House bank not charging

[Jacana]

Have 3gm30 yanmar ,for some reason when the engines are running the house bank batteries aren't getting charged.Still charging when connected to shore power.Any suggestions welcome.Cheers Geoff.

[pcmm]

The answer is going to depend on how your Dc system is wired. do you have a traditional 1-2-both switch with an a bank and B bank? If so switch to "both" when you start the engine this may solve your issue. but again. we really don't have enough information to do any real diagnostics

[CarstenWL]

Hi Geoff,

how do you know the engine is not charging the bank?

Could be a defective alternator of course, defective wiring, ...

Regards

Carsten

[Jacana]

Amendment.Starboard engine is charging the house bank ,port engine isn't.
Carsten- starting battery is still being charged and no warning light on panel re faulty alternate/generator.
Pccm-have separate starting batteries for each engine.Faulty wiring could be the cause any ideas re wiring as to how to trace back to try and find the fault?CheersGeoff.

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by Jacana

Amendment.Starboard engine is charging the house bank ,port engine isn't.
Carsten- starting battery is still being charged and no warning light on panel re faulty alternate/generator.
Pccm-have separate starting batteries for each engine.Faulty wiring could be the cause any ideas re wiring as to how to trace back to try and find the fault?CheersGeoff.

Do you have a VSR/ACR in the system. (voltage sensing relay/ Automatic Charging Relay)

[Wotname]

OK, we don't have much to go yet; do you have any schematics of the charging etc or at least a list of components. So far we only know you have two 3GM30s, two starting batteries, presumably one house bank and an unspecified shore charger. As Undercutter asked, are there any VSR/ACRs or similar charging isolators etc.

In the meantime, look for the common things. More likely a loose connection or corrosion under a terminal or suchlike. These are way more common than a defective component.

Especially look hard on ground (negative) side of the circuits - these are often overlooked.

[Wotname]

And as others have asked "how do you know that port side isn't charging" We are not doubting you, rather your answer will help determine what equipment is fitted and therefore how best to resolve the issue from afar.

Also, is this a sudden occurrence? When was the last time you knew all was well?

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Jacana

.......Faulty wiring could be the cause any ideas re wiring as to how to trace back to try and find the fault?CheersGeoff.

Voltmeter.

First measure voltage at house bank terminals with the stbd engine (only) charging to establish a baseline of what is good then do same with port engine only.

Keep working your way "back" to each charging source comparing the good with the bad. At some point it "should" become obvious and thus fixable but for the inexperienced it can become tedious

[Jacana]

Thanks for suggestions.
Control unit is Heart Interface LINK 2000.240 Volt charger is Xantrex.
When stb engine is started amp meter on link 2000 unit shows positive reading say 50,when port engine is started amp meter shows 2 -which is 2 from the solar panels.When I plug into shore power link shows positive say 50. That's how I know only 1 engine is charging.

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by Jacana

Thanks for suggestions.
Control unit is Heart Interface LINK 2000.240 Volt charger is Xantrex.
When stb engine is started amp meter on link 2000 unit shows positive reading say 50,when port engine is started amp meter shows 2 -which is 2 from the solar panels.When I plug into shore power link shows positive say 50. That's how I know only 1 engine is charging.

Pretty sure your Link unit has no control over the charge from your engine alternators. It only will show you the amount of charge or discharge of your batteries. You need to determine whether the alternators are internally regulated or externally regulated and whether the alternator is being excited or not. You can determine whether there is output from the alternator by measuring the voltage at the positive terminal on the regulator. If it is more than the battery voltage then it is working, if it is the same as the battery voltage or less then it is not outputting. Once you determine this then you can start to troubleshoot the issue.

Start there and let us know.

[Hobie_ind]

Has it ever charged off the port side or is this a boat that's new to you?

The 220v charger will almost certainly have nothing to do with the problem as the alternators on your engine don't use it. They charge the batteries directly with DC current.

-Do you have two alternators on the starboard engine or only one?
-Do you have two alternators on the port engine or only one?
-Are your alternators internally regulated or externally regulated?
-There's a myriad of questions that could be asked about the wiring system as some have above.

Given that you haven't volunteered any of the above my impression is that you don't have a lot of hands on experience with electrical systems, so my advice is as follows:
- Honestly, I think you'll be better off finding someone with experience to go through the system, preferably with you, to sort out the problem. There are a myriad of reasons an alternator won't charge or that the system itself has an issue preventing. Trying to work through them online can be frustrating to you and those trying to help particularly if you don't know the questions to ask.
- Pick up a copy of Nigel Calder's book on boat electrical systems. Really well done for novices and and an invaluable resource even for those with considerable experience.

With your location, forum members might have good recommendations for a good electrician to assist you in troubleshooting.

Good luck.

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by Hobie_ind

With your location, forum members might have good recommendations for a good electrician to assist you in troubleshooting.

Good luck.

Being in Oz, I can understand why the OP wouldn't want to hire a sparky.

If I wasn't in Tazzy I would give him a hand.

[kas_1611]

If you are running just the Port engine does the Rev meter work for that engine? If so then the alternator is OK, if not then get the alternator checked. The Rev meter works directly from the alternator so this is an easy check.

Then it is a case of tracing and checking all the wiring from each engine so you know what goes where and does what (label them as you go). It is possible that House bank charging is only from one engine. Check for any charge splitters such as diode blocks, VSR/ACRs or other splitter gizmos in the engine bays. I had a charge problem due to a failing diode splitter which was solved by replacing it with a zero volt drop splitter (Sterling ProSplitR).

Charging problems can be simple to fix or can be a total PITA so it is vital to work methodically. Check everything, clean and tighten all connections, test every connection with a multimeter ad label everywhere.

Hope that helps

Keiron

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

If you are running just the Port engine does the Rev meter work for that engine? If so then the alternator is OK, if not then get the alternator checked. The Rev meter works directly from the alternator so this is an easy check......

Whoa there....
I'm pretty sure the "rev meter" on a 3GM30 does not work directly from the alternator. I think (but don't know) that it works from a magnetic pickup on the flywheel; happy to be proved wrong but....

[Hadjiosif]

Jacana, what you described is normal. The engine will charge ONLY the battery bank that was used to start that engine...unless you switch the the switch to the other bank or both.