Columbia can't keep a charge

Of course, we all know that 4 12v batteries linked in parallel = 3,800 CCA? A little more than 410, unless you're telling us to pull our cable array and test separately, Snowwy?

 

Thanks GrapeApe.I would have never answered that post on my own.I have been doing 12v electrical for 25+years and I still learn new things.When I hear or see something new, I will try it myself before passing judgement as "ridiculous"or worse.Next time put a load tester on the lead base while checking and notice the difference in readings from using the posts.I just like to help and also learn from this board.Case closed on my end.

 

you can't test the batteries individually with them all hooked up. correct?????

 

No. You can just disconnect the positive and test without taking the battery out or disconnecting the ground.

 

Here's how I load test with an impedance tester. I disconnect all the grounds. Test each battery individually, if they are not all the same voltage, I crisscross. Check the rear battery by going to the ground on that battery and the positive on the front battery. This tests all the positive jumpers. If you get a different reading, you have a bad connection or bad jumper wire. Then I do the same thing to test the ground jumpers, unhook the positives and hook up all ground jumpers to test those. I have found bad jumpers before, a battery that shows low charge does not mean a bad battery, it may just not have a good connection.

 

Bad alternator from old time

 

That is the nice thing about my Xantrex inverter / charger, it shows the input and output of the batteries while being used and being charged by the truck. And when plugged up to shore power, generator, etc, it will test and charge batteries to full charge.

 

Only way to go if you can afford one.

 

Something like the Xantrex inverter charger I have is really not all that expensive when you consider the features it has. I got this one for about $500 and shipped free.

 

Which model do you have?