battery alarm going off for no reason

[paul newman]

this problem will test the best of you, i have got a princess 360 with twin tamd 63p engines, nearly always happens in the same way every time , we can take the boat out with out any problems we will run for about hour and a half to about 2 hours and the battery charging alarm starts to bleep now and again but starts to increase as time goes on until it stays on permanently since this problem has started i have got two new alternators replaced both battery banks and replaced both diodes as the system is a split charge one. and the same problem is still there. I have tested the charge coming from the alternators and i am getting 14 volts if anyone out there has got any suggestions i would most grateful.

 

[Catalina36]

New alarm needed?

 

[VicS]

this problem will test the best of you, i have got a princess 360 with twin tamd 63p engines, nearly always happens in the same way every time , we can take the boat out with out any problems we will run for about hour and a half to about 2 hours and the battery charging alarm starts to bleep now and again but starts to increase as time goes on until it stays on permanently since this problem has started i have got two new alternators replaced both battery banks and replaced both diodes as the system is a split charge one. and the same problem is still there. I have tested the charge coming from the alternators and i am getting 14 volts if anyone out there has got any suggestions i would most grateful.

What was wrong with all of these items that necessitated their replacement.?

Presumably you have two engine control panels ... are both showing the same alarm condition ? Presumably the no charge warning lights are flashing to show the reason for the audible alarms sounding

When you measured 14 volts is this directly at the alternator output terminals . at the diodes splitters or at the batteries

New alarm needed?

I think the problem is that the alarm is sounding when it shouldn't, not that it is not working

 

[Buck Turgidson]

As time passes are your belts heating up and slipping? For it to occur after a fixed period of time would indicate it's something temperature related. Given that you've replaced the most expensive bit's in the electrical system I would be tempted to check the cheap stuff now ;-)

 

[halcyon]

Is it one alarm two inputs or two alarms ? two inputs try disconnecting one at a time You can get a cheap clamp meter on Ebay with bluetooth, allow you to monitor voltage or current via mobile phone at the helm while recording values as well.

Never assume electrical faults, it can be very expensive.

Brian.

 

[Catalina36]

What was wrong with all of these items that necessitated their replacement.?

Presumably you have two engine control panels ... are both showing the same alarm condition ? Presumably the no charge warning lights are flashing to show the reason for the audible alarms sounding

When you measured 14 volts is this directly at the alternator output terminals . at the diodes splitters or at the batteries



I think the problem is that the alarm is sounding when it shouldn't, not that it is not working

"I think the problem is that the alarm is sounding when it shouldn't, not that it is not working"

That's precisely what my rather brief reply implied.

 

[paul newman]

New alarm needed?

yes this looks like the way i am going to go , i have spoken to a nice chap from princess technical dept who said he would be looking at the flybridge alarm circuit board first, thankyou for your input

 

[paul newman]

As time passes are your belts heating up and slipping? For it to occur after a fixed period of time would indicate it's something temperature related. Given that you've replaced the most expensive bit's in the electrical system I would be tempted to check the cheap stuff now ;-)

i did check the belt in the first place and it was ok after checking it the batteries were still receiving 14.4 volts, i do agree that it does sound very much like a temperature related problem.

 

[paul newman]

Is it one alarm two inputs or two alarms ? two inputs try disconnecting one at a time You can get a cheap clamp meter on Ebay with bluetooth, allow you to monitor voltage or current via mobile phone at the helm while recording values as well.

Never assume electrical faults, it can be very expensive.

Brian.

it is just the starboard engine , both the flybridge and wheel house alarms going off.

 

[paul newman]

"I think the problem is that the alarm is sounding when it shouldn't, not that it is not working"

That's precisely what my rather brief reply implied.

yes i think you are right to think its the alarm it self .i do get 14.4 volts at the batteries when testing, i know i made it sound that i just went out and replaced all these parts over a weekend but that wasn't the case, the port engine alternator was faulty six months ago which had pulled down both leisure batteries , i had replace both parts, it was shortly after this that the starboard side started to play up, so at that time i just replaced that alternator.

 

[halcyon]

it is just the starboard engine , both the flybridge and wheel house alarms going off.

If both are going off, faulty alarm is not a high probability.

Have you tried swopping port and starbord wheel house alarms only over ? does fault swop, or stay on the same side?

Do same for flybridge alarm, but not at the same time.


Brian

 

[VicS]

yes i think you are right to think its the alarm it self .i do get 14.4 volts at the batteries when testing, i know i made it sound that i just went out and replaced all these parts over a weekend but that wasn't the case, the port engine alternator was faulty six months ago which had pulled down both leisure batteries , i had replace both parts, it was shortly after this that the starboard side started to play up, so at that time i just replaced that alternator.

I dont understand the thinking that the alarm itself is faulty ... if you can hear it then it it not, its working but being triggered by something

You say both wheel house and fly-bridge alarms are sounding ....... surely it is very unlikely that both would be faulty

You say you measured 14 volts at the battery if that is with the other engine running as well then the other alternator would be be maintaining the volts.

Measure the volts with only the starboard engine running and preferably at the alternator output terminal

If you do not get 14 volts with just the starboard engine running then the prime suspect is the starboard alternator

If do get 14 volts with just the stbd, engine running and the buzzer is sounding then that is a puzzle. Possibly something wrong with the electronic module in the starboard main control panel

Can you confirm that when the alarm is sounding the "no charge" warning light is in fact flashing.

 

[paul newman]

If both are going off, faulty alarm is not a high probability.

Have you tried swopping port and starbord wheel house alarms only over ? does fault swop, or stay on the same side?

Do same for flybridge alarm, but not at the same time.


Brian

think you may have a point , the only reason i was going down the faulty alarm route is that the guy from princess said that the flybridge and wheel house alarms are linked and one could set the other off. i could try your idea i am back down on the boat on saturday but my only problem being is the alarm only goes off after about 2 hours so you can imagine what i am up against.

 

[paul newman]

I dont understand the thinking that the alarm itself is faulty ... if you can hear it then it it not, its working but being triggered by something

You say both wheel house and fly-bridge alarms are sounding ....... surely it is very unlikely that both would be faulty

You say you measured 14 volts at the battery if that is with the other engine running as well then the other alternator would be be maintaining the volts.

Measure the volts with only the starboard engine running and preferably at the alternator output terminal

If you do not get 14 volts with just the starboard engine running then the prime suspect is the starboard alternator

If do get 14 volts with just the stbd, engine running and the buzzer is sounding then that is a puzzle. Possibly something wrong with the electronic module in the starboard main control panel

Can you confirm that when the alarm is sounding the "no charge" warning light is in fact flashing.

i can confirm that the alarm is sounding and the no charge warning light is flashing, when i tested the voltage from the starboard side i didn't have the port engine running and since then i have taken the alternator back off and had it tested and it passed with flying colours .

 

[Oily Rag]

Is it possible that the battery charging alarm is being activated by too high a voltage?

 

[paul newman]

Is it possible that the battery charging alarm is being activated by too high a voltage?

i did speak to someone about the alarm going off indicating a too high a charge . i was told that the alarm would not be able to detect a high charge its only purpose is to detect a low or no charge.

 

[Oily Rag]

My system charges both engine and house batteries through a sold state system. The engine battery is usually well charged. In bringing the house battery up, it occasionally exerts a higher voltage on both after an hour or so. Then the alarm goes off.

It may be worth checking details of your charging system and checking voltage at the alternator and charge distribution system when the alarm is sounding. Good luck.

 

[paul newman]

My system charges both engine and house batteries through a sold state system. The engine battery is usually well charged. In bringing the house battery up, it occasionally exerts a higher voltage on both after an hour or so. Then the alarm goes off.

It may be worth checking details of your charging system and checking voltage at the alternator and charge distribution system when the alarm is sounding. Good luck.

I was down on the boat on saturday i swapped the alarms over in the wheel house , the alarm is still going on stb side i then swapped them back and still the same . the crazy thing is the fault has changed as in that the alarm is going off straight away now but i have been experimenting and found this time the alarm on the stb side went off when i switched the port engine off mad ? also when i had the port engine going on its own after a couple of minutes that alarm started to bleep now and then , i noticed the volt meter was pulsing each time the alarm bleeped, i think that there is a problem with one of 12 volt parts , which must be shorting out , i ran out of time so i will be down there again this weekend trying to eliminate which one it is . i still cant get my head around how turning one engine off turns the alarm off on the other engine , any ideas ?

 

[Kgaudet]

did you ever resolve this issue? We are having the same problem on starboard tamd engine and would like any insight!