charging system?

[nuboater]

Ok, here's my new problem....
I went to pick up my boat in Parker and take it for a quick run before going home got it started with one of those portable chargers unhooked the charger and it went dead...this is after I let it run for 20 minutes to charge up the battery. I did it again and started motoring up from the Blue Water and got almost to the buoy's and went to raise my hatch (hydraulic) and it died again...WTF??? I had to maunally open the hatch and hook up the charger again and just went back to the marina and got it on the trailer.
Is this a alternator issue?
Also, when I got the boat out of storage initally I knew the batteries would be dead so I tried to open the hatch with a cable that hooks up to a power port on the boat and connected it to a new battery and got nothing..I had to open it manually this time as well.
any help would be great!!

[Nubbs]

It sounds like a charging problem. Can you remove the alternator and get it tested at a store like pep boys or kragen?

[Blown 472]

Your batt have water in it, didn't freeze or anything like that did it??

[Dusty Times]

If the battery is severely dead or has a direct short it can pull too much of a drain and show the same symptoms of charging problems. Throw a tester on each and save the money.

[Mandelon]

Put your battery on a trickle charger if you can. One that regulates itself, to avoid over charging.
If it was really low..(dead) it may not have enough power to keep the motor running.
Also if you just let it idle, I don't think that creates enough extra power to actually charge the battery. What does the alternator put out at 900rpm? I bet not much.
Check the water levels too. Make sure the plates are covered.

[SK48]

An alternator is not a battery charger. It is not like a generator, it will not charge dead batteries. You need to charge the batteries first before you launch. I'd be supprised if you didn't kill the alternator or regulator already trying run like that.

[Froggystyle]

To echo what some have said, the newer electronic alternators will sense a dead short in your system and stop charging. Any voltage below 9 volts on your battery is seen by the alternator as a dead short. It will not charge these batteries when dead.
Like others have said, try to charge your batteries back up, but not with a trickle charger. Use a fully automatic 20 amp charger to bring it back up to snuff. Batteries hate trickle charging. That is good for maintenance, but I have been told by battery experts that there is no faster way to destroy a battery than with slow, incomplete charging.
That is why I use a 60 amp fully automatic for my stereo batteries, and no alternator.

[Hal]

Clean your terminals. Alternators don't usually die in storage but batteries will (as in no good anymore). Also an alternator will charge your battery at idle where a generator will not. Thats one of the reasons we don't have generators these days. Like someone said take the alternator and batts in for a test. I'am guessing the batteries if they are over 2 years old. good luck...

[Hal]

Damn double post... :)
[ March 25, 2003, 08:57 PM: Message edited by: Hal ]

[H2on22]

Froggystyle:
To echo what some have said, the newer electronic alternators will sense a dead short in your system and stop charging. Any voltage below 9 volts on your battery is seen by the alternator as a dead short. It will not charge these batteries when dead.
Like others have said, try to charge your batteries back up, but not with a trickle charger. Use a fully automatic 20 amp charger to bring it back up to snuff. Batteries hate trickle charging. That is good for maintenance, but I have been told by battery experts that there is no faster way to destroy a battery than with slow, incomplete charging.
That is why I use a 60 amp fully automatic for my stereo batteries, and no alternator. Hey Froggystyle, can you explain your set-up w/out an alternator for your stereo batts? I have 2 batts w/a perko and was wondering if I'll be able to pump tunes for 5-6 hours w/ that set-up? I have 2 amps and they are running 2 subs and 6 mids/highs :confused: