Little Things Add Up . . .

[freewill2008]

Thought this might be of interest: Went out to check that the 3208 would start
after several nights of record low temps. Found the cranking battery too soft
to do the job.

This WL has dual 12v systems; one for house, the other for automotive. There is
an automotive side disconnect, but it does not interrupt the cables to the
starter or the Schottky charge splitter. The disconnect was turned off.

There is usually either a small smart charger or solar system running on the
automotive side, but for whatever reason both had been off for about 2 months.

So, how did the cranking battery discharge? I isolated the cables and found a
0.15 amp draw on the cable heading for the starter and charge splitter. That's
about 4 amps a day, or 120 amps a month.

This discharge is probably leakage, either through an old dirty starter or in
the charge isolator. For now, the solution will be to leave the solar system
on, as it should have been anyway.

The good news: I had intalled a 200 amp combiner relay in the battery
compartment with very short cables. (The cranking battery sits just behind the
stock FC battery tray.) Using the dash switch that once controlled the
dinky-toy relay that BB used behind the step-well, I triggered the relay FIRST
and then hit the starter. I was running in about 2 seconds.

The generator would still start. It can start from either 12v system and it can
be jumped from the front battery compartment without the need for air to open
the genset tray.

When ya like to boondock, its all about backup systems! )

Bob Griesel '84 FC31 WLII WA