What happens if I put the batteries in wrong?

[Arberg0]

From: panchokitty  (Original Message) Sent: 3/31/2002 7:13 PM

No one has been able to help me figure out which way my accessory battery is supposed to be hooked up, so what will happen if I put it in the wrong way?  Or if I drive the rv without the battery?

melissa




From: DEL Sent: 3/31/2002 10:03 PM
Heres how I would do it.  Battery is disconnected.  Coach is plugged into the commercial power.  The converter in your motor home will be sending voltage to your battery on the cables that will hook up to your battery later.
I would measure with a direct current voltmeter, putting the + or red lead of the meter on one of the cables that will hook up to battery.  Put the other lead - or black, somewhere to a bare spot of the chassis or body of the motor home.  If I did not get a reading of 12 volts or more, then the lead I am measuring is the negative lead or -.
If I did get a reading of 12 volts or more, then the lead I am measuring is the positive lead or +.

The battery's posts you are gg to hook up these leads to are marked  pos (+) or neg(-)
I would hook up the lead that I measured the voltage on to the pos post of my battery.
I would hook up the lead that I did not measure any voltage on to the neg post of my battery.

Don't think you can go wrong with this proceedure.

Note; For safey sake, you should unplug from the commercial power while you are hooking the battery up.  A spark around the terminals of a battery could cause an explosion.

If you do not know how to use a voltmeter, and the connecting posts and connecting cables all look alike, please get someone to help you that knows.  Not to say you can't learn, but batteries are quite dangerous if mishandled.

Hope this helps, and be carefull.

 


From: Boat Nut Sent: 4/1/2002 4:55 PM
Yes, that first suggestion will work, if your converter is designed to charge the battery.
But, if yours is like mine and won't charge the battery, that won't work. However, crawl under the coach and follow the battery wires. One will go to the chassis, that one should be connected to the negative side of the battery. The positive battery wire probably goes to a solenoid that is dash energized for emergency starting, and then on to house wiring. If you connect it in wrong, "I'd hate to think about it."

Chuck 


 

From: timjim Sent: 4/2/2002 3:28 AM
Here is the answer to the question you asked, minus the Mr. Rogers.This is how my 73 Brave is wired. There is a battery seperator(some call it a solenoid) bolted to the wall inside of the battery box. This unit has a stud on either side of it for bolting down  two seperate +pos. battery cables. It also has a couple of much smaller posts sticking out the front of it, for bolting small wires to it. Right next to this seperator, on the wall, is a small rectangular 'box', about the same size as a really thick piece of Trident gum, with two small posts sticking out of it for bolting small wires to. This is called a circuit- breaker. On one side of the seperator, bolt the(a) +pos.cable from the(a)battery, and the cable that goes from the battery-box to the starter. (Actually, it goes to a thing called a relay right next to the starter). Now, the battery cable you've just hooked up to one side of the seperator is the +pos. battery cable for the engine electrical(starting,charging,head-running lamps,hornetc.)Basically, this +pos. cable is for starting,running the motor home and the regular functions of an automobile. On the other side of the seperator, bolt another +pos. cable. This cable is for the house(coach) part of the motorhome, controlling house lights, exhaust fans, water pump, etc. Use this cable on the +pos. post of another battery. There is a thick black wire that runs from the power conv. down the frame to the battery box. It hooks to one post of the CIRCUIT-BREAKER. On the other post of the circuit breaker, a short wire is attached and goes from there, to one of the small posts(not one marked 'ign') on the SEPERATOR. And thats how mine is hooked up. One side of the seperator is for a battery to control starting,stopping,running engine& regular acc. The other side of the seperator is for a battery that runs the 'house' functions.
Yes, batteries can explode and caution needs to be observed when working on or around them but you do'nt have pussy-foot around them or be nervous of them. As with everything, safety-first, then go for it.(discharged batteries,especially, omit a gas. Offhand I forget the exact name of the gas(hydrochloric?) So when you're dealing with dead batteries, chances are you're unknowingly standing in the midst of these gases. These gases are explosive. A small spark actually could ignite these gases, which in turn could cause the battery to explode. This is why when you are jumping a dead battery, the -neg side of the jumper cables going to the dead battery should actually be clamped(grounded) to a spot on the frame away from the batteries).
Batteries that explode are far from rare,and far from normal. You call it.
                                     At your service
                                            Jim



From: DEL Sent: 4/2/2002 3:17 PM
Jim, the gas is called hydrogen.  Yes it is the most pleniful gas in our atmosphere.  It can explode if in concentrated form.  It is generally concentrated around the vent caps of a battery that is being charged at a rapid rate.  It will explode if exposed to a flame or spark.  The best one could do from a safety stanpoint, considering they cannot hook up their battery without help, is call a repair technician for help! 

hambone (aka mr.rogers)




From: panchokitty Sent: 4/3/2002 8:11 PM
Thanks for the replies.  I looked closer, and one cable goes to a silver round thing.  Would that be the solenoid?  The other cable goes up to the front - I can't follow it all the way up.  The battery for the engine is under the hood, and this battery is by itself on the side of the home.  This is a marine cell battery, and boy is it heavy.  I don't have voltmeters nor know how to use them.  I was hoping someone from the list could tell me what to do before I bothered my mechanic.

I'm hoping to get the RV de-winterized and up and about for a trip in two weeks.

melissa




From: toster Sent: 1/15/2003 5:18 PM
Hi, I don't have any mh experience either, but I've been a electronics tech for over 20 years.

If you still have two cables to hook up and don't know which is positive (or hot) you can use any 12V light bulb or a simple "trouble light" from the auto parts store. Attach the clip from the the trouble light to the chassis of the mh. Now simply touch the probe end to each cable. One will cause the light to come on, the other will not. The positive lead should be obvious now (it's the one that made the light come on). Depending on a bunch of things I don't know yet, you might need to have the motor running to get power. Remember to make sure that both cables are NOT touching ANY metal on the mh until you determine which is hot. If you let them short to anything you might damage the alternator or voltage regulator. Be safe and insulate them with electrical tape of something until you are under there measuring them. You can just probe through the tape. I hope that helps.