How long till chargin kicks in?

[bkwapisz]

I tried this post in another section and got no joy, so I'm trying it here:

My 1990 GT100 does not indicate a good charging votage across any number of meters/gauges until it's been running for at least 10-15 minutes, then it cycles between 12 and 13.5V, mostly at 13.5. If I shut it off, the cycle starts again. According to the manual it should start immediately. Is this correct? Anyone have thoughts as to why there is a delay? I'm going to run the diagnostic checks this weekend on the regulator and the stator, but wondered if anyone has ever heard of anything like this issue. Doesn't make much sens to me. I did check the wiring and grounds but I suppose I should check again. I did read on here that thumbscrews are a no-no on the charging posts and that's what I have, so I'll replace those first. And all of the contacts look virtually brand new. Also, the previous owner has a deep cycle battery as the starting battery, which I also thought I read was a no-no. At this time I have no problems with anything on the boat, but I'm a habitual gauge watcher...:redface:

Thanks for any advice here.

 

[jtexas]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Wingnuts, if they're tight, are not the cause of your problem. I use 'em and will keep using 'em -- it's a matter of making sure they're tight (stow a pair of pliers next to the battery).

I got better than 6 years from my last interstate grp24 deepcycle used as a cranking battery.

(those are more like "theoretical" no-no's, in my book)

You should read a voltage increase soon as you start the engine. Sounds like you've got an intermittent failure in your charging circuit. Assuming the wiring's good, the regulator/rectifier is faulty.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Wingnuts, if they're tight, are not the cause of your problem. I use 'em and will keep using 'em -- it's a matter of making sure they're tight (stow a pair of pliers next to the battery).

I got better than 6 years from my last interstate grp24 deepcycle used as a cranking battery.

(those are more like "theoretical" no-no's, in my book)

You should read a voltage increase soon as you start the engine. Sounds like you've got an intermittent failure in your charging circuit. Assuming the wiring's good, the regulator/rectifier is faulty.

Thank you. That's the direction I'm heading, but never hurts to get other's opinions too. And I did, as you recommended, tighten the wingnuts down with pliers.

 

[DJ]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Remove and clean the negative battery terminal from the engine block.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Remove and clean the negative battery terminal from the engine block.

That I have NOT yet done. Will make it my next move.

 

[F_R]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Have you considered the possibility of a bad battery? Or some kind of a load on the battery (like accessories)? If you are taking more juice out of the battery than you are putting in, the voltage won't rise. Anyhow, the voltage won't increase instantly, but takes a few minutes for the battery to develop a surface charge.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Have you considered the possibility of a bad battery? Or some kind of a load on the battery (like accessories)? If you are taking more juice out of the battery than you are putting in, the voltage won't rise. Anyhow, the voltage won't increase instantly, but takes a few minutes for the battery to develop a surface charge.

No I didn't consider that. The battery is 5 yrs old, but works fine. Never don't have enough power, just noticed that the charge only comes on after about 15 mins. Only accessory I use is the graph. I just don't want to be stranded somewhere because I ignored an issue...

 

[2rz-fte]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

i wired in a backup battery for that very reason. with a battery selector switch. its fairly cheap (all bought at wally world) and gives you piece of mind like no other.

new battery
battery cables
battery box
battery switch

probably spent close to a hundred bucks. well worth it.

 

[jtexas]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

No I didn't consider that. The battery is 5 yrs old, but works fine. Never don't have enough power, just noticed that the charge only comes on after about 15 mins. Only accessory I use is the graph. I just don't want to be stranded somewhere because I ignored an issue...

uh-oh...the one issue you might have ignored here is the possible symptoms of a failing battery. Five year old batteries have a tendency to "work fine" right up until the day they leave you stranded. Check it with a hydrometer and if that looks good, have it load tested.

btw, I never personally experienced any kind of delay reading the charging voltage while the engine's running (accessories all turned off), but I'll take F_R's word for it...my motor's not exactly like yours, strictly speaking.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

I'll try swapping in one of the trolling motor batts and see what that does. They're newer and also work well.

 

[Outsider]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

..does not indicate a good charging votage across any number of meters/gauges

Can you elaborate on this some? Do you get no reading for 10-15 min, very low but slowly increasing, what ...

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

I'm guessing that if the charging cycles between 12-13.5 that you are starting out below 12v. What is the battery charge before you try to start? If it is anything above that when running then it's charging. They are very low amps so it could take awhile to get to 12 or 13 if your starting at 11v.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

When I turn the key to the "ON" position I get 12V, +/- 0.1V. When I start the motor the gauges dip as power is drawn from the battery and once it starts the reading is still 12V. As I take off it stays at 12V until about 10-15 minutes later when it will literally jump up to 13 or so volts then will cycle between 12 and 13.5.

The issue here really is that the fishing spots I use are only about 10 mins away from my place, and most of the time I never see it hit the charging rate unless I am scouting spots. As I stated before, I never have a problem with the electrical system and never DON'T have power, just the low reading on the gauge.

 

[CDI Tech Support]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

My 1990 GT100 does not indicate a good charging votage across any number of meters/gauges until it's been running for at least 10-15 minutes, then it cycles between 12 and 13.5V, mostly at 13.5. If I shut it off, the cycle starts again.

My bet would be regulator/rectifier failure, likely caused by improper battery type and/or battery charging neglect. See our troubleshooting pages on all of this here:

Battery Charging Issues, Regulator-Rectifiers and Tachometers

the previous owner has a deep cycle battery as the starting battery, which I also thought I read was a no-no.

They are a no-no. They're great for trolling motors because of their reserve time, but not motors with a charging system, which puts batteries through constant discharging & charging. Unfortunately, deep cycle batteries were lumped in with outboards long ago & still to this day, remain so.

Many do not realize what an improper battery can do to a regulator/rectifier over time. And it sounds like that is what has happened in this motor's case.

See the above guide for further clarification.

 

[CDI Tech Support]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

I'll try swapping in one of the trolling motor batts and see what that does. They're newer and also work well.

You can try a trolling motor battery as a test, just to rule out the battery, but the deep cycle battery you have on it now IS a trolling motor battery.

Replace it with a 850+ CCA dual purpose or cranking/starting non-maintenance-free battery & a new regulator/rectifier. Then trickle-charge the battery overnight before each & every use of the boat.

Your entire charging system will thank you for it.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

My bet would be regulator/rectifier failure, likely caused by improper battery type and/or battery charging neglect. See our troubleshooting pages on all of this here:

Battery Charging Issues, Regulator-Rectifiers and Tachometers


They are a no-no. They're great for trolling motors because of their reserve time, but not motors with a charging system, which puts batteries through constant discharging & charging. Unfortunately, deep cycle batteries were lumped in with outboards long ago & still to this day, remain so.

Many do not realize what an improper battery can do to a regulator/rectifier over time. And it sounds like that is what has happened in this motor's case.

See the above guide for further clarification.

Great info, thank you. I sourced a new regulator and will replace the battery at the same time with the appropriate type this time. Thanks again for all the great info.

 

[CDI Tech Support]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Wingnuts, if they're tight, are not the cause of your problem. I use 'em and will keep using 'em -- it's a matter of making sure they're tight (stow a pair of pliers next to the battery).

I cringe when folks say they use wingnuts. Sure, just tighten them up when they become loose. Do you realize what happens to components that are connected to the battery when battery connections become loose BEFORE they are tightened? They often fail.

Vibration to questionable connections is a killer.

Use bolts, washers, lock washers & nuts. If swapping batteries whilst on the boat is a priority, keep a pair of wrenches or ratchets on the boat too.

 

[CDI Tech Support]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Great info, thank you. I sourced a new regulator and will replace the battery at the same time with the appropriate type this time. Thanks again for all the great info.

Good deal. Stay away from supermarket/automotive store brand batteries. The majority of calls we get with charging issues, customers are using those batteries & to boot, are usually a closed-case (maintenance-free) battery.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Good deal. Stay away from supermarket/automotive store brand batteries. The majority of calls we get with charging issues, customers are using those batteries & to boot, are usually a closed-case (maintenance-free) battery.

So which battery brand/model would you recommend for my application?

 

[CDI Tech Support]

Re: How long till chargin kicks in?

Unfortunately, we cannot name brands. You can call your local marinas to see what brands they carry. Or perhaps some folks here may have some good recommendations. Or the good 'ol internet is a great resource.