Is the DC charger in my MagneTek 6332 converter shot?

[Jen057]

Hello all

We have 2 different issues; not sure if one is causing the other.

1. Our batteries are from 2006. They are dead and won't hold a real charge (currently 4V). We're looking at buying a set of group 31's as replacements for the group 24's in there now. Currently the batteries are at 4V after a desulfation procedure from our neighbors battery charger.

We have the MagneTek 6332 in our TM.
At the DC terminals at the Distribution Panel, we have 14.7V
At the Battery Shutoff switch at the front of the TM, we have 14.2V with the shutoff switch OFF.

2. As soon as I turn the Battery shutoff ON to allow the Charging circuit in the MagneTek to kick in to charge the batteries, the voltage drops to 2.1v at the battery shutoff and never outputs more!?

Is there any sensing circuit in the MagneTek that would prevent it from attempting to charge the batteries in the state they are currently in? Or is the 2.1V with batteries connected indicative of a problem in the DC charging portion of the MagneTek?

We need new batteries, as we know these are old and now wonder if the charger in the TM contributed to their current state. However.... what we don't know is if the charger in the MagneTek is also faulty, or if we can even determine this until we put the new batteries in.

Community.. Please help!

Thanks!
-Tom and Jennifer.

[Padgett]

Just personal opinion but a pair of GC2 or GC2Hs will have more capacity than 24's and a bit more than 31s even.

As to the converter, you could test with just a single 12v battery from a car. A charged 12v is 12.2-12.6v and chargng it should be over 13

[Jen057]

Thanks for the reply Padgett,
Using my truck's battery for a quick test is definitely doable [Although frustrating that I need 3 different sockets to do it in my Chevy]....

As for the GolfCart batteries...
Aside from wiring the 2 6V's in series, and using the + from one and the - from the other, does anything else need to be changed for the Magnatek or anything else to handle them? I hadn't entertained the idea of 2 6v's in series, I was still thinking traditionally of 2 12v's in parallel.

[Padgett]

Nope is that simple. GC2s have a lot of capacity, are reliable, and common as dirt (Golf Cart #2).

[scrubjaysnest]

Your convertor is probably ok, just the batteries putting to much load on. Check it after replacing the batteries.

[tentcamper]

Buy some battries. It should solve the converter issue.

Sounds like a few cells are shorted and will not accept a charge, but suck down the voltage of the converter when trying to charge.

[BrucePerens]

No problem connecting two 6V batteries in series, but they should be identical, and purchased new. Otherwise, one can take more charge than the other, and drive the weak one into reverse polarization.

For these old converters, I suggest flooded batteries rather than sealed ones, and carry demineralized water to fill them. The converter will tend to overcharge, and you will have to add water when it does.

[Jen057]

Update: We bought new batteries and everything is working well. Went on our first dry camping trip in a while and was there for 3 nights and had plenty of battery life left.