Battery Issues

[Scagg]

Hey guys, I am really hoping you can help me with this issue. I recently bought a 2006 Outback. The owner had just replaced the batter prior to me purchasing it but when he showed the battery status on the monitoring panel, it read Empty ( I am guessing that meant 0 volts). I had been running the trailer off of a generator, but always thought that the lights were really dim. The first time that I turned on the electric hot water heater, the lights started to flicker and the converter started beeping. I thought it was just bad power from the generator so I ended up running power to the trailer from my house. But the flickering lights and beeping continued. I then went outside to see what the power at the battery was reading. The battery was hot, and leaking battery acid. I immediately disconnected the positive terminal on the battery, and all the lights lit up bright, and the converter started running normal. Am I looking at a dead cell in the battery, or a problem with the charging circuit?

[hankpage]

There is also the possibility that the battery was installed with reversed polarity. The cable that goes to the fuse on the back wall is the positive (+). If so there are fuses on the converter that may be blown .... they protect the converter from reverse polarity and most likely did their job if it is still working. JM2¢, Hank

[SAABDOCTOR]

I think you have a bad battery. Hank is right about reverse polarity. campers are not wired like your car. the battery ground wire is white. and the pos is black. This is just like your stick house. It gets lots of folks.If it was wired wrong the two fuses on the converter are blown. once you get the spill cleaned up. Use baking soda to neutarlize the acid and keep the corrosion from starting. put in a new battery and check the charge rate.Depending on the state of charge on the new battery. the converter will charge it at a higher rate till the battery comes up and then drop down to a float setting. ie low rate that will not boil the acid out!.Good luck