Battery problems delay journey June 2016
Day 12 To Great Haywood Junction - on the services outside Anglo-Welsh 1 mile
Yesterday, when I was topping up the batteries with distilled water, I noticed that one of the engine starter battery took a lot of water, even though the light indicator read 'green'.
Further hands and knees ferreting showed an acid weep!
So today, we came down to the Anglo-Welsh yard (outside on the end of the services) for a full investigation. I lifted both engine starter batteries out and this showed the casing of one of the batteries had a small split. Acid had wept onto the adjoining metal framework and the engine floor.
Kev from Anglo-Welsh was extremely helpful (I would thoroughly recommend him for services and parts etc - I buy my Morris SAE 30 from him in a 25 Litre drum!).
Kev agreed to take the old batteries for disposal and phoned a friend for replacements - to arrive tomorrow!
We have a 24 volt starter (the Lister JP2 Marine came from a fishing boat!) and so use 2 x 85 amp 12 volt batteries in series. These were last replaced in Feb 2008, so have done well.
Having only done less than an hour cruising down to the Junction, we needed to run the engine for some domestic battery charging. The benefit (?!) of a vintage engine is that it can be started by hand.
After 5 goes and my heartbeat telling me almost enough, with Chris on the decompressor lever, the engine fired and up went the leisure battery voltage! Relief!
Tomorrow we are going for a Full English Breakfast in the Canalside Café and await the arrival of the new batteries.
The two 85 Amp 12v engine starter batteries - in series for the 24 volts required
These have done us well - 8 years of service
Bi-carbonate of soda to eradicate any residual acidic water, having washed it all down
The chunky (lorry) 24 volt starter
Engine battery space awaiting tomorrow's delivery
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