Community Forums

irieco · 07-25-2012, 10:38 PM

I just installed two new "house" 675 Amp deep cycle marine batteries in my 2003 Bounder. Right after connecting the crossover cable, the cables got fairly hot for a few minutes (especially the crossover cable). They seemed to cool off after that. Is this normal? They are the same size as the old ones I removed.

L.C.

irieco · 07-26-2012, 12:33 AM

The posts still seem a little warm to me...

Midniteoyl · 07-26-2012, 12:52 AM

Not getting a draw from them? What are the voltages?

I'm thinking, if they are hooked up correctly, that what is happening is the batts are 'equalizing' in charge. One might have been very low.

Ed-Sommers · 07-26-2012, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irieco

I just installed two new "house" 675 Amp deep cycle marine batteries in my 2003 Bounder. Right after connecting the crossover cable, the cables got fairly hot for a few minutes (especially the crossover cable). They seemed to cool off after that. Is this normal? They are the same size as the old ones I removed.

L.C.

I an a little confused here, you say 675 Amp deep cycle marine batts, but that does not sound right to me, are you really saying 675 Amp Reserve Capacity, or Cranking Amps, or other such thing?

The battery's commonly called marine batteries are really about 110 Amp batteries to an RVer and are normally 12 volt batts.

Crossover cables, to me anyway, is a term used in larger banks of six or more batts but I believe you are using the term for plus to plus, and negative to negative cables, are you not?

Anyway, something is wrong, if the cables are of sufficient size, and correctly installed, heat would not be present, and excess heat is an indication of real trouble, which by now you have probably found out.

I'd say that a full disconnect is in order if you have not already done so, and find someone nearby to help.

Ed

Ramblin · 07-26-2012, 09:47 AM

If you connected them correctly they should not get hot.

For 6V batteries:
[GROUND]<==[ - BATT1 + ]<==>[ - BATT2 + ]==>[COACH 12v]

The crossover cable goes from the POSITIVE on battery 1 to the NEGATIVE on battery 2.

doc · 07-26-2012, 09:58 AM

Sounds like you may have connected a positive to negative and have 24 volts. For your application, both batteries need the positive to positive and negative and then it is just 12 volts. I am presuming these are 12 volt batteries

irieco · 07-26-2012, 03:00 PM

I'm totally confused. The batteries are 12 volt 675 CCA. They were connected: coach - negative (bat1) - positive (bat1) - negative (bat2) - positive (bat2) - coach. This would be in series and it would be 24 volt correct? This is the way they were connected when I bought the unit. Is it supposed to be 12 volt? It only shows the configuration of - + - + in the manual and does not state whether the batteries are 6 or 12 volt.

Midniteoyl · 07-26-2012, 03:59 PM

If I'm reading you right, the batts are connected neg to neg, pos to pos.. If so, that is 'parallel' and is the correct way to wire 12v batts in a 12v system.

Bigd9 · 07-26-2012, 04:46 PM

Is this what you have? If you have 2 12 volt batteries, this would be correct.

Dunner · 07-26-2012, 06:25 PM

Read it again Jim & Pete. He has two 12 volts wired in series for 24 volts. It's wired the same as when he got it, but it should have 6 volt batteries instead of 12 volt. It would work if the 12 volt batteries were wired in parallel. Hopefully no damage has been done.

coach > negative > positive > negative > positive > coach

Bigd9 · 07-26-2012, 07:04 PM

In his original post he said

Quote:

I just installed two new house 675 Amp deep cycle marine batteries

When I Googled these I saw they were 12 volt batteries. Batteries - Marine R/V - 30 Months - 675 CCA

Then he posted he had wired them as

Quote:

negative (bat1) - positive (bat1) - negative (bat2) - positive (bat2) - coach

I interpreted this as neg on bat 1 to neg on bat 2, Pos Bat 1 to Pos bat 2, or like the drawing I posted. Was I wrong? If so I am deeply sorry for any confusion.

TXiceman · 07-26-2012, 07:24 PM

Let's hope you did not wire them in series if they are in fact 12 volt batteries. Putting 24 VDC on the circuit may have fried a few item. If got hot due to the excessive voltage and may be the reason it was not hot later was something burned through. Did you smell any smoke ????? Letting the smoke out of anything electrical is BAD.

For an RV, you want 2 - 12 VDC batteries in parallel or
2 - 6 VDC batteries in series.

Ken

cb1000rider · 07-26-2012, 07:47 PM

You're going to need to sort out what you bought and how it was wired BEFORE you dropped it in. On my 99, I have 6V "special" batteries - similar to golf cart type. They are wired in series and produce 12 volts with 2 of them.

In regard to being "warm" - the large cables that you've got connected to those batteries can flow major current so I'd have *some* concern if they were warm. However, if the batteries were unequally charged, they may balance between them.

The big issue is making sure they are properly connected...

irieco · 07-26-2012, 11:44 PM

Ok I got my answer now. Got this unit from a charity action. The previous owner or the mechanic that worked on the unit after it was donated had two weak 12 volt batteries in series -+-+ (24 volts). When I replaced them with new ones the wires got warm. The lights were sure bright though. But then I believe that it jumped a breaker (thus saving the electrical). Connected just one 12 volt, reset the breakers and tested stuff out. Everything seems fine so far (ACs, lights, step, generator, TVs, water pump). I did try the Norcold fridge for the first time and the freezer got cold within the 1 hour test but the fridge did not. Ran out of time to investigate fuses or ??? Can anyone tell me what Amps the 6 volt batteries are rated? Is there any problem with connecting the two 12 volts in parallel for a total of 1350 Amps?