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BATTERY TOO LOW! in flight

in 912 / 914 Technical Questions 12 years ago
Hi,

Could this be that:

1. the battery nears his end or
2. the ROTAX generator does not charge the battery sufficiently. If affirm what part is most likely faulty?

Jan

  • Re: BATTERY TOO LOW! in flight

    by » 12 years ago

    Hi Jan,

    How old is the battery? People who fly more regularly can see 3-4 years of battery service. It can be shorter or longer, but this seems to be a good average.
    Yes your battery could be near its life's end. I would however check these areas first. Check for any loose wires to the charging circuit. Make sure the battery terminal screws are tight, then start the engine and put a volt meter on to check the out and input on the reg/rec.

    Roger Lee
    LSRM-A & Rotax Instructor & Rotax IRC
    Tucson, AZ Ryan Airfield (KRYN)
    520-349-7056 Cell

    Thank you said by: jan kerstens
      
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  • Re: BATTERY TOO LOW! in flight

    by » 12 years ago

    Hi Roger,

    Its a LiFePo Super B5200 battery 2 years old. Average life 5 years. There was a red alert lamp ON indicating that the alternator is insufficiently charging the battery.

    Not sure its the battery. But will check loose wires/connections as you suggest. Suspect however the regulator/rectifier: they fail frequently. Do you agree?

    Jan
      
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  • Re: BATTERY TOO LOW! in flight

    by » 12 years ago

    Hi Jan,

    The reg/rec can fail. I don't think it's a regular problem, but does happen. The battery sounds new enough to not be the issues unless it has been drain real hard and almost down to nothing. Batteries like to stay chargd and if they get sucked down toward and too low they don't always recover well. This could be the reg so just use the volt meter and check it out along with the wires and connection tightness.

    Roger Lee
    LSRM-A & Rotax Instructor & Rotax IRC
    Tucson, AZ Ryan Airfield (KRYN)
    520-349-7056 Cell

      
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  • Re: BATTERY TOO LOW! in flight

    by » 12 years ago

    Thanks Roger,

    Where to best measure I and O of the reg/rec?

    Jan
      
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  • Re: BATTERY TOO LOW! in flight

    by » 12 years ago

    Hi all,

    Turned out to be the reg/rec. Please note that often weak terminals are the root cause but not this time. Anyway I have removed the old ones by stiffer terminals to avoid possible future problems. Vibration and high temperature may result in almost loose contacts causing problems to charge the system.

    Jan
      
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