Battery Question

12 volts is pretty much "dead", or at least, the minimum a healthy 12v battery should read.

Use your volt meter at the battery terminals, and see what the reading actually is.

Nearly spring time, there's lots of battery related question threads active right now - give the forum a browse.

If you're plugged in, it sounds like you should be checking fuses and breakers, as you're not charging.

Pick up a Hydrometer (which measures the specific gravity of your batteries electrolyte), around $10 and test each cell. What you want to see is consistent readings in all of the cells and hopefully they will be up in the green. If the battery is 3 years old or more just replace it.

Also you might want to check for corrosion on the terminals (don't forget to check your ground connection to the frame). A wire brush, sandpaper (I like an aggressive wet/dry), some baking soda and distilled water will get them cleaned up and shiny in just a few minutes.

:C

This is chart showing VOLTAGE VERSES STATE OF CHARGE for deep cycle batteries... This is not absolute but gets you in the ball park...

12.0VDC is considered around 50% discharged. 10.5VDC is considered a DEAD battery



My batteries set completely disconnected by my BLUE SEA Battery switches over the winter months sitting on my trailer rame. I just measurwed them last week and all three read right at 12.5VDC

Roy Ken

BAMA_57

Could be something as simple as check all your ground connections. Battery might still need a charge as well, but is the lights are dim could very well be a bad ground connection somewhere.

Hope this helps.

John

It could be a loose connection causing voltage drop.
Take good reading at battery and then reading at light, then compare.

Have you checked the water/electrolyte level? It should always be over the plates. As said above, if you are seeing that voltage while plugged in it may not be charging. It should be reading 13.2 or so when charging.

Charged it recently? What is the date on the battery?

The 12 volt Side of Life. You may find this helpful.

I plugged in the trailer and let it charge for about six hours and checked it. The voltage is now 13.4 at the battery and 11.4 at the light fixture. The battery is over 4 years old so I think I'll go ahead and replace it. Thanks for all the input.
Ron

BAMA_57 wrote:
I plugged in the trailer and let it charge for about six hours and checked it. The voltage is now 13.4 at the battery and 11.4 at the light fixture. The battery is over 4 years old so I think I'll go ahead and replace it. Thanks for all the input.
Ron

I agree on replacing the battery as it is time but you still have an electrical problem that a new battery is not going to solve. Getting 11.4 at the fixture from a battery showing 13.4 would indicate a wiring issue. Hopefully it is something simple like a corroded terminal. good luck!

:C