charging system Q?

ok 75 cj5 w/304. Alternator checks out fine, external voltage regulator is working fine. Battery fairly new, deep cycle marine battery that does hold a charge. Problem, does not charge the battery. I can charge the battery w/btry charger and drive for awhile and with a very low battery I can bump start and it runs fine. Talked to the guys at the shop and they want me to bring it in and they will test the system. No time to take it in during the week and they're closed on the week end. Any sugestions on what else to check/look at? Wiring or maybe connections? Thanks Walt

 

Go to Hawker Energy/EnerSys. and read the charging requirements for a deep cycle battery. The site has the most comprehensive info regarding deep cycle batteries.

Depending on your CCA & your driving habits, you may have to put your deep cycle on a maintenance charge once a week or so, which could be up to about 10-12 amps. The site has the most comrehensive explanations for deep cycle batteries.

I run a Hawker PC-1200 in Jeep w/a 100 amp single wire alternator (an excitable alternator isn't the best choice in a vehicle that loves to crawl & lug) & a PC-900 in my Stroker Shovelhead along with a gear reduction starter and a high output stator. Good CCA & an anticipated 10 to 15 year lifespan are worth the investment.

Pep Boys carried some Hawkers for a while & still may.


http://www.enersysreservepower.com/ody_b.asp?brandID=5


gj

 

Thanks I'll check it out now

 

If all the components check out then it must be a wiring issue. Get a diagram and trace it back. I had a similar problem a few months ago, I Kept overcharging my batteries and boiling them dry. It turned out that my jeep was wired to run unregulated bypassing the regulator, so i riped it out and replaced it with a ford type regulator using the stock alt. You might have a similar problem.

 

Just like a boat, the best Jeep system is where the starter(s) can be isolated to a standard battery & all accessories can be run to a deep cycle battery if the time is taken to isolate the wiring. A boat is plugged into the dock 115V full time when not running, which converts to a 12V trickle charger. The charger has an automatic full charge shut-off. The only difference is that there are bilge pumps running on floats full-time.

gj

 

Thanks guys, things are making sense. One more thing. With the jeep running I can pull the pos cable off and the motor dies. Other rigs I had would keep running. Any other ideas on this? Thanks

 

Obviously you're running off the battery at idle. Indicates the charging system is not working, at least at idle.

 

ok, well the next step is to get the rig into the electric shop and have them trace it down. Thanks

 

If you don't have a multi-meter, some brands of battery chargers have a charging indicator if you connect to the battery, but don't plug in the charger. They are reasonably accurate by 1/2 Volt or a couple amps, which can be significant enough to give you an idea of your charging rate. I would try to locate one so that I didn't walk into a shop cold.


gj

 

Thanks guys I'll do some more checking before taking it in.