Battery Flooded

[churry]

Hi,

my boat flooded with lots of water lastnight which resulted in the battery being coompletely under salt water and leaking some acid everywhere but it didnt't seem to destroy any cables or anything like that.

The boat is now dry, but the battery still has a bit of charge left in it and I was just wondering if it would be safe to start it up and drive it over to the boat ramp to get it out of the water and obviously replace the battery.
It's an out board if that makes any difference.

Thanks for your help.

[rasorinc]

take out the old battery and use a spare or cables. Do not use the old battery until tested out of the boat...

[robherc]

I agree COMPLETELY with razor...personally, I'd prob. yank the battery out of my care & carry it out to the boat with me. Run the boat over to the ramp connected to that.

Of course, IRL, I'd probably forget to start the car first & (if I'm pulling the boat onto a trailer) end up with a bit of a problem at a busy ramp...lol but if the ramp's not busy you could get away with it...just park your trailer on the ramp first, or start your car/truck before removing the battery and use something to INSULATE THE POSITIVE LEAD.

[pistnbroke]

robherc....No I dont think so ..start the engine and take off the battery ....that will instantly bugger the alternator ...yes you could do it in the old dynamo days but not with an alternator ....

[robherc]

rofl pistn...
Do you have any IDEA the number of people who nurse cars on dead batteries for weeks (or sometimes even over a month) by jump-starting their cars before trips, and having the alternator run it from there??? I don't think an hour or so would hurt the alternator very much...especially in comparison to those who've left their cars/trucks running like that for weeks/months.

[pistnbroke]

Clearly Alternators are not your specialist subject ...jump starting is not removing the battery with the engine running which buggers the output diodes and the warning light comes on .

when you take the battery off the alternator thinks battery volt zero must need a charge and increases its output volts ..this of course does not raise the battery volts so the voltage gets so high the diodes are wecked..some alternators had a surge diode which went short circuit (at 35v) to prevent damage when idiots took the battery off with the engine running ...ha ha ...

[robherc]

And exactly what is the output of a battery with a completely dead cell? (0v???)
No, computer-controlled alternators are not my specialty...but every now & then the real world kicks in & proves all your pretty theory & manuals wrong...

A couple months ago the positive lead to my battery pulled out of the battery terminal. The damage was caused by an aftermarket part, but the bigger problem was that my pay was 2 months behind, and we could not afford to replace the lead, or the battery. for 2 months my car (2001 model year) ran perfectly well by simply holding the positive lead against the battery terminal long enough to start the car, then driving to wherever we needed to go. Overnight I charged the battery via float-charger to ensure that the battery (which was almost new) would last until the army got off their collective derriers & sent me my back-pay. Now, 2 months after replacing the battery, I am still having absolutely ZERO problems with the alternator! The same alternator that, for a period of over a month, was running while CONSTANTLY sensing "battery volt zero" by your analysis.....RUBBISH on you.
In the REAL WORLD and "open circuit" to the battery will reflect the output of the alternator right back to the sensors...thus the battery will appear to the system to be fully charged....THINK before your next post please...you are unnecessarily insulting with your posts, and bout 80% of the time you're DEAD WRONG!

[tunnels]

Originally Posted by churry

Hi,

my boat flooded with lots of water lastnight which resulted in the battery being coompletely under salt water and leaking some acid everywhere but it didnt't seem to destroy any cables or anything like that.

The boat is now dry, but the battery still has a bit of charge left in it and I was just wondering if it would be safe to start it up and drive it over to the boat ramp to get it out of the water and obviously replace the battery.
It's an out board if that makes any difference.

Thanks for your help.

If the battery is in a place where it can get flooded it needs to be moved to a place where its imposible to get flooded ,as well as the wiring and looms etc and if your outboard has a auxilary oil tank for the outboard then that also needs to be moved to a high and dry place .

[pistnbroke]

robherc ..you have been lucky if all was exactly as you say ...were there no other smaller cables to the battery positive as well as the starter cable..
Just because you got away with it does not mean that the advice from all alternator manufacturers should be ignored and classed as rubbish..

[robherc]

The were no cables attached to the positive terminal at all as the primary lead pulled the threads out of the terminal completely (and the "smaller cable" ran off of the same contact, the 2 leads joined at the battery terminal attachment).
Anywise, my point remains VERY valid for the case above where the battery will not be disconnected for more than an hour on the very outside...and the engine will be idling for the vast majority of that time anywise (not to mention that the engine can be shut down once the truck is on the ramp...and only re-started after the battery has been reconnected).

In any occasion, I would not recommend that anyone intentionally remove the battery from their vehicle for extended periods of time, unless as the ultimate "last ditch" option, due to problems with battery wear, voltage-regulation (i.e. undervoltage if the engine slows below the alternator's design speed), and the danger of stalling & not having a means of re-starting your vehicle (especially dangerous if it happens on a freeway)!

[Frosty]

You cant take a batt of an alt charge system. There has to be a resistance of some sorts or the alt will go full out to charge something that isnt there and destroy itself.

It is unlikely the engine would start anyway , but jump it up and it will be fine to get to the ramp. --you could pull start it!

An outboard charge is miniscule compared to a car, but it may even recover depending if seawater got in. However the batt could be washed out and new acid put in. Hold the batt upside down and flush each cell with a hose pipe. If you can buy batt acid in your country.

[robherc]

Frosty, you CAN take the batt. our of an alt charge system, as I have proven for over a month of use on my car...once the batt. is out there is TOTAL RESISTANCE (i.e. Open Circuit) there, so the charge system will NOT "go full out to charge something..." ... rather, if you connected the two terminals together (i.e. shorted them), your statement would be correct, and the system would be trying to charge a SERIOUSLY discharged battery. The open circuit created by disconnecting the battery has more the effect of a battery with a "dead cell" that will no longer take a charge, nor put off any significant voltage. If what you & pistnbroke are saying about alternators were true, then alternators would routinely fry cars' electrical systems (or at least themselves) every time a battery was seriously damaged, and needed replaced. This condition would be completely unacceptable to buyers, and simply does not happen in real life...therefore you're proven wrong. It may be somewhat detrimental to run an alt. charged vehicle with the batt. disconnected, but it will not cause the immediate & serious damage/voltage overload that you and pistn are referring to.

[Frosty]

Ever heard anyone say don't turn the batts off before stopping the engine. West marine sell protectors for this.

Guy across from me is at the alt shop right now for forgetting that, he had an overcharge situation that frightened him so he turned off the batts.

[robherc]

Frosty, now it sounds (to me) like you're talking about a marine engine+alt+battery...in that case, I have no idea, and you may be absolutely right. For the purpose of this thread, however, we were referring to removing the battery from a gasoline-engined car or truck...and their alternators will (and VERY often do) survive running for a while with the batt. disconnected; as long as nobody gets stupid and lets the positive lead touch anything metal.