looking for? Today we haven’t run the boat and the leisure batteries have charged via the solar panels at one point 14.5 was going in. So far the fridge has not shown a warning light and we aren’t using any power other than 2 low voltage lights. It will be Monday before we can get help to either charge , fix or replace 😔 We haven’t had the engine running today..other than to check it was starting…but 14.4 was about what the solar panels were pushing in today. My other half has taken the readings tonight, switched the fridge off…so the only thing we have running is 2 low voltage lights. He needs to test the leisure batteries individually..which he is going to do tomorrow to see if one is bringing down the rest.

Thanks Brian I’m sort of struggling to understand….can you give me an idea of what charge I should be looking for? Today we haven’t run the boat and the leisure batteries have charged via the solar panels. So far the fridge has not shown a warning light and we aren’t using any power other than 2 low voltage lights. It will be Monday before we can get help to either charge , fix or replace 😔

Battery readings tonight 2 mins ago are 12.07 for the house batteries and 12.57 for the starter battery..all the house batteries are the same and we have not run the engine at all today other than to see if it starts. Sorry I can see I’m frustrating you lol and I totally understand as where electrics and boat engines are concerned I am absolutely useless. Having said that, I also understand that no definitive answer is yet within grasp. I really do appreciate your patience and advice…thank you.

So…a fellow boater who is also a retired engineer has had a quick peek and tested the alternator…it works…when the engine is running and he spotted a loose connection when he checked the rev counter/start up panel. (That doesn’t mean the mini suggestion isn’t a possibility Brian422) He told us our batteries are in parallel not series and recommended we disconnect 1 by 1 to test tonight…a suggestion made by several people..which we will try tonight. Totally agree I meant for the short term ie till after the weekend if we don’t find the answers ourselves. Yes we did but it appears to have been caused by loose wiring behind the rev counter. Im sort of thinking the same Tony…as the batteries are in parallel not in series then the voltage reading doesn’t sound quite as scary???

Sooo…good news…the engine started…bad news the rev counter died and the fridge started flashing when it started..when switched of the flashing fridge ceased flashing..this was repeated several times and has only added to the confusion! I am told that the red “key” at the side of the batteries is for the leisure battery and the silver key is for the starter battery…this has been tested out by him indoors. last night before going to bed the house batteries which had been charged by both solar and the engine running were at 12.5 charge..this morning after using just the fridge and two lights they were at 10.4 (Fridge is 12v Shoreline) Cos things are working in a sort of Heath Robinson way..I’m persevering. We are in the middle of painting the boat so will be on and off….We have taken some more pictures of the wiring in the hope that there is something obvious???

Him indoors says he has been “diligent from day one” so 🤞 the man take on diligent is the same as the woman take 🤪

Thank you for your patience…will do…to be continued……

Lol Goliath..thank you 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Uh oh…if you and Tony think it’s a mess I don’t stand a chance..having said that things have settled down this afternoon but I think they’ll maybe bite us on the bum in the morning! From what you and Tony have both said maybe we need to get somebody in if it all goes pear shaped again🤷‍♀️ I recognise the red one but I haven’t seen the silver one….We put the floor back down for overnight..will see if it rights itself tomorrow. I think probably we are going to need professional help…on several fronts 🤣🤣

Thanks Tony..I’m actually beginning to recognise what I’m looking for..I think..below is the picture of the battery bank..3 together house batteries, single in front engine battery. Can’t see the master Switch..but is that the red rubber thing that I pressed to stop the engine when the key and rev counter display stopped? If it is that is right under the engine and you can barely reach it. I’m being totally thick I’m not quite sure what you mean.😬 We will test the charge in the batteries tonight..it’s been lovely and sunny and we’ve run the engine..and will see where we are up to in the morning. Hopefully we at least have a small clue as to what we should be looking at..if it happens again. Thanks to everyone!