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05-09-2014, 06:13 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 92
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Checking battery voltage
With the 4 battery ystem how do you check the voltage on each battery?? I have a volt meter but not surevhow to check the batteries when all four are hooked together
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05-09-2014, 06:19 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Powell River, B.C.
Posts: 31,486
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You can go to each battery's posts and check , maybe not as accurate as disconnecting all the cables but would show a real low , that would require further testing, with the cables off.
Look for 6.5, if anything under 6 shows up , disconnect and retest.
__________________
99DSDP 3884, Freightliner, XC, CAT 3126B, 300 HP /ALLISON 3060
2000 Caravan toad, Remco & Blue Ox.
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05-09-2014, 06:27 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AB
Posts: 7,587
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You don't really say what prompts your question. How old are they? Are you having trouble?
If you want to look at each battery, I suggest using a Hydromter to test each cell. That will tell you if there are cells not taking a charge.
The total battery voltage should not be any higher than 13.6 - 13.7 VDC when you are plugged in to Shore Power. Anything higher will result in excessive gassing, frequent water adding, corroded terminals and shortened battery life.
__________________
2019 Unity LTV CB, pushed by a 2013 Honda CRV, BlueOx Baseplate, Aventa Bar & Patriot Brake
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05-11-2014, 08:52 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,920
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You can't check them individually unless you disconnect them. If you have doubts about a battery a meter will help, but they probably all show the same voltage - this is called a surface charge.
You need either a load test or check the specific gravity of the electrolyte when they are showing fully charged. If in doubt, take them all to a battery dealer - there are no shortage of them in most good sized towns.
__________________
Paul
2006 Patriot Thunder C13 Allison 4000
2010 Ford Flex Ecoboost AWD
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05-11-2014, 09:49 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,920
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Should have also mentioned that you can check specific gravity without disconnecting them. The testers are cheap and available at any auto parts store.
Remember to check every cell.
__________________
Paul
2006 Patriot Thunder C13 Allison 4000
2010 Ford Flex Ecoboost AWD
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05-12-2014, 09:38 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,079
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All great answers on how to do a very specific check. Or you can just put the red lead of your voltmeter on the plus post of each battery and the black lead on the minus and look for about 6 volts.
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05-13-2014, 08:17 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 294
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gemini5362
All great answers on how to do a very specific check. Or you can just put the red lead of your voltmeter on the plus post of each battery and the black lead on the minus and look for about 6 volts.
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If you had say, one almost dead 6V in a 2 battery bank and it was at maybe 2 volts and the other battery was somehow at a full 6.4 volts or so, would the bad battery read the correct 2 volts, or like 4.2 volts being influenced by the good battery when testing with all the leads hooked up?
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1998 Bounder 36s V10 F53
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05-13-2014, 09:04 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Wellington, Florida
Posts: 13,599
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Hi macbob,
Batteries connected in series (assuming 6 VDC batteries for the house) can not be checked while connected to each other. Wires to each terminal need to be disconnected.
We need to hear from macbob to understand why the question is being asked. Once we understand the situation, further and more accurate suggestions can be provided to help macbob solve the problem.
__________________
Gary
2005 Newmar KSDP 3910 + GMC ENVOY XUV 37K lbs Moving Down The Road
The Avatar Is Many Times Around The USA
Nobody Knows Your Coach Like Somebody Who Owns One Just Like Yours
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05-13-2014, 09:59 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,079
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryKD
Hi macbob,
Batteries connected in series (assuming 6 VDC batteries for the house) can not be checked while connected to each other. Wires to each terminal need to be disconnected.
We need to hear from macbob to understand why the question is being asked. Once we understand the situation, further and more accurate suggestions can be provided to help macbob solve the problem.
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Actually batteries in series can be checked very easily. You can check each individual battery by just checking across each pair of terminals. Batteries in Parralel cannot be checked individually. Because the batteries are hooked in series parallel that might be an issue. I have never tried it but I think what happens is that the parallel string would prevent you from checking two of the batteries as a 12 volt entity but I still believe you can check each one of the 6 volt batteries independently.
This ONLY works if you check each battery across its individual positive and negative post not if you check across the battery positive post to ground.
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05-14-2014, 07:13 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 103
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I believe a 6 volt battery in series can be checked w/o disconnecting by checking across the pos/ neg poles. I remember checking both connected and unconnected and had the same reading. Has anyone tested to see what they get?
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05-14-2014, 07:41 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Powell River, B.C.
Posts: 31,486
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glemo81540
I believe a 6 volt battery in series can be checked w/o disconnecting by checking across the pos/ neg poles. I remember checking both connected and unconnected and had the same reading. Has anyone tested to see what they get?
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I remember doing this on a golf cart a few years back and tracked down the low one. Coach is in the yard, I'll disconnect from shore power tonight and test in AM and post my results, cables on, cables off. time for a full system check and water add if necessary, anyhow.
__________________
99DSDP 3884, Freightliner, XC, CAT 3126B, 300 HP /ALLISON 3060
2000 Caravan toad, Remco & Blue Ox.
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05-14-2014, 07:59 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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If wet cells with removable caps you can even check each cell by dipping a meter lead into the electrolyte. One lead on a post, with the other lead check each cell across the battery.
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Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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05-15-2014, 12:38 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Powell River, B.C.
Posts: 31,486
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OK, I'm back and the test results are in.
16 hours after turning of a 13.28v maintenance charge.
Note: someone , who shall remain unidentified , forgot the battery disconnect, but this over-site probably didn't effect the results.
Battery bank total, with all cables connected, includes draw from forgotten disconnect. 12.49v
With main ground removed. 12.54v
4 golf cart batteries tested, in order from the first at the main ground cable. With ground cable hooked up.
6.30, 6.18,6.25, & 6.24
with main ground cable removed and interconnect cables in place.
6.33, 6.20, 6.28 & 6.26
Each battery with interconnect cables removed.
6.34, 6.21, 6.30 & 6.28.
Cable clean up, hydrometer tests and adding electrolyte , are up next.
Test shows; IMHO; that a volt test with cables hooked up show little difference than with, cables removed.
And in answer to the question about a battery with 2v hooked to one with 6.4 , yes the voltage of the two batteries will equalize , very quickly the rapid discharge, straining the battery with the good charge, the reason you always replace battery banks as a set. After a few cycles of discharge that rapid even the good battery is compromised .
__________________
99DSDP 3884, Freightliner, XC, CAT 3126B, 300 HP /ALLISON 3060
2000 Caravan toad, Remco & Blue Ox.
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05-16-2014, 07:38 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,920
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Skip, one point. I have replaced one bad battery in a bank of 6. The other 5 were still good (not excellent) and I wasn't prepared to toss them all. What it means is that the new battery will only last as long as the other 5, but on a 5 to 1 trade off, that was a fair proposition.
__________________
Paul
2006 Patriot Thunder C13 Allison 4000
2010 Ford Flex Ecoboost AWD
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