trobinson017
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2004
- Messages
- 183
I've had battery issues in the past and understand that most starting problems are due to bad/corroded cables from battery all the way to the starter. I've checked all that. Here's my issue:
3 weeks ago boat was starting just fine. Even after sitting idle 2 weeks it would start up. I had the lower unit serviced last week wherein the mechanic removed it, took it with him, serviced and came back and replaced it. During that time the motor was raised up at about 45 degrees. It sat like that for about 10 days until the LU was reinstalled, which at that time a big t-storm was about to hit so we didn't start it up. This was 2 days ago (Monday). Yesterday I found the battery was dead. I put the charger on it at 15 amps and it took all of that to fully charge it. Normally if it has any charge it will start at 15 then quickly drop to the proper amperage to fully charge the battery. As soon as it was done I tried to start the motor but it was weak. I put my starter charger on it (50 amps) which usually does the trick but it was still weak. I then put the regular charger back on and started it at 15 amps. It quickly dropped itself to 5amps and continued charging from there.
Today I went out and put the charger on without attempting a start. I put it on 15 amps and it continued from there to charge, it did not drop down to a lower amperage. When it was done, I tried to start, very weak, no start. Put the charger back on at 15 amps, it dropped to 5 but then quickly rose back up to 15 to continue charging. Oh, and I have removed all cables and steel-wooled every connection point between battery and starter. I even used a Dremel sanding bit on the big cable terminal ends.
This battery is only about 1.5 yrs old and it was working fine before the LU work. Why would it be in this condition now just by sitting for 2.5 weeks? The regular charger has a "Battery Recondition" button on it that's supposed to undo sulfidisation (correct term??) but I dont' know if that's worth trying.
Any ideas on what happened? I can buy a new battery, no problem. But I'd really like to understand why it won't work now.
TIA!
3 weeks ago boat was starting just fine. Even after sitting idle 2 weeks it would start up. I had the lower unit serviced last week wherein the mechanic removed it, took it with him, serviced and came back and replaced it. During that time the motor was raised up at about 45 degrees. It sat like that for about 10 days until the LU was reinstalled, which at that time a big t-storm was about to hit so we didn't start it up. This was 2 days ago (Monday). Yesterday I found the battery was dead. I put the charger on it at 15 amps and it took all of that to fully charge it. Normally if it has any charge it will start at 15 then quickly drop to the proper amperage to fully charge the battery. As soon as it was done I tried to start the motor but it was weak. I put my starter charger on it (50 amps) which usually does the trick but it was still weak. I then put the regular charger back on and started it at 15 amps. It quickly dropped itself to 5amps and continued charging from there.
Today I went out and put the charger on without attempting a start. I put it on 15 amps and it continued from there to charge, it did not drop down to a lower amperage. When it was done, I tried to start, very weak, no start. Put the charger back on at 15 amps, it dropped to 5 but then quickly rose back up to 15 to continue charging. Oh, and I have removed all cables and steel-wooled every connection point between battery and starter. I even used a Dremel sanding bit on the big cable terminal ends.
This battery is only about 1.5 yrs old and it was working fine before the LU work. Why would it be in this condition now just by sitting for 2.5 weeks? The regular charger has a "Battery Recondition" button on it that's supposed to undo sulfidisation (correct term??) but I dont' know if that's worth trying.
Any ideas on what happened? I can buy a new battery, no problem. But I'd really like to understand why it won't work now.
TIA!