Went to the boat yesterday and the battery was dead. I have a Ray Jefferson 15-3 battery guard charger that had always kept my battery charged. Can a charger die? The unit is about 20 years old. The charger has current to it, but the needle does not move off zero. Anyway to test if it's still working?
Battery Charger
- Thread starter tlaatsch
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It should last 40+ if you keep it clean!!!
after checking wires and connections for clean, tight and not broken measure the voltage on the batts with the charger off (no AC power to the unit so it resets). Turn the charger on and note any change in the voltage. It may take up to 30-60 seconds for the charger to engage so give it some time before you give up. If the voltage comes up even a little I'd start suspecting the batteries and not the charger. It "should" come up to 14.4 volts then ramp down as the batts start putting taking a charge.
after checking wires and connections for clean, tight and not broken measure the voltage on the batts with the charger off (no AC power to the unit so it resets). Turn the charger on and note any change in the voltage. It may take up to 30-60 seconds for the charger to engage so give it some time before you give up. If the voltage comes up even a little I'd start suspecting the batteries and not the charger. It "should" come up to 14.4 volts then ramp down as the batts start putting taking a charge.
PS
Just saw this thread but thought I'd point out that some chargers have a (safety?) circuit which will not allow operation if less than 4 volts. Prevents charging to a shorted cell is my guess. Try testing by charging a good battery before returning it to the store and Demanding Compensation and Replacement. don't ask
Just saw this thread but thought I'd point out that some chargers have a (safety?) circuit which will not allow operation if less than 4 volts. Prevents charging to a shorted cell is my guess. Try testing by charging a good battery before returning it to the store and Demanding Compensation and Replacement. don't ask
Check the ground all the way back to circuit board. "Example" I have a 10 year old Pro Tect 4 marine battery charger. When tested unloaded it would show 13.5 volts. But when hooked to batteries and loaded up and asked to pull any amps. It would show no voltage output. What happened was. Copper circuitry around ground post bolted to corner of circuit board finially had given out. Because when first installed at hunter factory. The nut to ground bolt post on circuit board was not properly tightened and the circuit board had gotten hot and was slightly damaged. This happened back when boat was new. I know this because one night a month into owning boat for several nights in a row I kept smelling a slight electrical smell. And smoke detectors started to go off randomly a few times that week but could not figure out why. Finially one night while sitting at nav-station working on the computer I smelled it again. Just happened to look down between my legs and saw smoke. Charger happens to be mounted under nav seat. Flipped the chargers 120v breaker next to me. Then dove down under seat to see smoke coming from charger. Killed all battery power. Pulled small acess panel on charger, saw that the ground wire on ground post was burned. Cut off bad end and crimped on new fastener. Made sure it was properly tightened and locked down. No problem since.
Well It finially gave out last month. Came down to boat too find number two optima house bank sucked down to 3.5 volts from trying to run freezer for about two weeks. Removed charger, put on work bench carefully took it apart not hard. No warranty any more, so what the hell....On close inspection I found that the copper circuitry on the board had been burnt back. Contact was broken just like it was a fuse. Found some thin copper at hobby lobby crafts store. Then it was time for surgery. Cut small shaped to fit replacement . Clean area and carefully soldiered in new piece of copper. Drilled in new hole. Then bolted new bass bolt with star washers back in place. Soldiered everything to new copper along with star washers to lock in place. Then made pig tails bolted to all three positive post and then to ground post. Ground post was dangously less then 1" away from nearest positive post. A Manufactures design defect. And a real pain. One slip and you could very easily short it out which would blow the circuit board doides between post. Only option then would be back to factory. $$$$
Now with 6" pig tails properly mounted to circuit board and ran out side of case to more easily accessible terminal block. Each post is covered to protect against shorts. Now one can connect and discount batteries with out worry of shorting. Followed optima factory video recommendions for bringing back fully discharged batteries. And all is well. Now my 10 year old optimas are back and very close to reading the same as the matching 10 year old bank one. Charger is working better then ever. Keeping all 3 banks toped off, house banks 1&2 along with the starting bank.
Hope this bit of information helps you get your system trouble shooted and back up and running soon.
Luck
RR
Well It finially gave out last month. Came down to boat too find number two optima house bank sucked down to 3.5 volts from trying to run freezer for about two weeks. Removed charger, put on work bench carefully took it apart not hard. No warranty any more, so what the hell....On close inspection I found that the copper circuitry on the board had been burnt back. Contact was broken just like it was a fuse. Found some thin copper at hobby lobby crafts store. Then it was time for surgery. Cut small shaped to fit replacement . Clean area and carefully soldiered in new piece of copper. Drilled in new hole. Then bolted new bass bolt with star washers back in place. Soldiered everything to new copper along with star washers to lock in place. Then made pig tails bolted to all three positive post and then to ground post. Ground post was dangously less then 1" away from nearest positive post. A Manufactures design defect. And a real pain. One slip and you could very easily short it out which would blow the circuit board doides between post. Only option then would be back to factory. $$$$
Now with 6" pig tails properly mounted to circuit board and ran out side of case to more easily accessible terminal block. Each post is covered to protect against shorts. Now one can connect and discount batteries with out worry of shorting. Followed optima factory video recommendions for bringing back fully discharged batteries. And all is well. Now my 10 year old optimas are back and very close to reading the same as the matching 10 year old bank one. Charger is working better then ever. Keeping all 3 banks toped off, house banks 1&2 along with the starting bank.
Hope this bit of information helps you get your system trouble shooted and back up and running soon.
Luck
RR
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