Overcharging
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:09 am
5 years ago I changed the electrical from 6V to 12V on my 1953 Sedan cabin cruiser. My generators were re-wired for the new voltage. On my maiden run one engine did not charge at all and one overcharged. Went back to the dock, mechanic said he had "fried " the regulators and one was stuck fully on, and one was off. After getting the new parts, he did a very quick replacement and all was well till a few days ago. Post engine seems to be overcharging; while underway at 2000 rpm, voltmeter reads 17V on that side, starboard 13V. A mechanic is slated to look at it soon, but I'm assuming the regulator is malfunctioning? In some of my reading I've also come across a "cut-off switch". Obviously it's the height of the season (nothing ever breaks in late September). If he can't get to it or fix it, is there some way I can jury-rig it so I don't overcharge my battery? On the generator looks like I have a 2-wire system and the regulator looks a bit smaller than a pack of cards. Will removing one of the wires prevent the excess charging? By the way, we never run more than 4 or 5 hours without coming back to dock and I have a very good new "smart-charger" and am able to connect all three batteries (2 engine and the house battery) together with a switching system so I'm not too worried about running w/out charging that battery for a few hours.
Thanks so much, Dan
Thanks so much, Dan