Alternator Bled back

I have a deep cell marine 12 volt battery that is going dead. The battery is 1year old. I found that the alternator is drawing .5 milamps back from the battery. Is this to much?
 
Deep cell batteries are made to be charged than fully discharged before being charged again and so they do not work well in a tractor unless you do not have a working charging system. That is why they are called a marine deep cycle battery not a car/truck or tractor battery
 
NOOOOOOOOOOOO 0.5 Milliamps is only 1/2 of one thousandth of one amp, and that's HARDLY ANY AND CERTAINLY NOT enough to discharge a rubber chicken, let alone a 100 or so Amp Hour Battery in a short time period. So, if the battery is discharging prematurely, that's NOT enough draw to cause it. THERE MUST BE SOME OTHER PHANTOM LOAD or else the battery is shorted or badly sulfated and pretty well shot. A battery shop will check voltage and load test it for free plus measure its specific gravity. If the battery checks out okay then you have to find the short or load that's causing the discharge BECAUSE THAT TEENY TINY 0.5 MILLIAMP DRAW ALONE IN A SHORT TIME IS NOTTTTTTTTT THE CAUSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FYI Those cheaper lighter duty so called "RV/Marine" Batteries are semi deep cycle at best, NOT full true Deep Cycle batteries such as a deep cycle golf cart battery like Trojan and others make.

True full Deep Cycle Batteries have thicker plates and are designed to allow a relative deep discharge before recharging HOWEVER CAUTION its best NOT to draw them down much over 50% of their rated capacity on a regular ongoing basis because that reduces battery life significantly. DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER ITS GOOD TO DISCHARGE A DEEP CYCLE ALL THE WAY BEFORE RECHARGING JUST BECAUSE ITS A DEEP CYCLE BATTERY, THATS NOTTTTTTTTTTTT WHAT THEY WERE DESIGNED TO DO, a 50% max (I suggest no more then 20% to 30%) discharge before recharging is muchhhhhhhhhhhh better for the battery. Yes Billy Bob, they can be drawn down heavy and still recharge and still work but that's NOT best for battery or battery life

Cars trucks and tractors generally use a regular starting battery NOT a deep cycle which are used more on golf carts and forklifts and in the RV industry. SURE Billy Bob, they will still "work" in a vehicle but that's NOT their designed and engineered best use.

TEST THE BATTERY AND IF ITS OKAY FIND THE CAUSE OF THE CURRENT DISCHARGE IS MY ADVICE

John T
 
That's about what a Kohler voltage regulator draws and it will draw down a lawnmower battery to the point it won't start in about 2 weeks. If i was you I would disconect the battery and see if it still goes dead.
 
Rich, in response to your post and with all due respect where you state.......... "Deep cell batteries are made to be charged than fully discharged"

FYI if you want the battery to have a longer life I suggest you DO NOT often "fully discharge" them YIKES However to each their own and do as yall please, fine by me. Manufacturers don't recommend over a 50% discharge regularly NEVER FULLY DISCHARGED and on my four Trojan Deep Cycles in my RV I don't like to go over 20% to 30% discharge before recharging and the gents who practice that can get 10+ years battery life.

Hope this helps

Is it cooling off yet down there in Missouri???? Maybe I can stop in for a visit on our way to Texas sometime.

Best wishes and God Bless you and yours

John T
 
A RUBBER CHICKEN with a battery? Sounds like something Bill would say. Now I've heard of everything.
 
Its an old saying and private joke among some of my friends, it started once when I bought an Oliver 66 and was trying to pull something and all it did was slip its wheels and my buddy says THAT THING WOULDNT PULL A RUBBER CHICKEN LOL

John T
 
To me any thing under say 30% is as good as a full discharge on a battery. Ya you can push them more but as you said not a good thing but either way they are not made ot be used in a car or truck or tractor
 
Short answer is no. How long does it take to drain the battery? It battery goes dead in a day or two, I would have battery tested or look for another problem.

I wired my 3 wire alternator with the two wires going through the ignition switch, removing all drains when it turned off, no matter how small. Simple solution.

The voltage regulator on my 20 hp Honda has a small drain too. I connected a relay to the ignition switch removing the VR from the battery when it's off, another simple solution.

Are you sure alternator is charging? Disconnect battery and see if battery goes dead. Be a good clue you have a battery problem. Another simple test, connect a smart charger to battery. If battery is fully charged, smart charger will show battery charged.

Why are you charging a marine battery with an alternator?
 
(quoted from post at 16:45:37 08/21/16) Deep cell batteries are made to be charged than fully discharged before being charged again and so they do not work well in a tractor unless you do not have a working charging system. That is why they are called a marine deep cycle battery not a car/truck or tractor battery

Even a deep cycle battery should
Not be discharged below 2/3 .
 

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