| Re: [GMCnet] Battery and/or starting issues [message #189065 is a reply to message #189053] |
Sat, 03 November 2012 11:22   |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma:
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| Quote: |
... the coach battery is a marine deep draw so I'll probably just buy a new battery for the engine. ...
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From what I have been able to tell, most marine batteries are not truly deep cells or are they truly starting batteries. I used a pair of PO installed marine deep cells as the house and staring batteries on my '78. They worked just fine, but I replaced both as I needed more house battery capacity. (I am installing the old batteries in my '77 for now... )
So... I'd try your current single 12v "house" battery as a starting battery. It might work just fine for a while. (Of course you might find another use for a "deep cell" on other projects.)
| Quote: |
Do you mean that the hot lead should run directly to the starter then back to the starter solenoid? Currently it runs to the solenoid and from there to the battery.
Is the #4 wire gauge OK or do I need to go larger?
Is there any need for a battery disconnect?
I was speaking to Ken Henderson this morning and he questions the isolator. Do you have a link to the isolator testing procedure? I haven't run across it yet.
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-- Yes, Gene's method wires the battery directly to the solenoid on the starter. It also connects the battery directly to the boost solenoid.... to wire it this way you need a dual post battery or other type of post adapter. The down side is more connections right at the battery. (In my experience, connections at the battery normally corrode more than connections elsewhere.)
-- Bigger is always better. 4g is good if all your connections are good and clean. It was good enough for GM! (OEM)
-- Avoid a disconnect between the battery and the starter. I would try and fix any battery "drains" that make a disconnect useful. If you do still want a disconnect... quality is important.
-- An isolator is just a pair of diodes. To explain the system: Think of "check valves" in an air system. Electrical juice can only flow one way and like a check valve restricts some air flow, the isolator does drop a little voltage as it works. SO... The center post is normally the input and the outer posts are normally the outputs. So, under normal operation, the center post should have higher voltage than the outer ones.
This would be cause battery charging problems if you had an alternator that regulates based on the voltage at the alternator output. (AKA: single wire alternator systems.)
Our alternator system is designed to sense the voltage on the engine battery side of the isolator, it will increase the voltage applied to the center post to make the output posts high enough to charge the batteries.
So... now that you "know" something about the system, how would YOU check the isolator?
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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