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Possible dc issue
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:02 am
by fourreins
Looking for a starting point. I spent the last couple of days on
the boat and I think I have a new DC issue to figure out. All the
lights on the interior seem to have a flickering to them when
they are on. I even noticed that the radio will cut in and out
Sporadically ... I think the lighting also seems a little dimmer too.
The boat is a 10.8 international. Any thoughts as a starting point?
Thank You
Re: Possible dc issue
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 2:09 pm
by prowlersfish
Start at the battery and check connections an work your way from there . Turn the vhf on to a weather station while doing so and listen for it cutting out
Re: Possible dc issue
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 2:11 pm
by larryeddington
sounds like it is happening uniformly to all DC devices. I would start at the battery that sources the DC and check for good connection both + and - side. Many time one can find a lot of wires stacked under a wing nut which could compromise connections if not tight. Better way it to make a 12 Volt buss that has enough connection locations so each device can be connected individually. The only one wire from + side of battery goes to it (needs to be sufficient in size to handle load) On the Negative side the same thing can be done.
Re: Possible dc issue
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 5:07 pm
by fourreins
Thanks guys. Looks like a bad battery. Started the boat charged
battery and issue went away. This is only the third year for the
battery. How long should they last? I guess it's a possibly the battery
charger is bad. I will start will having battery checked. Thanks
for the help!
Re: Possible dc issue
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 5:10 pm
by The Dog House
A battery that is well maintained should last 5 to 6 years. If you have an onboard charger, make sure it is a "smart" charger. Overcharging a battery will kill it far faster than undercharging will. The onboard charger has to drop to a trickle charge once the battery is fully charged. If the onboard charger keeps charging at the full rate once the battery is fully charged, the battery will only last 2 to 3 years.