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The small red wires from the Isolator with the black "fuses" are the sensing connections. The 20 watt light was added by us after shifting the isolator to the right. The 3/8" return fuel lines have been double reversed clamped. |
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Charging System |
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Battery Care and Maintenance.
Here's some information from ARCO, a full supplier of new and remanufactured electrical products for the starting and charging of Marine equipment. Excerpts below are from the ARCO Electrical Technical Manual it is 58 pages big, it cost $9.95.
"A good battery can provide four or five years of worry-free service with the right kind of care. But, batteries can also die out fast, in less than six months, if they are neglected.
1. It is very necessary in order to keep a healthy battery, that the charge rate be maintained within the recommended boundaries.
2. If neglected, the electrolyte level becomes very low, and the battery starts to lose power, since part of each plate is above the water line.
3. Lead acid batteries generally require adding water about twice a year. (With the standard Maxum Bulk Charger, every 2 to 3 months if the charger is left on)
4. Electrolyte level should be maintained about a quarter inch above the tops of the battery plates.
Outside the Battery
1. The outside of the battery is just as important as the inside. For example, dirt or acid salts can build up on top of the battery. A conductive layer is formed causing a constant discharge drain on the cells.
2. A baking soda bath with water and dish detergent, 3 times per year, helps keep outside battery losses at a minimum. Never allow this mixture to enter the battery. This mixture will neutralize acid and cause dead cells.
3. Corrosion of the cable terminals is a major cause of battery problems. (Spraying Corrosion Block here can help)
4. Check all terminals to see that they are absolutely clean and tight. Check for broken wires at battery cable connections.
5. Proper care of cables and terminals is as important as maintaining the battery.
6. Never store a battery for more than 30 days without recharging, or store a battery for any length of time in a discharged state. Sulfation starts when a battery becomes discharged. Sulfation is normal.
When sulfation happens, lead sulfate is formed from the self-discharge of the plates or the plates standing in a discharged state for a long period of time. Hard, bulky, crystal-like substances are created on the plates.
( Our standard Maxum bulk chargers cannot remove the major portion of the sulfatication. You must have a charger with a "EQ" Equalize Button, when you Equalize the battery you in essence over charge it (15.5 volts) to break down the sulfides deposits on the plates, thus giving the battery more life and the ability to hold it's original rated charge. The Equalize Mode is a controlled overcharge used periodically (example, once each month or once every other month) to help dissolve any recently solidified sulfate deposits on the battery plates. Older sulfation deposits normally harden onto the plates, and cannot be dissolved into the electrolyte. See the Electrical section for a more information http://members.aol.com/billegates/Electrical.html )
Batteries that are in a discharged state for too long and are not being used, will lose the balance of their charge. It is not recommended that a battery go for more than 30 days without getting a charging current. What also happens, is that the pores of the active materials get clogged from the large bulky crystals of sulfate. The active material gets pushed out of the grids, causing them to buckle. If too much internal expansion happens from a sulfated battery, the case will become bulged or cracked.
**WARNING** Batteries give off hydrogen gas constantly. Hydrogen gas is highly explosive. Always wear safety glasses or goggles and use caution when working with batteries.
Battery Testing: Open Circuit Voltage Test
Before you can properly test any battery it must be fully charged. You can verify the state of charge two ways: (Doing Both is Recommended)
Using the digital multimeter to verify the state of charge:
A fully charged 12 volt battery will read at least 12.6 volts on the multimeter when connected as shown below.
Digital multimeter will read 12.6 volts on a fully charged 12 volt battery.
(2.1 volts per cell times "6 cells" = 12.6 volts)
Connect the digital multimeter to the battery terminals. If your reading is 12.4 or below you must recharge the battery before testing.
Using a hydrometer to verify the state of charge:
When testing batteries with removable filler caps, the hydrometer can be a very useful tool. Always use protective acid resistant gloves and safety glasses or a full face shield. Read ARCO's book before you get involved.
Each cell of the battery can be individually tested for state of charge. A reading of 1.250 is usually considered good. (See hydrometer below.) If a cell is found with specific gravity below 1.150 the battery is considered dead. When one or more of the cells produces a reading that is .050 or more below that of the others, it's a pretty good indication that the low cells are shorted. If all the cells read below 1.250 then the battery must be recharged before testing.
State of Charge - ? Standard Specific Gravity
100% charged?- ?1.270
75% charged - ?1.225
50% charged - ?1.190
25% charged - ?1.155
Discharged - ??1.120
Thank You ARCO STARTING & CHARGING SPECIALISTS * 3921 Navy Blvd. Pensacola, FL 32507-1296 for the above information.
ARCO has the largest Marine Electric inventory Anywhere, and it says so on their building in Pensacola Fl, 904-455-5476 1-800-722-2720, www.arcomarine.com
Battery Charging. Did you know the difference between a fully charged battery and a discharged battery is .9 volts? Source? Word of mouth, an article I read a while ago and Ed Sherman the assistant Director of Education for the ABYC, American Boat and Yacht Council. Also, Nigel Calders new book, Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual (Second Edition). Highly recommended to add to your boating library, available from Bluewater Books or International Marine. Did you also know that the deeper you discharge a battery the fewer cycles you will get out of it? And the third fact I want to bring up is, the lower the battery voltage is, the more current, (amps) are required to make up the devices rated input.
Do you remember all those Cummins 450C engines that had their Delco 21Si alternators mis-wired from the Maxum factory? They were putting out .7 to .9 volts less than they should have been. This equates to hard starting, excessive current to the starter motor, short battery life. Maxum has a fix for this if you need it. This applies only to boats with the 450C Cummins Engines.
Maxum's "Bulk Pro Charger" has a fixed voltage output of about 13.8 volts. mine is actually 14.1 volts. This causes gassing in the battery as well as heat. Leaving this charger on all the time will in time, boil the water out of the battery. We recommend replacing the existing charger with a three stage, four mode, Statpower smart charger or similar unit the Statpower unit works like this:
TRUECHARGE Charging Algorithm http://www.statpower.com
The TRUECHARGE charging algorithm has 4 modes:
1) Bulk
When the TRUECHARGE first enters a charge cycle the "bulk" mode provides a constant current of 20A (ex. TRUECHARGE 20) to bring the battery back up to 80% capacity in the shortest period of time. The TRUECHARGE moves from Bulk to Absorption mode when the charger output/battery voltage reaches Absorption/gassing Voltage (typically 14.4 V dependent on battery type switch setting, and temperature). The bulk charge current is reduced slowly as the battery voltage reaches about 97% of the Absorption voltage, therefore your instrument panels ammeter may read a slightly lower charge current before the battery voltage actually reaches the Absorption/gassing voltage. The TRUECHARGE will stop charging for up to 20 seconds in 15 minute intervals to recalibrate and test the battery condition.
2) Absorption
Absorption mode holds the battery voltage constant (typically 14.4 V +/- 0.1 V) while allowing the battery to absorb the remaining 20% of it's capacity. During Absorption the battery actually determines the charge current, the charge current reduces as the battery continues to move closer to the fully charged state. When the current reduces to only 3A (TRUECHARGE 20), the TRUECHARGE continues to charge for 1 additional hour, then considers the battery fully charged and moves to the float mode. If your TRUECHARGE is set to Gel the charger will go into float mode immediately. If you happen to have a DC load turned on (ex. 5A DC cabin light, or fridge) the charger will attempt to provide the necessary current for the light as well. Therefore the charger current may not drop to 3A. The TRUECHARGE will automatically go into float mode after 6 hours to ensure the batteries are not held at the higher gassing voltage of 14.4.
3) Float
Float mode is a maintenance charge where the TRUECHARGE has fully charged the battery and now holds the battery voltage at 13.5 V (dependent on switch settings) to help ensure the battery does not self discharge. This constant voltage state also helps reduce the rate of sulfation. During float the typical charge current will be 1-3A and is dependent on the battery capacity, and condition. If additional DC loads (ex. 5A DC cabin light, or fridge) are turned on the TRUECHARGE will provide up to 20A (TRUECHARGE 20) of current to maintain the float voltage (13.5 V). If the total draw is more than 20A, the charger output current will remain at its maximum and the battery system voltage will fall until the battery supplies the excess current. If the battery voltage drops to 12.5 V for at least 15 minutes the charger will go into the regular charge cycle. The TRUECHARGE will recharge the battery once the loads are turned off.
If the boat is docked without significant DC current use, the TRUECHARGE will restart a regular charge cycle after 3 weeks (provided the TRUECHARGE is connected to AC power). If AC power to the charger is interrupted for up to 60 seconds only the charger will resume its charging mode. If AC power to the TRUECHARGE is interrupted for more than 60 seconds the charger will reset and go into the regular charge cycle when reconnected to AC.
4) Equalization
Equalization is a controlled overcharge intended to dissolve any recently accumulated sulfation on the battery plates, regaining more of the batteries original capacity. When the small recessed button is pressed the TRUECHARGE first completes a regular charge cycle to establish a charge state reference point. The TRUECHARGE then charges at 5A (TRUECHARGE 20) raising the battery voltage to maximum 15.5 V. The operator is then to test the battery cells specific gravity every hour, and take the charger out of equalize mode when the cells are no longer equalizing. If the operator does not take the charger out of Equalize the TRUECHARGE will exit Equalize and go into float mode after 6 hours.
TRUECHARGE Algorithm Suitability
If your TRUECHARGE battery charger is operating normally, but the battery specific gravity does not reach 1.250 :
a) Delco brand batteries require Float and Absorption voltages approximately 1 V higher than normal lead acid flooded type batteries. The TRUECHARGE presently is not designed to automatically charge these batteries to full capacity without performing a manual "equalize charge."
b) Trojan brand batteries will recharge to approximately 90 to 95% of full capacity. This results in approximately 5-10% reduction in battery capacity, but perhaps longer life. Battery "life expectancy" may be slightly compromised when every possible Ahr of a battery capacity is achieved through extensive charging.
c) Interstate batteries as with most others require an "initial" equalize charge (15.5 V) at the time of sale to the end user, to recharge the battery after it has been sitting possibly discharged on the dealer's shelf at time of sale to customer. After proper initial charge, the TRUECHARGE algorithm is ideal.
Read the instructions, the owner of the boat next to mine was cleaning his teak and to do this he chose to use a two part cleaner. Quickly put the instructions said, use nonporous silicone gloves with these chemicals. Use part one first and apply to teak with brush #1, then fully clean the teak off with fresh water, then use part two and brush number 2, and then fully clean the teak by flushing with fresh water. Then apply your teak oil after the wood is dry. Our neighbor forgot to buy gloves and wanted to get the job done, he only had a small amount of teak. He did the job without gloves. All went well until he got to part #2. As you may have guessed part one was a strong base and the other was a strong acid. As he was working with part 2, his hands got slippery and they started to sting. He finished the small job and kept flushing water on his hands to get the chemicals off. After 5 minutes of flushing he stopped to discover he had cleaned a layer of skin off his hands. He actually burnt off his fingerprints, it took two months for them to reappear. Read the instructions. James 2/2001
Maintenance. Grease is an acid, to get it off you need a base, we did this in science class a number of years ago. A base cleaner can be a pure alcohol, like "everclear" which is 90% alcohol and sold in liquor stores, or plain ammonia. The problem with using alcohol is the danger of fire from the fumes, ammonia the smell. We have been using "Grease Lightning" on our fuel, oil and grease stains with excellent results. Before this we used "Simple Green" with good results.
Acid stains are what "CLR" stands for Calcium, Lime and Rust. Correct, to get off acid stains we need a base. Simple bases are the juice of a lemon, or vinegar. For fiberglass stains we suggest using a product like Davis FSR with oxalic acid, usually sold in small jars. For calcium and lime CLR works pretty well.
Anything that we can't get out by using solvents, "like acetone", we use the light abrasive, "Soft Scrub" on.
We are adding this and other cleaning information to the maintenance section of the website, send us your information as to what works for you. James 3/2001
Alternators and Engine Starting: Either of your two engine Alternators will power your (Port) "Starting Battery" and your combination (Starboard) "Starting Battery" / House Battery. They operate through a battery Isolator. And if you have an Inverter, Maxum also installs a third connection on the Isolator to charge the Inverter battery while running either engine. Here is an Inverter tip, your Trace inverter will not recharge the Inverter battery if the Inverter's battery voltage is below 10 Volts, this can easily happen while spending the day on the hook. A slick way to bring it back up is to run the engine for 15 to 30 minutes. Since many people simply start one engine immediately after the other, this starting method eliminates your being able to verify, "test" your Alternators. If you think testing your charging systems when you start your engines is a good idea then here is how you can test your Alternators at start up. When starting your engines alternate which one you start first. You can rely on remembering what you did last or you might want to think of Port as #1 and Starboard as #2 and use the day of the day of the week to select starting sequence for you. Now start the even numbered engine first or the odd numbered engine first depending on weather the ending number of the week is odd or even. Sail Boaters and Cruisers do this a lot. Turn the key to the run position. Wait approximately 20 seconds or until the indicator light goes out. Start your engine. What ever selection method you choose, within 15 seconds of the engine starting, you must see that engines oil pressure come up to normal. Then after that, you must see water exiting the exhausts. And finally, after at least 30 seconds of running the engine you can advance the throttle to 1200 Rpm or so. This is due to some of our newer engines having Speed Sensitive Alternators such as the (Delco 21-SI) they do not start producing power until approximately 1200 Rpm. But do not fear, once activated, the engine can be brought back down to idle speed and the Alternator will continue to charge your battery. When the engine is brought to 1200 Rpm you should see the Voltmeter "kick in", come up to the normal position. Which of course you have previously marked with a white arrow made from your ever handy white electrical tape. The Voltmeter should show about 13.2 Volts. If it 12.6 Volts you might have an Alternator problem which I will explain further on. With this done you can bring your throttle back down and normally start the second engine following the same procedure.
On Cummins Diesels this is also a good time to verify that the heater grids are working. Note: The Cummins B & C Operation and Maintenance Manual #33381834-00 the Operating Instructions on page 1-4 states: "On B Series engines, operation below 450 Rpm's or above 950 Rpm will cause the heater to shut off. The heater will automatically cycle on and off for approximately 20 minutes as long as the engine is operating with in the Rpm range stated above. The Air Heater will operate properly on the C Series engines between 350 - 1200 Rpm's heater operations will be noticeable with the Voltmeter: When the heater is activated, it will draw voltage and the Voltmeter will drop. Other factors that will affect the heaters operation are low voltage and air intake temperature. If the system voltage drops below 10 volts the air intake heater will not work. Once the engine warms up, when the air intake reaches approximately 95 degrees or higher this will cause the heater to shut off."
You will see Voltmeter at the helm go down a volt or two, for a few seconds and then come back up again. You can verify that this current drain is from the Diesel Engines air heater grid by advancing the throttles to 1400 Rpm, the Voltmeter should remain high and steady. This Voltage pulsing will happen until the thermistor in the engine comes up to temperature or you increase the throttles over 1200 Rpm. 3/00
Note: Maxum installs a 10 amp, glass inline fuse in some of their "Sense / Flashing" wires to the Alternator. If your Alternator is not working this is one of the first places to check.
Another Note: Cummins installed a few different types of Alternators on their engines. The Delco-Remy 22-SI has an "L" shaped plug (three spade connections in the back of it) and was used around 1998 and earlier. The Delco 19-SI was use also for a while, the latest Alternator used by Cummins is a Delco-Remy 21-SI, Cummins Part # 3920615. It has two male spade connectors in the rear and produces 130 Amps. When the 21-SI is used with an Isolator, as is the case in our boats, it MUST have either a Sense or Flashing wire installed to it to begin producing power. The 21-SI is a (speed sensitive Alternator) and must be brought up to approximately 1200 Rpm to begin to operate. But do not fear, once activated the engine can be brought back down to idle speed and it will continue to charge. Be aware that not all 22-SI & 21-SI Delco Alternators are alike, they range from 65 to 160 amps and are made in MANY different configurations which are sold "OEM" Original Equipment Manufacturer" to companies like Cummins. In such a case you will see the Cummins part number not the Delco number. The 21-SI is made in two different configurations, either a one wire or a 3 wire. If you had your Alternator rebuilt the rebuilder may have mistakenly rebuilt your Alternator into a one wire systems, the one wire system is the most common 21-SI configuration. A quick test is to see if your battery is getting 13.2 volts or better when charging. Or if you are a contortionist, look for the missing "web connection". If you are getting 12.6 volts you will need to modify the Alternators. Follow the instructions below to do this. 3/00 & 5/00
Still Another Note: If you are having problems with your boats Alternators or Starters you are not alone. I have brought what information I have found myself as well as the information I have received from other owners to the attention of the powers that be. As with many large companies sometimes it's easier to avoid addressing a problem than solve it. That’s what seems to have happened here. My personal boat a 1999, 4600 SCB with Cummins 450 C's, which had single wire Alternators installed. That is to say, the factory did what it was told and wired the boat as their print described. I have, with the help of great local support replaced both failed Alternators and had the original Alternators modified and have replaced their wiring. These two Delco 21-SI's now have true "Sensing" and are now "three wire types". Some of the Alternators in our boats may have already been modified, "had the web cut" to make them three wire types, which will accept a "sensing wire on position "2". I have included a sheet from Sure Power that shows how to do this as well as how to test the unit to see if the modification has been done. Having the 21-SI modified to accept the external battery source is the ONLY way to compensate for the voltage drop in the battery Isolator. Sure Power further goes on to provide a sheet on how to modify these Alternators for use with their products. Without knowing this, a mechanic would have a heck of a time trying to repair and reinstall your Alternator. I personally hate this, this should not be the owners job to find out. If your stuck please E-mail me, I have waited over a month for Maxum to meaningfully respond to me, they have found "no problem with their wiring or Alternators" nor have they responded with meaningful information. I will be glad to share what I know with you if you are having a "no problem" problem.. billegates@aol.com
And Still More: The Delco 21-SI and 22-SI's are both made with :"internal voltage sensing" and are typically "single wire self excited Delco alternators". That means the "voltage regulator" is built inside it and it has no provision for external "battery voltage sensing". Since our boats are built with Battery Isolators which induces a .75 volt or so voltage drop, our batteries will never remain fully charged when operating the engines exclusively without the modification to a 3-wire system, cutting the web.. Further the Battery Isolator used is a Superpower 3203-R, Maxum Part # 68869 for the 2 input 3 output invert option model. This unit is rated @ 120 amps. Our 21-SI is rated @ 130 amps and has been measured producing up to 148 Amps on our boat. This in the terminology of an Electrical Engineer is a No-No. Maxum is aware of this as well as Surepower, I have been told, the ratings are inappropriate, there is no safety issue, I believe them. The proper way to have done this, is what I have seen on a Bayliner 4788, they put in (2) separate battery isolators, with a 160 amp rating each, then tie them together. Here is where the meat is hidden so you can understand this further http://www.surepower.com/tbulletins.html from here you can download all the drawings to make your 21SI or the 22-SI into a true 3 wire "Sensing Regulator", if it has not already done. I have taken the power for the "Sense Circuit" from the Isolators battery post and used a 5 amp in line auto type fuse for protection. Maxum uses a 10 Amp glass fuse and Sure Power recommends no fuse citing vibration and continuity problems. I like fusing and protecting the circuit hence the fuse type selected. It is not prone to either corrosion or mechanical failure. As tested on our boat I supplied an external Lab Grade power supply for the sensing Voltage. Power output started at just over 6 Volts input to the sense line, our 21-SI produced up to 148 Amps, and regulation was perfect. Current draw on the sense line was under 1/10th of an Amp. Battery charging voltage was now, finally correct.
The answer from Maxum is: I brought to the attention of Maxum one year ago, substantial problems in the charging systems internal and external wiring of the 21 Si Delco alternator. As it turns out, Maxum only uses the 21 Si Delco alternator on the 450C Cummins Engine. It's a great alternator. But. In miscommunications between Cummins and Maxum and the Maxum plant is Salisbury there appears there was a period of time when the wiring and modifications of the alternator and wiring harness were not done. Maxum has determined the time period of this miscommunication and has sent letters out to about 45 owners asking them to check their boats. A copy of the letter is attached below.
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Dear Maxum Sport Yacht Owner; Our records indicate you are the owner of a Maxum 4600 SCB Sport Yacht. We have determined there may be a possibility that your Sport Yacht's engine charging system is improperly wired. Therefore, it may not be utilizing the system's maximum charging capabilities. To determine if your boat is wired correctly, you will need to start each engine independently (in neutral). Start the first engine and throttle to 1200 rpm's. Monitor the engine's voltmeter. If the voltage reading is above 13.0 volts shut the engine down. Start the second engine and throttle to 1200 rpm's. Monitor the engine's voltmeter. If its voltage is above 13.0 volts, your boat is properly wired and nothing further needs be done. If either engine's voltage reading is well below 13.0 volts (12.2, etc.) you will need to contact your selling dealer to have the wiring inspected. If repairs are necessary, this work will be done at no charge to you. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Customer Service Department at (360) 403-2274 Sincerely, Maxum Marine Customer Service Department 1/2001 |
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The small red wires from the Isolator with the black "fuses" are the sensing connections. The 20 watt light was added by us after shifting the isolator to the right. The 3/8" return fuel lines have been double reversed clamped. |
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Above is a Delco-Remy 21-SI, Cummins Part # 3920615, note the (2) spade terminals on the left side. Terminal #1 is lower, #2 is higher. |
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Above is the Cummins 450C Alternator Cables that will fix your Delco 21 SI, alternator problems. The Two wire cable is Cummins part# 8106055, from Cummins wiring harness 4003587. The Single wire cable is Cummins part# 81112287 from Cummins wire harness 4020118. |
Heres what they will do. To effectively use either of these you MUST verify that the "web", that physically connects pin one and two together just inside of the alternator is cut and seperated. When that is done plug the white plug will fit into the alternator and the other end into it's mate just above the starter. If the web isn't cut the connector will be blocked from going all the way in and locking. The single wire plug will provide only return line sensing not excitation, proper alternator operation will only be reached after obtaining 1200 RPM, after the alternator starts to produce power, it will continue to produce power no mater what RPM the engine is run at. The two wire plug will provide excitation to the alternator immediately, as well as the proper sensing voltage to the alternator, thus avoiding having to bump the RPM to 1200 to begin charging. I have been told that the two wire cable has been superceeded by the one wire cable. 5/2001 but have not verified the same. JC 5/2001
As you can read for yourself in your book of owners manuals, Superpower does not recommend using our unmodified one wire Alternators with their Isolators. It's a blue 4 page sheet which should be included with all of your other manuals. An unmodified single wire Alternator would fall into "Group 4".
To find this information on line look @ http://www.surepower.com/technical.html
Thank you Sure Power, for your help in getting the information presented correct.
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A note on the drawings, if you download them and print them they come out clear. If you want any hard copy printouts send a SASE with $1.00 per requested page, it goes to our kids who do the work. James Clausen, Maxum SY Owners Group, 7067 Villa Estelle Drive, Orlando, Fl 32819 |
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On a Maxum 4600 SCB with Cummins Diesels |
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Quick Fix submitted by: F. Hearold |
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Most of our Diesel Maxum's were made with the 22-SI and 21-SI Alternators and need Maxum to respond to the now identified questions on wiring. As we get more information we will post it here. |
To receive information from the Maxum Sports Yacht Owners Group
send your name, hull #, and tip, if you have one to James, @BilleGates@aol.com