"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Yo Ho is at the dealership for diagnosis and repair of a minor electrical
anomaly. This past week, while running with the battery switch on "BOTH,"
and cruising at 4000 rpm, I noticed that the voltmeter, after about an
hour, dropped to 11.6 volts.

I shut the engine off, switched onto one battery, and the voltage went up
to about 13.5 volts, then after about an hour dropped again.

All the battery connections are tight.

I'm guessing voltage regulator, but that's just a guess.

A brand new $1.00 to whoever guesses what the dealer's mechanic diagnoses
and repairs.

WNL=Within Normal Limits

Harry, what engine set up does your baot have?

that can tell a lot.

Tim

Under warranty= they will find nothing wrong.

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 15:04:19 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

Yo Ho is at the dealership for diagnosis and repair of a minor
electrical anomaly. This past week, while running with the battery
switch on "BOTH," and cruising at 4000 rpm, I noticed that the
voltmeter, after about an hour, dropped to 11.6 volts.

I shut the engine off, switched onto one battery, and the voltage went
up to about 13.5 volts, then after about an hour dropped again.

All the battery connections are tight.

I'm guessing voltage regulator, but that's just a guess.

A brand new $1.00 to whoever guesses what the dealer's mechanic
diagnoses and repairs.

Expensive.

Send me my dollar.


Free. It's still in warranty.

Try again.

I really don't think it's the VR/rectifier. But then again I deal with
automotive which is a different system then outboards.


if the symptom was irratic then yes I'd say VR. I may (and probably
am) wrong, but I just feel like it's a lousy wire connection.

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 10:14:02 -0400, Harry Krause wrote:


Yeah, I mumbled something about that. I was told such were not unusual on
inboard gas engines. I have no experience with modern gas inboards. When I
pick up the boat, I'm going to stop at the parts department and ask to see
one of these water-cooled regulators, or at least the parts book schematic
of one. I'll post the drawing if I can get a copy of one.

I just did a search on "water cooled voltage regulator". I got quite a
few hits. Including:

http://www.mercstuff.com/regulator.htm

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 13:52:03 -0400, thunder
wrote:

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 10:14:02 -0400, Harry Krause wrote:


Yeah, I mumbled something about that. I was told such were not unusual
on
inboard gas engines. I have no experience with modern gas inboards. When
I
pick up the boat, I'm going to stop at the parts department and ask to
see
of one. I'll post the drawing if I can get a copy of one.

I just did a search on "water cooled voltage regulator". I got quite a
few hits. Including:

http://www.mercstuff.com/regulator.htm

I don't quite understand the reasoning behind that one.

Really.


I can. The voltage regulator has to drop excess voltage (above the
12.8-13.5 volts) of the fully charged battery. The unregulated output of
the alternator is probably around 16-18 volts depending on engine rpm. So,
assuming the regulator has to drop, say, 4 volts, the wattage at 10 amps
would be 40 watts. How long can you hold a lit 40 watt light bulb in your
hand?

Unlike a car engine compartment where there is plenty of convective heat
transfer and the regulator electronic components can be mounted on air
cooled heat sinks, all the components inside the cowling on an outboard can
only get rid of excess heat via transfer to the water. Bolting the
regulator to a water cooled surface is one option, assuming the heat
transfer is adequate. Water cooling the regulator housing itself is
another.

Eisboch

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 10:14:02 -0400, Harry Krause wrote:

Yeah, I mumbled something about that. I was told such were not unusual
on inboard gas engines. I have no experience with modern gas inboards.

I thought your fantasy boat had a diesel inboard, Harry. Guess it's hard
to keep up with all the fantasies, eh. The memory is the second thing to
go, and I've forgotten the first...

Lloyd

"Lloyd Sumpter" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 10:14:02 -0400, Harry Krause wrote:

Yeah, I mumbled something about that. I was told such were not unusual
on inboard gas engines. I have no experience with modern gas inboards.

I thought your fantasy boat had a diesel inboard, Harry. Guess it's hard
to keep up with all the fantasies, eh. The memory is the second thing to
go, and I've forgotten the first...

Lloyd


So you noticed that also Lloyd? :-)

Lloyd,
Harry keeps stumbling all over your fantasies. I wonder if he was able to
keep up with them when he was younger?


"Lloyd Sumpter" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 10:14:02 -0400, Harry Krause wrote:

Yeah, I mumbled something about that. I was told such were not unusual
on inboard gas engines. I have no experience with modern gas inboards.

I thought your fantasy boat had a diesel inboard, Harry. Guess it's hard
to keep up with all the fantasies, eh. The memory is the second thing to
go, and I've forgotten the first...

Lloyd

Starbucks wrote:
Lloyd,
Harry keeps stumbling all over your fantasies. I wonder if he was able to
keep up with them when he was younger?


Harry stumbles over Lloyd's fantasies??
Maybe you're thinking about the S&M leather clad lady Lloyd used to mention.