Ser# 1T0332GMLNF414351 My battery has a hard time to stay fully charged. Has 490 hours on unit. If I run it for couple hours straight at 2200RPM it will shut down with only maybe 12.7 volts. Not a lot of surface charge. When I start it like that it will drop to around 10.2-10.4 volts which is okay for 4-5 seconds of crank on a 60 F temperature day. But if I put my 10 amp charger on it for 24 hours, even after unlocking the security, fuel pump running and priming the system when I do the same start it won't even drop below 11 volts. It still has a surface charge over 13 volts. I did add tiny bit of distilled water to the cells and charged it after and all the cells were at the right height. On a short 30 minute run the battery is about 12.5 volts the next morning. Wondering if computer controls the charging or what does? Unit starts fine if I keep battery charger charging. Have checked for parasitic load and exactly 5.3 milliamps through a Fluke 87-5 meter. That is no problem. Anyone with a thought? Simon C
The alternator has its own regulator and therefore is not controlled by any controllers. Excitation of the alternator comes from the accessory relay to the D+ post.
What is your alternator output at 2200 rpm and do you usually run it at that rpm. Also, do you know the amperage of the alternator? These new machines, usually have a loaded up system already and the alternators are usually at the maximum output.
I run between 2000-2200 RPM most of the time. The alternator puts out lots of amps at 2000 RPM. I kind of think it is just the fact that I don't run it for a month, may need to install a trickle charger from solar panel to help keep up. Simon C
Thanks for that, so field current is controlled at alternator. Think the battery has a lot of capacity, just takes a long time to get up to 100 percent charge. Will check it for the next couple months of summer. Thanks Simon C
I did clamp the alternator a ways back and it was way stronger than the load, around 90 amps if I remember. I actually wrote it inside the inside cover of battery cover. Thanks Simon C