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Topic: Battery and converter questions (Read 4 times) previous topic - next topic
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Battery and converter questions
Yahoo Message Number: 56976
Greetings all,

My 87 23' has two 6 volt batteries connected in series.

The monitor panel has quit working after the motor home has sat unused for several months....no battery or LP indications....no water or holding tank indications. I assume that the batteries have discharged some due to phantom current draws but the coach lights and water pump seem to work OK. The fuses....#7 & #8 are also OK.

Questions:

Does the monitor panel require fully charged batteries to function?
 Can the two 6V batteries in series be charged by a 12V charger or do they need to be disconnected and charged individually by a 6V charger?

The converter in my LD has a round, movable, indicator/dial with a couple of small red lights. What is it?

The batteries were low on water. Does the charger section of the in house converter have an auto shut off or will it continue charging and ultimately boil the batteries dry?

Thanks for any ideas or assistance,

Roger
Re: Battery and converter questions
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56978
Quote
Does the monitor panel require fully charged batteries to function?
 Can the two 6V batteries in series be charged by a 12V charger or do they need to be disconnected and charged individually by a 6V charger?
A likely scenario is that you have several shorted cells. Such a battery will provide sufficient current to power some simple devices such as the water pump, but nothing that has a voltage cut-off, such as most electronics. Verification will require a real voltmeter to measure the batteries. If you don't have one, digital models are convenient, accurate, and widely available at Radio Shack, Sears, and many other stores.

Quote
The batteries were low on water. Does the charger section of the in house converter have an auto shut off or will it continue charging and ultimately boil the batteries dry?
In your model, leaving the converter all the time will overcharge and boil the batteries dry in time. After rehydrating the batteries, charge overnight, remove charger for about an hour, then check voltage of each battery. If either measures 5V or less, replace it. If they measure 5.5 V or more, they may have survived. Charge for several days more, remove charger, and measure agin in 24 hrs. If voltage of each is above 6 V, then monitor charge loss over a week. If they both are still above 6V, they may hold up for a bit longer yet. If not, I'd replace them both for peace of mind.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit