Markymark Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 The sterling unit keeps on showing the yellow light "low voltage warning" the yellow light was clicking on and off delivering a boost to the leisure battery's last week? been running the engine for 2hours any ideas.... cheers Markymark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Do you have any voltage readings? Alternator output, batteries at rest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markymark Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Yes 12.4 on the alternator and battery 11 on the leisure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Yes 12.4 on the alternator and battery 11 on the leisure Then you are not charging and in danger of wrecking your leisure batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Yes 12.4 on the alternator and battery 11 on the leisure What about when your running the engine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markymark Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 That was when running the engine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess-- Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) anything getting hot (alternator) or warm (batteries)? hot alternator would point to heavy current being drawn 1 battery warmer than the rest could point towards a faulty battery Edited January 31, 2017 by Jess-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Yes 12.4 on the alternator and battery 11 on the leisure If that is with the engine running they should be the same. You have a seriously flat leisure battery and probably a failed alternator. Or at best a very poor electrical connection between the alternator and the leisure battery. Posssibly a failed relay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markymark Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Alternator slightly warm but only as warm as engine been running for 2hours, alternator been out and checked a couple of weeks back battery's not getting hot getting trickle charge from solar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 12.7v from the alternator is not enough to be charging the battery. It shoulsd be 14.4 or better, 14.8. Probably a failed diode in it. There is another possibility though. You have a hefty and very flat battery bank and the alternator voltage is being pulled down by a high charging current and after a couple of hours or more of charging those voltages should both rise towards 14v+. What size and how many leisure batts do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markymark Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 I've got 4 6v trojans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 That was when running the engine Can you remove the sterling unit and connect the alternator directly to the batteries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Yes 12.4 on the alternator and battery 11 on the leisure So the next question is... were those voltage readings taken at the end of a two hour engine run, or did you start the engine with those flat leisure batteries and take the readings immediately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markymark Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 I took the readings after running the engine ignition light kept coming in at the start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) The sterling unit keeps on showing the yellow light "low voltage warning" the yellow light was clicking on and off delivering a boost to the leisure battery's last week? been running the engine for 2hours any ideas.... cheers Markymark After 2 hours of engine running and the batteries at 11v - something is 'dead' - maybe : 1) Alternator 2) Batteries totally knackered 3) Broken / disconnected wire. 4) Broken fan belt Edited January 31, 2017 by Alan de Enfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Loose fan belt is my bet, given the intermittent ignition light at the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Brooks Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) I would also ask what "Sterling unit". Sterling supply a range of equipment including inverters, battery chargers, advanced alternator controllers, split charge systems and their alternator to battery charger and battery to battery chargers so it would help if we knew which it is. If, for instance, its an advanced controller then it can be taken out of circuit easily. If its an A to B unit then that itself could be faulty. Just seen Mike's post, I agree, that's the first thing to check. Edited January 31, 2017 by Tony Brooks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Alternator slightly warm but only as warm as engine been running for 2hours, alternator been out and checked a couple of weeks back battery's not getting hot getting trickle charge from solar This bit needs looking into. What is the history here please? What prompted you to remove the alternator for checking? Who checked it and for what? Do we trust their technical ability to bench test an alternator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cereal tiller Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Loose fan belt is my bet, given the intermittent ignition light at the start. I would start with checking any large negative connections CT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markymark Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 This bit needs looking into. What is the history here please? What prompted you to remove the alternator for checking? Who checked it and for what? Do we trust their technical ability to bench test an alternator? The alternator went to a proper alternator place in Hackney wick it was all working fine last week clicking off and on the only thing I've done is put some wax on the fan belt to stop it squeaking Lesuire battery's now up to 11.6 via solar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) The alternator went to a proper alternator place in Hackney wick it was all working fine last week clicking off and on the only thing I've done is put some wax on the fan belt to stop it squeaking I would think this is the problem. It sqeaked because it was losing drive. Remove, clean pulleys thoroughly and fit new belt at correct tension. Re tension after a few hours and check tension frequently would be my advice. Edit, the pulleys could also be worn. Edited January 31, 2017 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markymark Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 The fan belt that is on is a new one should I get one without teeth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) The fan belt that is on is a new one should I get one without teeth? What engine is it? Our Vetus works the fan belt really hard, and I find the toothed type to be best, specifically the "Gates" make which are top quality but good price from our local truck/car parts place. I just took the old belt in and they found an equivalent. I can keep a couple of spares for the same price as a single Vetus belt. One thing I have noticed about Gates belts is that they take a little more time to stretch or bed in than some makes, meaning I have to tweak the tension two or three times when I change it whereas other makes of belts only seemed to need doing once. Worth it though. Other ones used to shed rubber, but the Gates don't anywhere near as much. Edited January 31, 2017 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmr Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 Wax is not the usual cure for a slipping belt !!! What do you mean by alternator clicking on and off? this is not what alternators do. Sounds like you have an on going fault here, probably bad wiring, but could be an alternator intermittent fault that was good the day the alternator was tested. Are you sure it was a proper alternator tester? 99% of "proper" garages who offer to test batteries are not proper at all. Need to measure volts at battery and at alternator (thick wire) with engine not running and again with engine running. ...............Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markymark Posted January 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 What engine is it? Our Vetus works the fan belt really hard, and I find the toothed type to be best, specifically the "Gates" make which are top quality but good price from our local truck/car parts place. I just took the old belt in and they found an equivalent. I can keep a couple of spares for the same price as a single Vetus belt. One thing I have noticed about Gates belts is that they take a little more time to stretch or bed in than some makes, meaning I have to tweak the tension two or three times when I change it whereas other makes of belts only seemed to need doing once. Worth it though. Other ones used to shed rubber, but the Gates don't anywhere near as much. It's a GM 1.5 Wax is not the usual cure for a slipping belt !!! What do you mean by alternator clicking on and off? this is not what alternators do. Sounds like you have an on going fault here, probably bad wiring, but could be an alternator intermittent fault that was good the day the alternator was tested. Are you sure it was a proper alternator tester? 99% of "proper" garages who offer to test batteries are not proper at all. Need to measure volts at battery and at alternator (thick wire) with engine not running and again with engine running. ...............Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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