Barth has an electrical problem

[pooker]

Here is what I want you to do hawkeye, assuming you are 100% sure your batterys work. While your car is running, disconnect the positive battery wire, if your car dies you have an alternator problem. Next, you could have fluxes or a short somewhere, hook up a digital voltemeter to your battery while your car is running. A good running system will have 13.5 - 15 volts , you could have a constant drain coming from somewhere in your electrical wiring. If you have any sound audio equipment wired in that will also drain the battery. Check your ground also, make sure it has a good ground to the chasis, sounds more like a grounding problem the way you describe it.

[Guru]

Just to let you know the rest of us weren't turning our backs on you about this.
At first I was just going to offer that the voltage regulator was putting out too much and your amp gauge wasn't reading correctly but after reading on it does seem like you have a bigger problem. I still lean on the voltage regulator thing a bit though, too many similarities there. I also was going to say that your starter needed to be rebuilt but I don't want to lead you astray, although IF the big batteries turn it over that could be an underlying problem too.
How long since you have had the thing on a machine?

[pooker]

Just to let you know the rest of us weren't turning our backs on you about this.
At first I was just going to offer that the voltage regulator was putting out too much and your amp gauge wasn't reading correctly but after reading on it does seem like you have a bigger problem. I still lean on the voltage regulator thing a bit though, too many similarities there. I also was going to say that your starter needed to be rebuilt but I don't want to lead you astray, although IF the big batteries turn it over that could be an underlying problem too.
How long since you have had the thing on a machine?
I am sure he doesn't think we were turning our backs on him elextrical problems can be very hard I have been there. :smt009 Pull your hair out hard, I really hope its an easy fix.

[Guru]

By the way.I have no problem with being paid with Miller Lite.

* Yeah, and did I mention that I am his assistant?
One for a nickel or two for a dime, same Miller Lite charge.
:smt023

[pooker]

I would just take some cookies :)

[bpitt]

Beer involved? Hell, I'll help, I got a good Fluke voltmeter and some duct tape!

[Fish-Bait]

Betcha' a nickel it's the battery switch that don't work no more. You got the breakers that reset themselves?....Check the battery swappin' switch. I had a problem in my old big boat like that....new batteries new switches (the kind that cut the main power to like battery1 or battery 2 or both or battery three) and no more problemo's. It took two weekends down in Vancleave and about 4 cases of beer and 300 bucks in batteries and switches to fix it.....if'n yous' a wonderin'.

[Guru]

Well that's what I initially had a thought of, Voltage Regulator over-charging but we need to get a good read on what output you have NOW. If you took the batt cable off and it soon went dead you definetely have a charging problem. JMO.
Anywho, when you get ready and Fotno_ can rotate back to the world we can all stand around it and spit on the ground and maybe figure out something.
We got a lot of motorheads in here, a motorhead and fix the wagon party may be in order.

[bpitt]

4 cases of beer, yeah, that sounds about right!

[Fish-Bait]

It could be that the voltage regulometer has an insufficient ampere capacity and is cross linked with Barth's ohm meter data circuitry and thus is leaking a sufficient amount of current into the battery analyzer relay capacitor. Thus giving you a hell of alot of problems.:smt040

[Guru]

I'll try to pick up some extra wire and crimps and put in my box for when this fandango starts.

[Guru]

Dang, also sounds like an instrumentation short, not total but enough to cause your charging system to overcompensate, seen that happen.

[Fish-Bait]

Fakque on dis post, maister-baiter, but you may have been on to somting wiff de first post. I gots $400 worth of de best batts money can buy in the MF'er, now!....ain't buying no more of dem anytime, soon.

But, as I mentioned earlier, the AUX cranking switch on the insturment panel, which is suposed to transfer responsibility over to the double marine batts, no loner works as it once did many moons ago.

Also, as I touched on earlier, if I hit the fog light switch, it blows out the fuse that feeds all the insturments, so I stopped using dat switch 'cause you have to be a double-jointed midget contortionists to get to dat fuse box under de dash.

Bpitt is prolly de only one among us with the body type to get in dat position. It be sort'a like trying to screw a goat upside down in a small dog crate.

:kekeke:

[Fish-Bait]

I truely believe in you guys to find this problem so long as I don't ice the spews down too early. :-D

I might even break down and fry a mess of chittlins (outside, downwind) :clap:

You may want to get a couple of ABC fire exstinguishers and keep em' handy....know what I mean vern?

[bpitt]

It could be that the voltage regulometer has an insufficient ampere capacity and is cross linked with Barth's ohm meter data circuitry and thus is leaking a sufficient amount of current into the battery analyzer relay capacitor. Thus giving you a hell of alot of problems.:smt040
Or, it could be his flux core capacitor not resuscitating his neutron defibrillator.

[bpitt]

I've got some CAT 5e cable, we could wire it for a LAN if we wanted to.

[bpitt]

It'd be like that cartoon, we'd call it the Comm-Vee......

[Guru]

Or, it could be his flux core capacitor not resuscitating his neutron defibrillator.

* In which case we will need Beau Coup plenty empty beer cans and potato peels to jam in there for fuel.

[bpitt]

* In which case we will need Beau Coup plenty empty beer cans and potato peels to jam in there for fuel.
Damn straight, and, as an aside, I didn't know that that's how you spelled 'Beau Coup'.........lol

[Guru]

I have to say that if the spews start early this could look like a bunch of monkeys trying to fk a football.
:D

[bpitt]

I do know where there is a De Lorean sitting at........

[bpitt]

I have to say that if the spews start early this could look like a bunch of monkeys trying to fk a football.
:D
What's wrong with entertainment?

[Fish-Bait]

dam, there are gonna' be monkeys, footballs, goats in dog cages and midget contortionist and chittlin's and beer. We ought to sell tickets to this mofo'!

[bpitt]

We could make millions! We'd call it a Democratic Convention!

[maxim]

OK, if you get sparks from the chassis batt neg to chassis ground it means the chassis battery negative terminal is not at the same electrical potential as the chassis itself - IOW a current is flowing from the chassis batt neg term to chassis ground. No current, no sparks. Sparks = current.

Interesting to disconnect the chassis batts completely and see what happens. And, keep the big ABCs handy. I'm visualizing the ones on wheels...

[Fish-Bait]

Don't you know how much stuff 5 drunk rednecks can destroy in the matter of minutes?????!!!! "Watch this"!

[bpitt]

Mule? We got a mule involved? What happened to the goat?

[bpitt]

He orta go ahead a buy one of those big ass plasma tv's, would could hook it with some satellite, too.

[bpitt]

Hey, would could pimp out his rv, "Pimp My RV", a new show for WDAM......

[Hob684]

hey hawk.. while you're gettin the ABC's pick up a CO2 extinguisher too.... make 'em wait til the last second before you cool down the spews... you could freeze in about 5 seconds thatta way.

[pooker]

Fakque on dis post, maister-baiter, but you may have been on to somting wiff de first post. I gots $400 worth of de best batts money can buy in the MF'er, now!....ain't buying no more of dem anytime, soon.

But, as I mentioned earlier, the AUX cranking switch on the insturment panel, which is suposed to transfer responsibility over to the double marine batts, no loner works as it once did many moons ago.

Also, as I touched on earlier, if I hit the fog light switch, it blows out the fuse that feeds all the insturments, so I stopped using dat switch 'cause you have to be a double-jointed midget contortionists to get to dat fuse box under de dash.

Bpitt is prolly de only one among us with the body type to get in dat position. It be sort'a like trying to screw a goat upside down in a small dog crate.

:laugh: more more more!

[SoMissTV]

It be sort'a like trying to screw a goat upside down in a small dog crate.

Sounds like a job for Conveyor Belt...

[Guru]

I want to laugh at that real hard but I don't know CB that well. :D

[Fish-Bait]

I want to laugh at that real hard but I don't know CB that well. :D

CB likes goats and dolphins and dead coyotes and deers...:smt118


Say Hawkster, when we gonna' tackle this critter?

[Conveyor Belt]

Sounds like a job for Conveyor Belt...

Goat? No... now, if he'd said dolphin...

[Conveyor Belt]

I don't even want to know who gained the experience necessary to draw this analogy together... okay, I'm a little curious.

[Fish-Bait]

I don't even want to know who gained the experience necessary to draw this analogy together... okay, I'm a little curious.

Throw the midget contortionist in the mix and you have the makings of an extravagant show.

[Guru]

Maybe a midget wrestler dude like on WWE.

[Baloo]

I can tell already that this electrical repair project needs some SAFETY oversight!

[SoMissTV]

I can tell already that this electrical repair project needs some SAFETY oversight!

I think it is a safety oversight.

[dollfus46]

My motorhome, "Barth", has an electrical problem. I'll try to keep it as simple as I stoopid when it comes to this stuff.

Barth is powered by a 454 big block. He has 3-12v batteries, 2 for the coach DC electrical systems and 1 for starting the motor.

The coach batts are the long, deep cycle marine batts, and the chassis batt is a new heavy duty, high dollar batt of the standard short variety.

Here is the puzzle;
I start on a days journey (200-250 miles) with a fully charged chassis battery. Everything is running cool and fine; the batt insturment tells me the alternator is putting out around 13v. After say 100 miles I want to stop, turn off the engine and stretch my legs. Guess what, the battery is so weak it won't turn the heavy duty starter. So, I have to get out, pull the batt tray and jump off the starter batt with the coach batts. Something else strange I notice is at least 1 or 2 cells of the batt are very low or dry of water and so I top them off and continue the road trip. Now, I after another 100 miles I hope it's not dark because by headlights are weak and all my istruments, including the tach, are reading whacky or not working at all.

Okay, not being totally stoopid, I carry an extra battery I keep charged by using the inverter. But, here is the really wierd phenom that blew my mind on the last trip. While switching chassis batts one morning before cranking up, I accidently let my wrench hit the body of the coach while loosening the Negative terminal, and it arched. Didn't shock me or anything but it popped and sparked like a Lincoln Welder. That told me something is fkd up.

Is it a dead short somewhere, a bad ground somewhere, or some sort of reverse polarity going on here?

The two marine coach batts never go down and are automatically trickle charged when I'm pluged up to shore power. But, I have notice some of my DC/AC elecrical fixtures, like roof exhaust fans, going south (not getting fire). I can find no bad breakers or fuses.

This thing is an EE's nighmare of relays and solenoids since all acessories, fixtures and appliances are designed to run off both AC and DC power.

I have some original schematic drawings but I might as well wipe my ass with them given my electrical knowledge.

The mule even has a switch on the dash that is supposed to transfer aux cranking power to the starter batt from the big marine batts but it no longer works (it use to). Only getting out and jumping the batts with cables can I get her started if the chassis batt has bled down.

Additional note: Even the damn motor will shut down if the chassis batt gets too weak. It's like the alt ain't doing shit and the batt is having to do all the work, alone.

Help needed only if you're a confindent and experienced auto electrical systems man....I don't need more confusion and guess work. This is going to take a hard-headed sumbitch who knows how to read all those little amp meters and shit, and won't accept defeat.

Look at my avatar.I have to keep that space ship going 14 days out of the month,and they don't pay me with Miller Lite.I think we can handle Barth.

Here is what I want you to do hawkeye, assuming you are 100% sure your batterys work. While your car is running, disconnect the positive battery wire, if your car dies you have an alternator problem. Next, you could have fluxes or a short somewhere, hook up a digital voltemeter to your battery while your car is running. A good running system will have 13.5 - 15 volts , you could have a constant drain coming from somewhere in your electrical wiring. If you have any sound audio equipment wired in that will also drain the battery. Check your ground also, make sure it has a good ground to the chasis, sounds more like a grounding problem the way you describe it.
Sorry I'm not there to help you boys with that little problem.:smt105

[bpitt]

I could bend in the necessary contortion, I've been known to do certain things in the back of a Yugo, but that's another story.....

[Fish-Bait]

dang, dollfus used the multi-qoute function! woo hoo!

[bpitt]

Gettin' smarter, ain't he!