Force 125hp Charging Battery at 16 volts !!

[bravogolf]

My 1986 Force 125hp outboard is over-charging the battery. It is continuously charging above 16volts. Highest reading I have seen is 16.50 on my voltmeter. If I am at idle, it is at 13volts. The maintenance manual says my certain model does NOT have a regulator, but it has a rectifier. Is my rectifier bad?? How do I lower the charging voltage to normal. Is normal about 14.5volts? Plus how bad is this for the battery? Thank you!

 

[my1stboat1]

Re: Force 125hp Charging Battery at 16 volts !!

16.5 volts is no good.... youll burn up the battery and possibly some of your on board equipment, like your Fish finder, audo player instruments, etc... theres a great sticky thread at the beginning of this page and it will most def fix your problem... I personally had the same problem and ended up replacing my rectifier with a regulator... But the regulators costly and a rectifier at radio shack is about 6 bucks... so maybe try that

 

[Lyle29464]

Re: Force 125hp Charging Battery at 16 volts !!

I would check the gauge with a good volt meter. Think that will fix your problem. You need a good sized battery to help absorb the output of a non regulated system. On a very long run some people turn on an accessory to "bleed" off a bit of excess charge

 

[bravogolf]

Re: Force 125hp Charging Battery at 16 volts !!

I wasnt using the gauge on the dash; although it was pegged at 16+. I did use a digital voltmeter with a red post and a black post and read it directly off the battery while at high speed cruise while someone else was driving. So it isnt a gauge issue. Will replacing a rectifier fix the problem? As for a good sized battery to help absorb the output, I have a 6month old Energizer 800starting amps battery. Thanks for chiming in everyone. Anyone else?

 

[pnwboat]

Re: Force 125hp Charging Battery at 16 volts !!

Replacing the rectifier with another rectifier will not drop the voltage down. You can replace the rectifier with a later model Regulator/Rectifier and that will bring it down to about 14.5 volts..

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=252684

 

[fucawi]

Re: Force 125hp Charging Battery at 16 volts !!

Check the current output of the alternator and fit some diodes in series after the rectifier ..each one will drop 0.7v and you want 14.4v so 2 or 3 should do it ...Radio shack BY10 if memory serves 6A rating though you might want to go for 10A or put 2 in parallel to double the current capacity. These units are about 30 c each

 

[bravogolf]

Re: Force 125hp Charging Battery at 16 volts !!

I bought a voltage regulator/rectifier for a Ski Doo snowmobile. Hope this works!!

$19 with shipping. I know nothing about diodes and sure I would wire it wrong and wound become more expensive than $19.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200565492727

 

[fucawi]

Re: Force 125hp Charging Battery at 16 volts !!

Good buy ..I would have done you a diagram if you were going to do it that way ...

 

[bravogolf]

Re: Force 125hp Charging Battery at 16 volts !!

This forum is amazing. Because it has people like you who would draw me a diagram. I didnt know that. Oh well, THANKS!. Now my concern is, if it has high enough Amperage to charge. If it isnt one thing, its another.