Starting issue 8V71

[Streff]

Hello good folks,

Today is the day when we start for the first time the engines in a new to us Hatteras. All fluids have been changed, Racors & Airseps serviced.. Made sure T-handle for emergency shutoff is pushed down. However, engine cranks but does not start. Engine started at survey 5 weeks ago no issues.

The one thing I noticed is that the Batt Voltage on the dash reads 34/35 but once I crank the engine it drops to below 20V on the gauge. Also, the batteries are on a constant charger usually drawing 2amp.

Is that normal to see the voltage drop when engine cranks?

thank you

streff

 

[carolinacoast]

Try the battery parallel switch to combine the banks for more amps for starting engines.

 

[Jims43DC]

Try the battery parallel switch to combine the banks for more amps for starting engines.

When you tested your emergency shut downs you closed the damper for the blower, these need to be manually reset at the motor, you will see a little lever on a cam looking latch lift that lever until the shutdown snaps back into it's grove. I'll look for a video clip showing this operation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8dtkwWfJyk

 

[MadHatter53]

[SUB]make sure the fuel filters are full. [/SUB]

 

[SEVEN]

On some of these Detroit’s the fuel drains backwards and out of the motor which makes it nearly impossible to turn over. Make sure that you are getting fuel pumped through the system.

 

[Streff]

Thank you very much for all the great insight, I had 2 issues going against me today. One of the 8V batteries is weak.. I discovered one of its terminals was badly corroded and was fused to the ring terminal. The entire bank is 13months old and kept on a charger 90% of the time in a very clean space. I am not sure why a single trrminal was so badly corroded. I cleaned everything well last week and set it back on the charger. All other battery terminals looked fine.. . I suspect that this one battery is not holding it’s charge. I have made plans to replace this single battery and also buy a backup battery just in case.Interestingly, this battery bank has 2 batteries with 170AH rating and 2 with 182AH.. these were installed by a professional marine electricity outfit. The difference in AH must not matter. I aso think that my cutoff was not reset properly.Thank youStreff

 

[Pascal]

Never a good idea to mix battery type, size or age within a bank.

 

[rustybucket]

Second what Jim said about the emergency shutdown. They have to be manually reset on the engine, pushing the T handle down does nothing other than making it possible for you to manually reset the flap in the engine room.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Batteries of differing AH rating will charge to different levels. Two of those will be overcharged while the charger tries to bring the whole bank up. This is not good and will shorten the life of those batteries. They all need to be of identical in all respects in the same bank included AH rating and age.

 

[Streff]

Thank you for the comments, I totally agree about the AH differences. I found that odd as well. The marine electricity outfit will be on the boat tomorrow to address the bad battery. I will see what they say. They may not have noticed as the batteries look identical. These are Continental AGM batteries. I believe they are made by Trojan but packaged as Continental.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Is your charger set up to the required charge profile for AGM's?

 

[cww]

Thank you for the comments, I totally agree about the AH differences. I found that odd as well. The marine electricity outfit will be on the boat tomorrow to address the bad battery. I will see what they say. They may not have noticed as the batteries look identical. These are Continental AGM batteries. I believe they are made by Trojan but packaged as Continental.

Personally I've had nothing but an unsatisfactory experience with AGM's. I have found the failure rate is right about the same as lead acid batteries. Except they cost 2-3x as much and holy mother of satan are those things heavy. The math just doesn't math on those for whatever reason, or at least it didn't for me.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Personally I've had nothing but an unsatisfactory experience with AGM's. I have found the failure rate is right about the same as lead acid batteries. Except they cost 2-3x as much and holy mother of satan are those things heavy. The math just doesn't math on those for whatever reason, or at least it didn't for me.

Me too. Only lead acid batteries on my boat.

 

[Pascal]

Personally I've had nothing but an unsatisfactory experience with AGM's. I have found the failure rate is right about the same as lead acid batteries. Except they cost 2-3x as much and holy mother of satan are those things heavy. The math just doesn't math on those for whatever reason, or at least it didn't for me.

I ve only used flooded batteries on my 53 and usually get 4 to 5 years out of them during the last 20+ years. All the boats I ve run in nearly the same period , from 70 to 110, have had AGMs which last 4-5 years. Yes with a smart chargers set for AGM. Worst, a number of the failures were sudden… nothing like waking up in the morning to that sulfur smell and a bulging case

 

[madhatter1]

Personally I've had nothing but an unsatisfactory experience with AGM's. I have found the failure rate is right about the same as lead acid batteries. Except they cost 2-3x as much and holy mother of satan are those things heavy. The math just doesn't math on those for whatever reason, or at least it didn't for me.

Also in agreement. I get plenty of life out of sealed lead acid batteries and they are much more manageable. Something that didn’t need any improvement.

For those on the Tampa Bay Area a good source for batteries is Electro Battery in St Pete. Cheap and last as well as anything else I ever used. And everything is always in stock. Highly recommend.

 

[jmooney]

I have gotten 8 years from flooded lead acid batteries here in Miami. They are about 130 lbs each . Three years ago I went to agm , same money or less , and they weigh 81 lbs each, which is far more manageable.

 

[firbanks]

My house bank are AGM 8D and weigh north of 150 lbs. maybe 160…last set from previous owner lasted 7+ years. I have nothing against flooded but am too busy with kids and life and worry that I’d miss filling and damage the flooded batteries.

 

[Scarlett]

Flooded with a good watering system that has little white tabs that allow you to tell at a glance if the batteries are full and a really good 3 step charger and they should last 7 to 8 years.

 

[SEVEN]

John, what watering system do you have? The one I bought ruined a set of batteries. I’d pump 5 or 6 times and the ball was hard. Problem was the water didn’t make it to all cells.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

With a good charger that is set up to the battery manufacturers recommended charge profile, you won't have to water them very often. Once per quarter is probably just fine.

If you're boiling out more water than that, you probably don't have the right charger or its not set up right.