Battery charging charger spikes

[MHRookie]

Charging system tech’s/experts..

2003 Dynasty - chassis batteries.

i have a separate charger attached until I finish my Bluesea ml-ACR install…

with batt switch off - charger in 2 amps gets to close and stays there as it should.

Batt switch in - system OFF, charger surges from 100% to 75% for about 5 seconds each.

i checked parasitic load and it only shows .67 ma on tester.

any ideas what to look at (NOTE: I am replacing ignition switch tomorrow) to see if that’s contributing.  Just off that battery/charger surges like that.

search didn’t provide any similarities…

[Tom Cherry]

12 hours ago, MHRookie said:

Charging system tech’s/experts..

2003 Dynasty - chassis batteries.

i have a separate charger attached until I finish my Bluesea ml-ACR install…

with batt switch off - charger in 2 amps gets to close and stays there as it should.

Batt switch in - system OFF, charger surges from 100% to 75% for about 5 seconds each.

i checked parasitic load and it only shows .67 ma on tester.

any ideas what to look at (NOTE: I am replacing ignition switch tomorrow) to see if that’s contributing.  Just off that battery/charger surges like that.

search didn’t provide any similarities…

Anyone that can measure Milliamps, sounds like they have some above average electric skills.  So, my only question is “what type” of charger did you install.

Many filks here, on the old site, and a lot of fishermen with the same deep cycle RV/Marine batteries have damaged their batteries with a low amp charger that had no “brain”.  The rule of thumb, over the years….which someone recently revised….for a 4 bank set or a chassis bank ….individually, not combined, you needed 2 amps to safely maintain.

Fast forward with technology and folks have reported good results with newer chargers.  The fallacy with a standard charger is that left unattended, they eventually overcharge or “boil” off the electrolyte…..even in sealed starting batteries.  
 

I have used a variety over the years for g3nerators and lawnmower and non daily driven cars and while leaving my “fleet” for months while traveling.

A three stage charger, now preferably with desulfonization, is what is recommended.

there are several types.  Pulse Technology makes a combo unit that I installed on a neighbor’s boat. He has 2 deep cycle 225 Ah GC batteries …like we use, a starting battery for the outboard and his “tow pickup”.  He takes 6 months cruises.  The 4 battery one worked great.

I use the BatteryMinder that was recommended here. Read the topic.  I have never tried it for a “bank”, but it works great….and i have over 10 years on mine and swap it around.

If you did install a “desulfonator” smart charger, the spike is probably when the battery “recharges” as the desulfonator cycles discharges.

Hope this helps….again, not talking down to you….we have a lot of folks with a lot of experience, but the idiosyncrasies of battery maintenance eludes them.

see the second link below this one….a lot of folks have said they learned a d benefited 

 

[MHRookie]

Tom,

the house bank is in the inverter/charger and it’s a steady float of 13.2/13.5…. It’s all good.

 

removed chassis batts because the amp-l-start failed and bank would die…

I removed batts and hooked up a Die-hard smart charger.  It has 2 or 10 amp option & I picked 2amp.

as I said, with batt switch off, charger gets to 100% & goes to float… measured a steady 13.1/13.3

 

for grins, I turned batt switch on and in 4 seconds I noticed the needle move from 100% down to 75%….. 4 seconds later it switched to 100%…. 
 

I then did parasitic test removing NEG cable & meter was .60 ma.

I’ll get ignition installed today, hook it up and see if this may have contributed.  I started here due to not all dash alert features working..

don’t worry about off talking.   I appreciate help no matter….

[Tom Cherry]

19 hours ago, MHRookie said:

Tom,

the house bank is in the inverter/charger and it’s a steady float of 13.2/13.5…. It’s all good.

 

removed chassis batts because the amp-l-start failed and bank would die…

I removed batts and hooked up a Die-hard smart charger.  It has 2 or 10 amp option & I picked 2amp.

as I said, with batt switch off, charger gets to 100% & goes to float… measured a steady 13.1/13.3

 

for grins, I turned batt switch on and in 4 seconds I noticed the needle move from 100% down to 75%….. 4 seconds later it switched to 100%…. 
 

I then did parasitic test removing NEG cable & meter was .60 ma.

I’ll get ignition installed today, hook it up and see if this may have contributed.  I started here due to not all dash alert features working..

don’t worry about off talking.   I appreciate help no matter….

Sounds like you got it under control.  Always looking at new devices.  However, googling didn’t find the unit that you described.  Amazon sells two “smart” die hards.  They advertise 5 stage…which is probably an overstatement….but they are also listed as “maintainer”.  The word “Smart” is not on the case.  They come in 2 amperages … 2 or 10.  The 10/2 charger says it goes into “trickle”.  Trickle is not the same as maintainer.  There was no ad copy about being smart for having the multistage features like the ones that I and others use nor the Pulse technology….nor even the same as the “smart” 10 or 2.

Maybe I didn’t get the right one, but if it is a 10Fast and 2 trickle…I would be apprehensive, especially on the sealed (I presume) chassis.  Plus it does not have the desulfonization feature.

Just my concerns from folks using similar devices for long periods and having issues and actually damaging their batteries….

[MHRookie]

All, 

what I found is the SSI & amp-l-start both failed.  I have installed the ML-ACR and will get to the switch next.

2nd problem, Leece Neville alternator has failed internally that was causing a battery charger to surge from float mode down to 70% about every 5 seconds.  This only happened when chassis master switch was turned “on”.  So I’m in the process to either rebuild my LN or I’ll get a DR 28si (I am still researching how to hook this up through the ocean of posts).

hope this might help others troubleshoot their charging system.

happy trails & happy Thanksgiving.

[Tom Cherry]

10 hours ago, MHRookie said:

All, 

what I found is the SSI & amp-l-start both failed.  I have installed the ML-ACR and will get to the switch next.

2nd problem, Leece Neville alternator has failed internally that was causing a battery charger to surge from float mode down to 70% about every 5 seconds.  This only happened when chassis master switch was turned “on”.  So I’m in the process to either rebuild my LN or I’ll get a DR 28si (I am still researching how to hook this up through the ocean of posts).

hope this might help others troubleshoot their charging system.

happy trails & happy Thanksgiving.

@vanwill52 wrote a great post on how to properly install an aftermarket alternator and hevhas been a proponent as well as a great technical source on the ML-ACR.

The tried and proven method for rebuilding the LN is to only use a service that will purchase the parts from LN and not cheat with aftermarket.  In addition, tell the shop not even think about “testing” diodes.  Put in new ones.  

Use the Search and do some reading.  Lots of great and practical info has been posted. I may be biased, but the best information and factual, practical experience on ML-ACR, LN rebuild or a “real” working replacement alternator is HERE.  We have a great wealth of knowledge….specific to the Monaco electrical systems.