Battery charging alarm when starting up stays on

[Tuttifruity]

Hi everyone, I've got a problem with the battery charging alarm staying on even when I rev the engine upon starting up. This began the day after I'd had the prop shaft and engine bolts replaced and drove back to my mooring. I'm not very good at electrics and am having trouble finding a marine electrician who's not busy. I've looked to see if anything obvious has been knocked off when the engine was disturbed, but am clueless. Can anyone suggest what might be the problem?

[Alan de Enfield]

I would firstly suggest checking to see if anything is actually going into the batteries - if it isn't then you will very soon have flat batteries, if they are being charged then you can worry 'at leisure' about the alarm.

 

Have you a voltmeter / test meter ?

 

If so, check the voltage across the batteries with the engine off - note voltage reading.

Start engine (set to fast tickover)- take the reading again.

 

1) If the reading is showing a higher voltage then you don't need worry, and can be assured that you will have charged batteries over Christmas. You can sort out the 'alarm' when an electrician is available.

 

2) If the voltage reading is the same, then you have a problem, which you need to resolve quickly before you flatten and damage your batteries.

 

Edit to add :

 

Just a thought - Questions - do you have separate alternators for the leisure / domestic battery bank and the starter battery ?

Is the 'battery alarm' on the leisure / domestic batteries or the starter battery ?

What are the battery voltage on the leisure / domestics vs the starter batteries ?

Edited December 21, 2016 by Alan de Enfield

[Boat&Bikes]

On top of the previous posts advice I'd have a good look for any wiring that may have been accidently damaged or disconnected when the prop and bolts were changed. Seems rather a coincidence that the problem started at this time.

 

Ian.

[Tuttifruity]

Thanks Ian and Alan, I'll fish out the voltmeter and go to the boat tomorrow hopefully. It does have two alternators and one of the red warning lights was lit up, but not sure if this was for the domestic battery bank or starter. Not clear from the schematics in the Barrus manual

[zenataomm]

Has your fanbelt dropped off?

When they worked on your prop shaft etc. did they do any welding? If so they might have disconnected the wiring to the back of the alternator and not reconnected after, alternatively they might not have disconnected it and their welding blew the diodes in it.

[Tony Brooks]

Oh - are you sure its the no charge alarm - is the charge/ignition warning light on all the time? If that light comes on and then goes out it is more likely to be the low oil pressure alarm. An overheat alarm is unlikely because it would not sound for several or many minutes after starting.

 

Check for a trapped or shorting wire in the area of the oil pressure switch.

[Keith M]

Aqueduct Marina has an excellent sparky

 

I believe that he will travel

 

Season's Greetings

 

Keith

[Flyboy]

Thanks Ian and Alan, I'll fish out the voltmeter and go to the boat tomorrow hopefully. It does have two alternators and one of the red warning lights was lit up, but not sure if this was for the domestic battery bank or starter. Not clear from the schematics in the Barrus manual

This may help to indentify which alternator red light is on.

 

Standard Barrus Shire panel :- Engine alt. warning light is 2nd. down on the right. Domestic alt. warning light is to the left of the engine light.

 

Deluxe panel:- the engine alt. light is in the voltmeter. The domestic alt. warning light is below the voltmeter.

 

There are pictures of the panels in the manual.