All:
I have been experiencing frequent house battery failures on my '04 288 Vista. So far I've gone thru 3 batteries. Way too many. The dealer has checked the charger as Inteli-Power Marine Charger by Progressive Dynamics Model PD2020.
The Charger:
The charger has two outputs going to each battery. It uses what they term a Charging Wizard to safety and effectively charge your batteries. The charger has four modes. A Boost mode which dumps 14.4v into the batterie for 4 or so hours. A Normal mode charging at 13.6v for upto 30 hrs. A Trickle mode to maintaine a full chargerd battery. A Equalization mode that pumps 14.4v into the battery for 15 minutes every 21 hrs to keep any stratification of the electrolyte to a minumum.
Problem:
The outputs on the charger sense the the voltages of the battery(s) and the Charging Wizard determines the appropriate scheme to charge the battery(s). If the batteries are is a drasticlly different state of charge such as battery 1 being used only to start and Battery 2 used as a house, the charger bases it's scheme on the better of the two, hence the charger goes into "Trickle" mode quickly leaving the house battery charging at a very very very slow rate. If you look at the LED on the charger and the Ampmeter you would determine your batteries are charged. Basically, the outputs are NOT independent!
Manufactureres Solution ot me:
Disconnect the starting battery so the charger only sees the house (discharged) battery. YA, RIGHT, LIKE THAT'S PRACTICAL!
For me, I turn on the refrig on shore power to cool it down. Off we go to the ramp. Refrig runs on battery power for 2 - 3 hrs. We launch and run to the place we are going. The alternator is running the ship systems and what's left goes to the batteries...not much really. We dock and plug into shorepower. Ah, the batteries are being recharged. Suprise, the charger senses the starting battery and after an hour is in trickle mode doing really nothing for the depleted house battery. Two days later, we run back to the ramp. Load the boat and the refrig is back on battery 2 the house battery still depleted. @ hours home but the wife and kids want lunch so there is another two hours. So by the time we get home and the boat is plugged ito shrepower again in the driveway 5 hrs have passed. My house battery is near death. Ah, but the charger is on right? Yep but not charging that house battery at anymore than a trickle because it senses a near fully charged starting battery!
The Solution:
I spoke with Four Winns. They agree that the charger just will not work in the way they intended. Roy's suggested that I bring the boat to the dealer and explain the situation and ask them to: 1. Change the charger out via the warranty. He said FW is currently using Guest and make sure they understand NOT to replace it with the same model. 2. Have the dealer call him and he will okay it and make sure they get something other than the Inteli-Power Marine Charger
Looking at the boats parts list on the Four Winns website, some models have the PD2020 or PD2030 model listed under wiring in their parts catalog. Others are using 2633 and 2622 which are Guest chargers and from my investigation have two truley independent charging circuits.
SO... check your chargers Guys and Gals. If it's a PD2020 or PD2030, I'd get it changed. It ain't workin' like you think it is!
Four Winns is just gonna love me
_________________
Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"
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