Stereo alternating between battery & shore power

[demonboy]

Recently, whilst cleaning the boat, we've been playing our music rather loud. This has all been fine up until yesterday. Now, whenever we turn the volume up on the stereo it can't cope and cuts out. The more you turn the volume up the more the stereo lights flicker until it turns off.

Upon inspection of the battery monitor I notice that when turning the stereo on the battery monitor shows power being drawn from the battery, even though we are on shore power. When I turn the stereo off the monitor shows 100% shore power and no power coming from the battery.

Clearly there is something afoot with the stereo connection, but what? Any clues?

 

[fluffc]

Are you sure that the battery charger is connected to the battery, and also is your battery well charged. A very flat battery would give these symptoms.

 

[demonboy]

Yep, monitor shows batteries at 100% at 13.30v and tells me I have many hours of usage left.

BTW - scrap the bit about just the car stereo switching between battery and shore power. Even when I turn off the stereo the battery monitor still alternates between showing 100% shore power and then 100% battery.

 

[moodycruiser]

Perhaps it's sabotage by someone who doesn't care for your genre of music - what were you playing ?? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[demonboy]

Reggae!
House!!
Rap!!!
Rock!!!!
Downtempo/lounge!!!!!
Folk!!!!!!

No belly-dancing music though /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[cliff]

Which battery monitor are you using?
Which charger are you using?
--------------------

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>

 

[demonboy]

All Mastervolt. IVO 12/40 charger and Mastervolt battery monitor.

I thought it might be a faulty speaker connection causing a short circuit, but if you turn the volume right up without playing music the unit still cuts out. My next step is to check the power feed to the unit as I turn the volume up, and check the wires because something may have come loose. This has all happened after days of care-free noise pollution, so something has just occurred in the last day, hence my conclusion of a faulty wire.

 

[demonboy]

Problem solved!

Faulty ground cable. NOT my fault but it's now sorted. Thanks for your concern and help!

 

[Richard10002]

[ QUOTE ]
Upon inspection of the battery monitor I notice that when turning the stereo on the battery monitor shows power being drawn from the battery, even though we are on shore power. When I turn the stereo off the monitor shows 100% shore power and no power coming from the battery.

[/ QUOTE ]

Appreciate that you have solved it but:

If your stereo is powered from the 12v system, surely you would always see battery power being used when the stereo, or anything else which runs off the 12v system, is operating.

Shore power presumably runs a 240v ring, and charges the batteries to run the 12v system.

 

[demonboy]

Precisely. And as I said, scrap the second part of my post.