Merc 150 XRi overcharging issue

Was out tonight and saw the volt gauge climb to nearly 16 volts. It usually sits dead on 14.2 when at any rpm above 2000. I was running around 4200 rpm and saw the needle up. Throttled back and it dropped to 14 or so and then seemed to normalize. I ran it back up to 5,000 to see and it went to 14.2. OK, maybe a fluke. But then the needle began a climb back up again and it went to just under 16 volts. I limped her back to the dock so I wouldn't burn anything up if there was an issue. Any ideas? I haven't checked anything yet but I'll check the battery, all connections and the battery switch for corrosion.

UFM82

Re: Merc 150 XRi overcharging issue

Check all the connections as planned and have the battery load tested. If all that is good your regulator may be going bad.

Re: Merc 150 XRi overcharging issue

Thanks for at least replying although it's not anything I didn't already know. I find it troubling that despite years of contributions I get nothing back. Surely somebody out there has had a charging issue. I searched and read but nothing much on this that has helped. Just trying to eliminate anything obvious first.

Thanks bhile. I appreciate the input.

UFM82

Re: Merc 150 XRi overcharging issue

ufm82 said:

Thanks for at least replying although it's not anything I didn't already know. I find it troubling that despite years of contributions I get nothing back. Surely somebody out there has had a charging issue. I searched and read but nothing much on this that has helped. Just trying to eliminate anything obvious first.

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He gave you the gd answer. Why are you bitching?

It's sh!t like this that makes me want to give up trying to help people. People are either too lazy to search or are ungrateful.

Re: Merc 150 XRi overcharging issue

Thanks for at least replying although it's not anything I didn't already know.

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The responder bhile already gave you the best and most complete answer based upon the information you provided in your question. If you do what he suggests (rather than just knowing what he suggests) and report back on the results, you may get some additional advice.

Don't take it personal. People respond if and when they think they have something to offer. It usually does not help to duplicate answers. Just my thoughts...

Re: Merc 150 XRi overcharging issue

He echoed my thoughts and I thanked him for it. I was hoping someone out there had corrected a problem in the past andcould verify. You know- "I've seen that problem before and the regulator fixed it", or "they do that when the stator is going bad" or whatever. All I wanted was a little back-up. I've helped many people solve their problems here but I never seem to get much help back. Maybe my issues are too complex or uncommon. Don't know but I could post a question about why water is coming in the hole in the back of my boat and no one would bother to answer.

And no, he didn't give me the "gd" answer- he gave me a suggestion that echoed my own thoughts. No need to cuss. Maybe that's why people leave.

UFM82

Re: Merc 150 XRi overcharging issue

A little cheese with the whine.

Hey dude, if all the connections are tight and the battery is good, the regulator took a crap in an extremely unusual and unlikely way.

Best I can do, especially since you haven't even shared which electrical system out of 4 possibilities you have. If it's the wet back 40 amp, sucks to be you.

hope it helps
john

Re: Merc 150 XRi overcharging issue

You know- "I've seen that problem before and the regulator fixed it", or "they do that when the stator is going bad" or whatever. All I wanted was a little back-up. I've helped many people solve their problems here but I never seem to get much help back.

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I could be that you don't recognize the advice that you do get as being good. Some forum members may not like to offer up pure guesses without having any troubleshooting info to consider. Asking for guesses is not as effective as actually doing simple troubleshooting. This is particularly true for electrical systems where you can not see the electrons moving around and a failure can be due to a variety of reasons. You need a meter to check things out. Check the below linked guide for some more good advice...

http://dolphinmarineservice.homestead.com/Ele4.html

If the above does not seem like useful advice either, my guess is that you should replace the regulators and you will likely fix the problem. I had a high voltage problem on my motor once and it was one of the regulators.

Re: Merc 150 XRi overcharging issue

An apology is in order I suppose as I went off without taking into account the complexity of the issue. I was hoping for a quick response and when I didn't get much I was miffed.
After having checked all the basics I see that some in depth work is required. Yes J-martin, I do have the 40 amp monstrosity with $100+ regulators. After reading the manual and seeing the steps for troubleshooting I knew this was going to be a fun ride.
Don't see the need to post any more info on this. I'll go through the steps and see what it turns out to be. My initial guess is regulator as I can see the stator under the flywheel and it appears fine but I can't see all of it.
Yes, it does suck to be me.

UFM82