Battery/alternator issue

[matizado02]

Hi,
Today I was spending the afternoon with my family in my bertram 30 moppie (with 1994 cummins 6bta engines). When starting the engines to head back home port engine fired perfectly but starboard engine seemed to have low electrical power. It ended up firing up. After that, when I was retrieving the anchor with the windlass the low battery alarm went off.

On the way back, the starboard volt gauge barely reached 12v when normally reaches 14 and the rpm gauge of the starboard engine stopped working.

Do you think I’m just facing a defective battery issue or could be the alternator not charging adecuately? I’m incline to think it is just the battery but the rpm gauge not working worries me.

I would really apreaciate your advice.
Many thanks in advance.

Topic

[matizado02]

Any thoughts?

[matizado02]

Hi Tony, Many thanks for your quick reply.

This weekend I checked the batteries with a voltimenter and port engines showed 14,03 at iddle and starboard engine showed 12,05. Hence, as you anticipated it looks and smells I have an alternator issue. RPM gauge is not working either so I suspect the issue is also related.

I herewith send you the pictureof borth voltimenter gauges with the engines running with matches with what I get at the battery with my portable voltimeter. I also enclosed some picture of the alternator itself.

At this point, is it worth it to try to repair it or it is better to purchase a new one. If the latter is the best solution, do you have this alternator model available? or other that could fit my engine including exisiting wire configuration?
Many thanks in advance.

[Tony Athens]

Not sure how your boat is wired or how you monitor battery terminal voltage, but I’d start with a alternator replacement.. They don’t last forever.

[Author]

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