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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Battery check

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/19/2006 : 18:50:07

Last weekend, I used the Garmin GPS (192C) to show the supply voltage and was horrified to see it at 11.3volts!

We have a 2nd Battery installed on the port side of the original.

The #2 was at 12.5volts.

My guess is that the #1 is pulling the other down as they were charged the day before we left (Guess Dual Charger)

So now I have to check out the original battery - and the problem.

We have wheel steering, the cable runs directly above the battery box (this is a Water Ballast) And I cannot see how to get the battery out of the fiberglass enclosure without cutting it, not sure if even removing the steering cable will leave enough space to raise the battery.

Has anyone with a water ballast pulled their battery out?
I'm seriously thinking of cutting the fiberglass enclosure so that future service is easy.

(I would not be suprised to learn that the battery is actually installed prior to mating of the top and bottom of the boat as the space above the enclosure looks really tight.)

Ideas?

paul

Joint Decision. (Sold)
PO C250WB 2005 Sail # 841.

Moved up to C34 Eximius

Updated August 2015

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
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1913 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2006 : 19:23:07

Paul, I can't comment on the battery removal on the WB, however you will get a voltage drop from your battery to the GPS (but not as much as you're showing) I can get reading of 12.4 on the GPS and take a volt meter back to the batteries and get a 12.6 reading. I lose a little bit in the wiring.
Sounds like you have a battery going down for sure. Do you have a battery switch between them? Have you checked to see if your charger is actually charging both? Maybe check the batteries while the charger is on with a volt meter to see if your showing a equal amount of charge (volts) on each battery. The switch could be playing tricks on you and allowing a charge to only one battery.

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britinusa
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Response Posted - 04/19/2006 : 19:31:58

Good point Tom, yes, we do have an off/1/both/2 switch. I'll wiggle around back there and see what the voltage of each battery is during charging. (I guess it could also be the charger!)

Paul

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frog0911
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1349 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2006 : 20:51:45

Paul, make sure you do it during daylight hours with nothing turned on in the the boat. The Guest charger will not function properly if there is a drain on the batteries during charge. Check your battery charger manual, I am sure you will find a statement to that effect. That is why I took mine back and got a different charger.

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Arlyn Stewart
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2980 Posts

Response Posted - 04/19/2006 : 21:20:30

There should be ample room to get the battery out of the mount. I think the lid on the battery box is generous with its height above the battery so once it is removed, I think enough space will be found.

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WindDancer
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34 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2006 : 15:29:07

Paul,

I just pulled my battery out and what a bear!!! I have a 2006 WB with a wheel and the spacing is horrible. What you have to do (be careful) is lift the battery up and rotate it forward and slide it out with the top facing you. I placed some rags down just in case of an acid spill, which did not happen. After checking the battery I placed it back in its holder. The next time it comes out I will never put it back. I'm working on a two battery system stored below the front berth.

Good luck,

Bruce

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2006 : 06:54:19

Here's an update.
I used a multi meter to test the battery voltage with everything removed from the battery terminals. #1 (original battery)12.6v. #2 (newer 2nd battery) 11.5v.

It was easy to pull out the #2 battery so I could check the electrolyte, so I unbelted the battery box, removed the cover and then slid the whole thing out of the trunk (after removing the entire trunk access panel.)
The electrolyte level was fine, but don't have an SG guage.. gotta get one from walmart. So I put the unit on charge overnight using our car charger.

I'm going to check the output of the onboard guest charger to the #2 just in case that is the issue.

Tried to get the #1 battery out, no way! I could remove the box lid, and no matter how I moved the battey or the box, I could not raise it enough to clear the fiberglass housing.

We're off to key biscayne this coming weekend (4 nights

) but the next weekend I'm going to modify the #1 battery holder.

Plan is to use a sawsall to cut away the front of the fiberglass housing, glass in a piece of pvc piping near the bottom of the cutout and attach the battery restraint strap holder to the pvc pipe.
(I'll have to be careful as I cannot get the battery out before I cut!)

Anyone see any problems with this concept?

Paul

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Arlyn Stewart
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2980 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2006 : 08:00:01

Paul, sounds like someone inadvertantly used an immature battery without thinking that when it "grew up", it couldn't be removed

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Tom Potter
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1913 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2006 : 19:07:25

Paul
Wow... sounds like a tight fit back there. When I added a second battery I was afraid to cut up the original Catalina battery box because I was thinking down the road that I might want to use it again. So I made up a piece of plywood big enough to hold both 27's and fastened it to the top of the existing battery box.

Tip: I use a inspection mirror and flashlight to check the level. I add water with a small dish soap bottle (the kind with a pull spout)and with the flash light and inspection mirror I can keep eye on how much I put in, add a little check, add a little check.

The battery's are sitting on plywood that is sitting on top of the original battery box. Must be another one of those WB/WK things.

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2006 : 21:31:48

My turn for a WOW!
Where's the old battery box in your pic tom?

I'll take a pic of the trunk space tomorrow and you'll see what I mean. I would guess the battery box on the WB is about 2/3rds the height of the battery and that is above the area where you have the plywood.

Glum.

Paul

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Tom Potter
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1913 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2006 : 21:43:49

I'm sure our battery boxes are the same. It may be hard to tell in the picture but the plywood is mounted on TOP of the existing Catalina battery box. So the plywood is about 3 inches up off the hull. I drilled holes in the lip around the top of the fiberglass box and mounted the plywood to it.

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