Tom.B
Moderator Emeritus
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2009
- Messages
- 5,839
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Skinny Dippin'
- Vessel Make
- Navigator 4200 Classic
So we are getting ready to head out to Lookout tomorrow. We anchored on Saturday night and I have taken a few looks at the battery/charging system. Ineed a few questions answered before we leave. My boat electrical system book is at home... dammit!
Is the alternator supposed to charge BOTH battery banks? Mine appears to only charge the starter battery via the positive lug on the starter. That means that running the engine, should the house batteries get low, does nothing.
Should the need arise, can I swap the leads from the starter battery to the house bank as a temp work-around? What about jumper cables? Too ghetto?
What should the voltage read off the house batteries sitting idle? They are at 12.88 without the charger on and 12.92-ish with. However, I did not disconnect the loads when I read that.
The genset has a small water leak in the raw water inpeller pump but still moves water thru to the exhaust. I have to run the genset to run the charger to charge the house bank. Any danger if there is still water moving thru it?
One other issue is that it appears that the PO has bypasses the over-temp sensor (bad I know), but is there a way for me to monitor the temp should I need to run it to charge the house bank this week? It's a Next Generation genset. There is the small coolant tank on the top (with the radiator cap on it) that gets to be about 160 degree when I run it. I assume that's normal, but thought I would ask anyway.
I am wondering if I have overheated it a few weeks ago when I ran it and the main engine for a few hours coming home from Carolina Beach. However, I really have no proof of that except that the whole unit was about too hot to touch when we got to the marina. What would be the symptoms or signs that a Kobota had been overheated?
Any help I could get to make me feel better about being on the hook for a day or two would be GREAT!
Thanks y'all!
Is the alternator supposed to charge BOTH battery banks? Mine appears to only charge the starter battery via the positive lug on the starter. That means that running the engine, should the house batteries get low, does nothing.
Should the need arise, can I swap the leads from the starter battery to the house bank as a temp work-around? What about jumper cables? Too ghetto?
What should the voltage read off the house batteries sitting idle? They are at 12.88 without the charger on and 12.92-ish with. However, I did not disconnect the loads when I read that.
The genset has a small water leak in the raw water inpeller pump but still moves water thru to the exhaust. I have to run the genset to run the charger to charge the house bank. Any danger if there is still water moving thru it?
One other issue is that it appears that the PO has bypasses the over-temp sensor (bad I know), but is there a way for me to monitor the temp should I need to run it to charge the house bank this week? It's a Next Generation genset. There is the small coolant tank on the top (with the radiator cap on it) that gets to be about 160 degree when I run it. I assume that's normal, but thought I would ask anyway.
I am wondering if I have overheated it a few weeks ago when I ran it and the main engine for a few hours coming home from Carolina Beach. However, I really have no proof of that except that the whole unit was about too hot to touch when we got to the marina. What would be the symptoms or signs that a Kobota had been overheated?
Any help I could get to make me feel better about being on the hook for a day or two would be GREAT!
Thanks y'all!