melted wires?

[ajhaig]

Here we go again...

I noticed that the wires for our battery tender seem to be melted.

Should I disconect this?

Any ideas about what caused this?

Thanks.

AJ

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Certainly something needs done. First I would spray those down with some contact cleaner and get all the corrosion and green off so I could get a better look at it.

[ajhaig]

Battery tender...

[ajhaig]

Joe,

I think that green stuff is plastic.

AJ

[Jon Wehrenberg]

At the very least unplug the battery tender before you do anything AJ.

Then disconnect the battery tender and see what you are dealing with. Are the wires melted? Is it possible there was corrosion on the terminal increasing resistance thus increasing the current?

Joe is right about the corrosion.

I also would surmise if the corrosion is not the issue if you have a battery going bad that keeps the tender working at capacity 100% of the time. They may not be rated for that service cycle, and the wires may get too hot for the insulation.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Do you even use this feature? Have you ever used it?

Aren't battery tenders for when you are storing the bus?

[ajhaig]

We are at Port Saint Lucie, FL... Maybe the guy in the pink shirt will give us a hand!

[ajhaig]

Jon,

One of the battery posts is pretty corroded, could this be the problem?

AJ

[Joe Cannarozzi]

What is that tender hooked to? The chassis batteries only?

What battery is the corrosion on?

AJ full timing like you do the house batts. will stay up by leaving the inverter/charger on, right? I'm trying to figure out why you even would need this. If it is for the chassis YES unhook it if it is in fact melted. Kill the chassis batteries with the master disconnect and they won't go down while camping. All we loose is the bay lights, maybe you are different.

Have you ever had to do anything with the chassis batteries. If that is where the corroded end terminal is that you pictured At minimum I'd say it is time the remove and clean those cables. While they are off you can charge the chassis batteries independently and then let them rest to see if the voltage stays up after an overnight rest to see if you might have a bad one. Jon may be on to the cause with his suggestion of 1 bad battery dragging the whole bank down thus overworking/heating the tender.

[ajhaig]

Joe,

The tender is connected to the chassis battery.

The corroded post is the one that the tender is connected to.

AJ

[Joe Cannarozzi]

If you can convieniently shut off the chassis batteries with the master disconnect, without loosing radio memorys for example, do that.

I would deffinatly disconnect the tender till I was sure what was going on. If you can not convieniently shut down the chassis while camping you might be buying a new tender.

I would deffinatly remove all the chassis battery cables and service them and if you have not had to spend any money on batteries for the chassis yet it might be time to test them, one at a time, with a charge and a overnight rest to make sure they are all good.

[Ray Davis]

AJ,

Joe is certainly right about this.

1. Shut down the tender now, before something worse happens.
2. clean the corrosion off of the batter post you show here.

Is there a meter on the battery tender which indicates how much charge is being applied, (even like idle vs bulk charge). It could be, as Jon suggested, that either you have a bad battery which is constantly charging, or the corrosion is simply making the battery tender work too hard. In either case shutting down and cleaning is the first step. If after cleaning you're getting constant charging, most likely a battery needs to be replaced.


You shoudn't need a chassis battery tender very often, especially with as much traveling as you're doing. Generally you only would need to use a battery tender when you're leaving the bus for extended periods. As Joe suggested, you can generally quite safely turn off the baterry disconnects for the chassis battery completely too.

I have very successfully left my bus untended for over 30 days, and was able to start just fine. Generally, if I were going to not use the bus for more than 2 to 4 weeks, I would certainly engage the battery tender.

Clean the terminal, monitor it, and let's see what happens.

Ray

[Joe Cannarozzi]

We once ran the chassis batteries down camping. It took about 10 days and we frequently had multiple bay doors open with lights on for long periods.
I meant to put on/off switches on the bay lights to remedy that but have not got around to it.

[MangoMike]

It's interesting that the failure point is right where the zip ties are located.

[phorner]

AJ,

If you're going to be with us here in Port St. Lucie for a while, I'll be glad to lend you a hand.

Stop by and let me know if I can be of any help....

Paul

[Jon Wehrenberg]

AJ,

Battery tender problem or not, those posts and terminals need to be cleaned down to bare metal.

It is entirely possible that because of the corrosion creating resistance or a battery going bad that the battery tender has been working overtime.

The reason the damage appears at the nylon ties as noted by Mike is that a lot of current is flowing through the wires, and as a result they are getting warm. Bundling them with the wire ties concentrates the heat as you can see. All is not lost. Get things cleaned up, leave the tender off for a while and if the batteries drop in voltage (I'm assuming chassis) chances are they are bad or going bad.

The wire from the tender can be replaced along with the end terminals which are likely corroded beyond redemption.

If the batteries are going bad replace them as a set before you experience problems.

[ajhaig]

I always shut off the two switches that isolate the chassis batteries when we park. I think the batteries were new in 2005.

There isn't a meter on the tender. Where the wires are coiled together by the wire ties is one solid clump of melted plastic, I think the tender is history.

Should we do away with the tender?

How do I test the chassis batteries?

Paul - We will be here for several days, I'd appreciate any help.

Thanks.

AJ

[lewpopp]

AJ, thanks for the pink shirt plug. You are now a high ranking POG master harrasser.

I was going to suggest that you get hold of Paul because the "tender guru" Truk tutored Paul on his way to success.

You ought to see the 2 redheads that are with Andy and Sarah. Rusty pipes.

Paul will show you how to clean up the terminals without rusting the concrete. But don't drink that water no mater what Paul says.

[garyde]

AJ, One thing about electrical wires and componants . One cause can result in many varied outcomes. Keep an eye on batteries and terminals as a monthly maintenance item. A loose or corrosive condition can create havoc. Heat build up will cause the insulation to begin to brown and blacken and burn off at a terminal indicating a loose connection.
You should cut away all of the bundle of wire not in use on your Battery tender. Voltage and current don't flow in one direction necessarily, so the heat build up may have nothing to do with your tender being on.

[gmcbuffalo]

Don't binded the wires so tight next time. Allow the wire the chance to air cool. Make the new wires only as long has they have to be to do the job.
GregM

[Jon Wehrenberg]

AJ, don't write off the battery tender yet. You can always replace the wires. Three year old batteries can still fail so it is worth keeping your eye on them. If you do not have a good multitester now is the time to get one. It is a tool you should not be without.

As long as you will be at PSL for a few days, disconnect the chassis battery terminals and clean things completely. Leave the terminals off for a few days and monitor the voltages of each battery. If any of them show a voltage drop greater than the others that battery is suspect. Fully charged batteries should sit at 12.6 to 12.7 volts. Corrosion is often a current path to ground and will discharge a battery so as Gary says this is an area that requires periodic maintenance. Come to Sevierville. We can give some more help.

Greg's comment is correct, so if you do replace the battery tender wires just make them the correct length to do the job.

[phorner]

AJ,

I have a couple of appointments today but should be available by mid-afternoon. I'll check with you then.

In the mean time, as most have suggested, it's a good idea to disconnect the suspect wires and get things cleaned up.

See you soon!

[truk4u]

Load test them while you have the cables off!

[dalej]

Tom, are you bringing your load tester to the rally? Or does anybody carry one on board?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I will have my DDEC reader (II and III), my leak detector, my load tester, and my electrical testers (multi and clamp) for impromptu repair jobs or testing of coaches.

The rental rates are very modest.

[phorner]

AJ,

How did you make out with your wires? I stopped by a couple of times but no one was home. Sorry to have missed you. I'm hoping that means that you got everything resolved and were out having a good time!

If you still need help, just let me know.