Dying Batteries?? Dead Cell?? February 15, 2016, 03:34:47 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158805I keep an eye on our storage batteries. They are three years old. Not too long in tooth.All seemed fine until -Four days back, I noticed that the percentage charged jumped from 95 to 100 in a short period of time. Same thing the next day. Yesterday, we had to top off with the genset as it was cloudy all day. It took forever to get the last 5% stuffed in. Today, it's gone from 96 to 97% in two hours while connected to shore power.Would you suspect a dead cell?
Re: Dying Batteries?? Dead Cell?? Reply #1 – February 15, 2016, 05:29:13 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158810Would you suspect a dead cell?Nope. The only sure way to check battery charge is with a hydrometer.A battery monitor is very helpful but not always correct. If the hydrometer says fully charged then set the monitor at 100% and go from there.Charge rates above 90% are very low. Remember the battery monitor resets to 100% if it sees a certain voltage that you set at installation. Usually it is 14.4 but I use 14.8 volts. Harry 2006 RB
Fuel pump failure Reply #2 – February 16, 2016, 02:50:22 am Yahoo Message Number: 158823A while back I mounted a secondary fuel pump beside the inline fuel filter where the fuel filter could be removed and the fuel pump plumbed in. The fuel pump control module is back by the tank so I ran power and ground wires back to it. Gotta confess I couldn't bring myself to cut and install connectors in the current wiring to give it a real test but it is there if I need to give it a try. I did test that the emergency pump would draw fuel through an inoperative main pump.The switch over could be done in five minutes if I would put the connectors in. As it is it would probably take me an hour to hook up the power.A fuel pump failure is extremely inconvenient, expensive, and not all that rare, it seems. I should give it a full test but have not. I do have a replacement fuel pump but it is large and we don't always carry it. Harry 2006 RB
Re: Dying Batteries?? Dead Cell?? Reply #3 – February 16, 2016, 09:44:12 am Yahoo Message Number: 158826Do you have the original converter/battery charger, and what vintage LD? Note that most LD came with a converter that cannot fully recharge the batteries, whether from shorepower or generator. Driving, on the other hand, brings the vehicle alternator into play, which will charge the batteries fully and more quickly. All this does not apply if you have a multi-stage converter/charger. If you have solar, then most solar charge controllers will do a better job of topping off the batteries than the stock converter - during a sunny day. So, the rate at which your battery monitor can top off the batteries is a variable issue anyway, so note the voltage and current returning to the batteries before condemning them. They are at the mercy of the whole charging system.Steve
Re: Fuel pump failure Reply #4 – February 16, 2016, 11:15:15 am Yahoo Message Number: 158831FYI, when the fuel pump went out on my previous (SOB 1996 Dodge 3500) RV, it still ran good when the gas tank was closer to full than empty. I drove a half hour or more with lots of power loss and backfiring. After filling gas I drove over two hours before it started running bad. If I had kept it 3/4 full I may have got home with less damage and avoided having the intake manifold gasket replaced.Jay
Re: Fuel pump failure Reply #5 – February 16, 2016, 12:22:04 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158833"A while back I mounted a secondary fuel pump beside the inline fuel filter where the fuel filter could be removed and the fuel pump plumbed in. The fuel pump control module is back by the tank so I ran power and ground wires back to it. Gotta confess I couldn't bring myself to cut and install connectors in the current wiring to give it a real test but it is there if I need to give it a try. I did test that the emergency pump would draw fuel through an inoperative main pump."Harry 2006 RBNever seem a second fuel inject ion pump inn a MH. What type of pump did you install? Normally the fuel injection pumps are mounted in the tank, for cooling. You used an external fuel injection pump? Realize it will be sucking through the in-tank pump, a failure into tank's pump might prevent the flow of fuel.Installing a aux fuel pump, by the tank, was the cure, in old LDs, for vapor lock but that when carburetors where used. More information and photos please.Larry
Re: Fuel pump failure Reply #6 – February 16, 2016, 06:17:30 pm Yahoo Message Number: 158839"Never seem a second fuel injection pump in a MH. What type of pump did you install? Normally the fuel injection pumps are mounted in the tank, for cooling. You used an external fuel injection pump? Realize it will be sucking through the in-tank pump, a failure into tank's pump might prevent the flow of fuel."Yep, a pump failure may block the line but the second pump flows fuel with the tank pump off so I expect it to work. The reason I did it is the RV in storage in the back yard cannot be accessed by a tow truck. The RV is stored full of fuel and I certainly don't want to mess with 55 gallons of gas next to my house. This way it should be able to drive out under it's own power.With a pump failure on the road I expect to make it to a mechanic without a tow. The RV will move to the driveway next week. I'll see if I can get a photo. There could be some downsides I haven't foreseen, like fire. Sorry I haven't tested it fully. The present wiring will be more reliable if I don't mess with it till I have to. The emergency pump is an Airtex. Worst case: if I'm stranded in the middle of the Mojave I have something to try before calling the tow truck.I posted more details several years ago. Got a bit of criticism for using an Airtex pump at the time. Who cares. It only has to work a short time.Maybe this will guarantee the main pump won't fail! If so, I have succeeded.I'll get a photo of my OEM spare pump, too, all $605 of it. You won't believe how small the motor is. Harry 2006 RB
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Topic: Dying Batteries?? Dead Cell?? (Read 11 times)
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