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kymooses 
Senior Member 
Joined: 01 Aug 2010 Location: Louisville, Ky Online Status: Offline Posts: 1807 |
 Topic: Battery draining with cut off switchPosted: 21 Aug 2011 at 11:32am |
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Well first off here is my wiring for the switch, does this look right to everyone?
 If that looks right I think I might just remove the switch and see if the switch is bad or not? Dunno, but again the battery is completely dead and the switch was turned off the whole time.
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp 
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 21 Aug 2011 at 11:45am |
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Definitely sounds like a battery problem. A fully charged lead-acid battery should only loose about 2% per day during warm weather, and half of that in the middle of winter. Worse, a battery's voltage should never, ever drop below 11.75 volts at rest (30% state of charge). Even fully discharged it shouldn't be below 10.5. 6 volts means a completely dead and permanently damaged battery, ready for a recycling center. It needs to be replaced under warranty! Everything you ever wanted to know about lead acid batteries: http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm |
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Guests
Guest Group 
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Posted: 21 Aug 2011 at 3:54pm |
The wiring looks OK to me - negative straight to the trailer, positive to the switch, then to the trailer. The only potential concern MIGHT be in how you orient your box lid over the battery. With the exposed positive switch lugs, your lid could be installed in such a way as to come in contact or very close to the negative post of the battery. However, if this were happening, I would expect to see arching and/or heat damage around the terminals/wires. I don't see that in the picture.
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kymooses
Senior Member
Joined: 01 Aug 2010 Location: Louisville, Ky Online Status: Offline Posts: 1807 |
Posted: 21 Aug 2011 at 3:58pm |
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Yup, I don't see any signs of heat damage or arcing or melted wires or anything.
Someone else mentioned the proximity of the wires to the positive terminal so I put some electrical tape over the bottom inside of the switch in case some arcing was occuring that might possibly be discharging my battery. So if it seems I'm wired right I don't see how the battery can discharge completely in 3 days time when the key isn't even inserted. I guess we're looking at replacing the battery completely now?
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Guests
Guest Group
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Posted: 21 Aug 2011 at 4:05pm |
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My best diagnosis from 200 +or- miles away is you just got a bad battery and it should be replaced under warranty.
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Guests
Guest Group
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Posted: 21 Aug 2011 at 4:15pm |
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It looks like if you just lifted the battery out of the box and rotated it 180 degrees, when the lid is installed with the vent channels/wire channels nearest the Pod, the switch lugs/terminals would be well away from either of the battery terminals. But again, I don't see anything in the picture that would indicate anything foul was going on.
If you haven't already done so, and while you are messsing about with your battery, it helps to drill a few drain holes in the bottom of the black box (NOT the battery)......they will eventually fill with water, otherwise. I always drill about 4 3/8" holes for drainage.
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TheDogHouse
Newbie 
Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Location: Ohio Online Status: Offline Posts: 33 |
Posted: 21 Aug 2011 at 8:24pm |
I agree completely but the dealer seemed to be afraid of going against anything his battery machine didn't tell him. Essentially, at the time I picked it up from them it was fully charged and I think it said 440 CCA and stated the battery was equivelent to a 16 month old battery (it was only 12 mos. old). Anyways, he wasn't going to give me a new battery at a prorated price period.. I guess I could try calling the corporate office but I have limited time to mess with it all.
 If I end up buying a new battery I'm thinking hard about buying 2 - 6 volt golf cart batteries, that looks like a better way to go given their high capacity. I've done a little shopping around on them and they're not cheap by any means. |
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Steve and Rosa
11' 173T 09' Silverado Extended Cab |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 21 Aug 2011 at 9:58pm |
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DogHouse, yes and no on the 6 volt batteries. You need to look at the total watts available - that number is the same no matter the volts or amps, since volts times amps equals watts. Your average deep cycle battery is around 110 amps @ 12 volts. Paralleling them you get 220 amps at 12 volts, or 2640 watts. Your average golf cart deep cycle battery is around 220 amps @ 6 volts. Putting them in series you get... 220 amps @ 12 volts, or 2640 watts. Having said that, there are 2 advantages to using the golf cart batteries. First, you can run into issues with the 2 batteries in parallel, where one can take on more of the load and also take on more of a charge, eventually causing one to fail before the other. Its physically impossible to have this problem with the 2 batteries in series. Another advantage to the golf cart batteries is the internal cells are twice as big as the cells in the 12 volt batteries. That makes them more resilient, able to last longer and/or take more abuse. I have seen reports that Costco has 220 amp golf cart batteries for around $75, but I haven't been to Costco lately to confirm. |
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Guests
Guest Group
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Posted: 22 Aug 2011 at 6:47am |
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I agree completely but the dealer seemed to be afraid of going against anything his battery machine didn't tell him. Essentially, at the time I picked it up from them it was fully charged and I think it said 440 CCA and stated the battery was equivelent to a 16 month old battery (it was only 12 mos. old). Anyways, he wasn't going to give me a new battery at a prorated price period.. I guess I could try calling the corporate office but I have limited time to mess with it all. [/QUOTE](Noting your TV) I can see you are obviously a person of high intelligence, discernment, good taste and judgement! If I end up buying a new battery I'm thinking hard about buying 2 - 6 volt golf cart batteries, that looks like a better way to go given their high capacity. I've done a little shopping around on them and they're not cheap by any means.  It might be equal to a 16 month old battery....it's hard to tell what kind of shape it was in when you got it (perhaps it sat on the shelf for several months self-discharging, sufating, etc.?). However, the attitude seems to be that you are guilty until proven innocent. Though I'm certainly no expert, it would seem that even a 16 month old battery would perform better than what you are getting. A number of folks favor the golf cart batteries. Since you're starting from scratch anyway....certainly worthy of consideration. |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 22 Aug 2011 at 11:02am |
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I'll repeat my other post above - even w/o a battery tester the voltages you reported leave no doubt at all that the battery is trash and should be replaced. If your dealer argues that a 6 volt reading is fine he knows absolutely nothing about lead acid batteries.
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Battery draining with cut off switch