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Charging 'beep'


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An update. Now in Sawley. So, we have done the short bit of river at good revs, batteries charged, came to tickover and blow me down, the dreaded beep sounded. So, as advised I scrutinised the control panel, and the little red light on the ammeter gauge lit up. So electrical he thinks. It's intermittent as in it sounds for less than a second, goes off and then does it again just to tease. Sometimes,however, it sounds and stays sounding for maybe ten seconds and then shuts up. We stopped for water and left the engine running, I thought eyup it hasn't beeped, then, just to prove a point, there it was. If I blip the revs the beep doesn't sound.

 

Have I got a loose connection? A defective thingymajig in the alternator? Or something else. When it was beeping with the little red light on the gauge was still showing about 12 volts. 

 

Very frustrating I can assure you.

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6 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

An update. Now in Sawley. So, we have done the short bit of river at good revs, batteries charged, came to tickover and blow me down, the dreaded beep sounded. So, as advised I scrutinised the control panel, and the little red light on the ammeter gauge lit up. So electrical he thinks. It's intermittent as in it sounds for less than a second, goes off and then does it again just to tease. Sometimes,however, it sounds and stays sounding for maybe ten seconds and then shuts up. We stopped for water and left the engine running, I thought eyup it hasn't beeped, then, just to prove a point, there it was. If I blip the revs the beep doesn't sound.

 

Have I got a loose connection? A defective thingymajig in the alternator? Or something else. When it was beeping with the little red light on the gauge was still showing about 12 volts. 

 

Very frustrating I can assure you.

If its only showing 12 volts when the engine is running its a case of " Houston, we have a problem "

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3 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Just had a look. My mistake, its more like 13.5. 

Ahhhhh you tell porkies ? Loose/slipping fan belt? Loose connection just about anywhere? Dodgy alternater? Very low tickover? etc etc 

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Drive belt okay. First thing I did. Alternator is only four years old. I'll be very sad if a new one is required. I'll do my normal thing tomorrow and tinker about. Loosen things, blow at then and tighten up again. Just a prod about.

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19 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

Drive belt okay. First thing I did. Alternator is only four years old. I'll be very sad if a new one is required. I'll do my normal thing tomorrow and tinker about. Loosen things, blow at then and tighten up again. Just a prod about.

If yer alternater is duff do NOT go and buy one for six million pounds from some boaty place. I know and have used many times a place in Nottingham that will do whatever it needs for peanuts, quickly and correctly and u are near Nottingham innitt.

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Right ho. Here we go. 

Had my fiddle about, loosen things, tightened thing. Drive belt off, checked okay, cleaned pulleys, just in case, replaced drive belt, checked electrical connections in 'ingin 'Ole and taken off control panel. Not run the engine for two days as solar doing its bit for the environment and my diesel usage.

 

Anyway, started engine, medium revs for ten minutes. All okay. Dropped revs to idle all okay for two three minutes then beep shows its ugly mug for about ten seconds and stops. Me congrats mesell. Goes to wash hands and as I switch on the tap, the pumps starts, obviously, and the beep joins in. Switch off tap and beeps gives up and goes very quiet. So, being a clever so and so, I switched on the inverter, beep sounds until the inverter does its thing and settles down. Then goes off. Open tap, pump, beep, close tap,pump beep etc. 

Yep! I'm at a loss and grade four confused.com

 

So, summery, batteries probably charged as much as they're going to be, victron monitor showing 3.2 amps going in, give it a load of minimal amps and it awakens the dreaded beep. Turn off load and beep goes to sleep. We normally have the inverter running whilst cruising to charge stuff like the radio etc.

 

Thats all the clues I can offer. Oil level very okay. Belt tightened. 

 

Edit five minutes later. Beep just sounded continuously until I blipped the revs. When the beep sounds the ammeter showing just under 14v. Red light within lit. Amps now down to 2.6 or there abouts. I'm writing this and the beeps has just come back on, continuous. At idle. Engine now off. 

 

HELP! If you can please. This is so frustrating. If the Rev counter drops, would that alert the beeper? Not sure how accurate Rev counters are but mine at adle shows just about the 8 marker. Cars, usually show about 7-7.5 if my memory serves me well. Can revs drop? What should the revs be showing on a Barrus Shire 2.2? Should they be a bit increased. Might have nowt to do with this issue.

Edited by Nightwatch
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8 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Right ho. Here we go. 

Had my fiddle about, loosen things, tightened thing. Drive belt off, checked okay, cleaned pulleys, just in case, replaced drive belt, checked electrical connections in 'ingin 'Ole and taken off control panel. Not run the engine for two days as solar doing its bit for the environment and my diesel usage.

 

Anyway, started engine, medium revs for ten minutes. All okay. Dropped revs to idle all okay for two three minutes then beep shows its ugly mug for about ten seconds and stops. Me congrats mesell. Goes to wash hands and as I switch on the tap, the pumps starts, obviously, and the beep joins in. Switch off tap and beeps gives up and goes very quiet. So, being a clever so and so, I switched on the inverter, beep sounds until the inverter does its thing and settles down. Then goes off. Open tap, pump, beep, close tap,pump beep etc. 

Yep! I'm at a loss and grade four confused.com

 

So, summery, batteries probably charged as much as they're going to be, victron monitor showing 3.2 amps going in, give it a load of minimal amps and it awakens the dreaded beep. Turn off load and beep goes to sleep. We normally have the inverter running whilst cruising to charge stuff like the radio etc.

 

Thats all the clues I can offer. Oil level very okay. Belt tightened. 

 

Edit five minutes later. Beep just sounded continuously until I blipped the revs. When the beep sounds the ammeter showing just 14v. Red light within lit. Amps now down to 2.6 or there abouts. I'm witting this and the beeps has just come back on, continuous. At idle. Engine now off. 

 

HELP! If you can please.

Battery terminals clean and tight? Feel them, if any are getting warm or hot, bad connection.

In fact I'd feel all the 12V cable connections for heat, Neg- from battery to engine mass too.

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7 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Battery terminals clean and tight? Feel them, if any are getting warm or hot, bad connection.

I will have a feel, thank you.

 

Edit......All tight and cold to touch.

Edited by Nightwatch
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2 hours ago, bizzard said:

Battery terminals clean and tight? Feel them, if any are getting warm or hot, bad connection.

In fact I'd feel all the 12V cable connections for heat, Neg- from battery to engine mass too.

Also make sure the connection in/on any fuse or 12V distribution box are tight but battery and starter terminals are the first things to check .....specially if the alternator feeds batteries via the starter motor terminal.

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If your barrus has the twin alt set up the panel gauge and warning light are only connected to the small engine battery alt, not connected to your main bank unless it has been rewired. You need to check the connections, belts and alt output on this side of the system. Unless the engine rpm is very low it is unlikely to be your problem.

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9 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

Bumpity bump bump. 

Crikey matey, this is a long running nuisance! The only suggestion I might add to the advice you've received so far is that, recognising that you've had the drive belt off and cleaned the pulleys, you could try a new belt.  One of mine was chirping at tick over, an indication of slippage, despite being adjusted correctly and with a new belt in place is now completely silent under all loads.  Relatively cheap, and you can stick your old one in your spares box as a get you out of jail card.

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On my set up the beep is only activated/de activated by the engine start battery or oil pressure but the battery monitor such as your victron monitors the domestic batteries. How is yours set up? If my domestics stop charging a light comes on and the battery monitor drops to under 13 so I know sometts up ( fan belt snapped for instance ) So on my boat it would have to be the engine start alternator causing your symptons so what have you been monitoring? edit to add or a problem with the oil side of things!!

Edited by mrsmelly
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1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

On my set up the beep is only activated/de activated by the engine start battery or oil pressure but the battery monitor such as your victron monitors the domestic batteries. How is yours set up? If my domestics stop charging a light comes on and the battery monitor drops to under 13 so I know sometts up ( fan belt snapped for instance ) So on my boat it would have to be the engine start alternator causing your symptons so what have you been monitoring? edit to add or a problem with the oil side of things!!

The Victron (our one) others are available, monitors both starter and domestic batteries. Gives present voltage in both. Shows charging and discharge amps, now not sure if that's the starter only or domestic only or both! 'Narrowboat Nimrod mentioned that the starter alternator is the only one that may trigger the beep. That one is only a year old!! Gulp. Sea Dog has suggested a new belt which I will fit now before our hop to Langley Mill. Had the engine running to heat water to allow body cleansing, a monthly occurance whether needed or not ? And after 40 minutes there it was a split second beep. Could be belt. We shall see. The Rev counter does fluctuate at idle. Should it remain static? 

Off now to tinker with me tool! I'm being flippant but deep down I'm puzzled, confused and hacked off.

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This may come as an edit. For some reason it doesn't always appear as a new post.

 

i have changed the belt, as advised. Engine been running for twenty minutes or so. In the meantime my better half has  run the hairdryer so there's a few amp hrs to catch up. I await with baited breath. 

 

Edit. Blimey it has appeared as a new post. 

Edited by Nightwatch
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Blasted thing just beeped. Then stopped. Turn on the water tap, pump runs and beep arrives as before. 

 

Not challenging just asking, if the beep sounds when water pump starts can that be accredited to the battery alternator?  To me, it seems a bit of load applied triggers the beep. I'm not electrically minded so am at a loss. Hopefully Langley Mill have a 'lecky' to prod and poke and clear this up. I'm convince it's sometime simple. I've just checked all cables and wires from both alternators and all seem secure and tight. 

 

Onwards and upwards. Hey ho, worse things happen at sea. Thanks for everyone I put, so far. 

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45 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Blasted thing just beeped. Then stopped. Turn on the water tap, pump runs and beep arrives as before. 

 

Not challenging just asking, if the beep sounds when water pump starts can that be accredited to the battery alternator?  To me, it seems a bit of load applied triggers the beep. I'm not electrically minded so am at a loss. Hopefully Langley Mill have a 'lecky' to prod and poke and clear this up. I'm convince it's sometime simple. I've just checked all cables and wires from both alternators and all seem secure and tight. 

 

Onwards and upwards. Hey ho, worse things happen at sea. Thanks for everyone I put, so far. 

It must be somett and nowt old bean cos if not by now yer would have had somett flat or busted.

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