House Battery Mirada 32UD

[Djisle]

Looks like my batteries are shot - Couldn't tell you what type they are as they pretty much don't say anything on the battery. I watched YouTube videos on how to set these up and my battery looks like the 6 volt and is set up the same way the 6 volts are on the video's. Anyway, I got a reply from Forest river that the Mirada came with 12 volt batteries. I looked around and I don't see any 12 volt with pos and neg being on opposite sites they are just on one side of the battery the 6 volts are all on opposites sides like pos upper left corner neg lower right corner. Anyway can I just install 6 volt or is there something special I need to do. Here is a pic on how it is connected.
Thanks

[rk06382]

Originally Posted by Djisle

Looks like my batteries are shot - Couldn't tell you what type they are as they pretty much don't say anything on the battery. I watched YouTube videos on how to set these up and my battery looks like the 6 volt and is set up the same way the 6 volts are on the video's. Anyway, I got a reply from Forest river that the Mirada came with 12 volt batteries. I looked around and I don't see any 12 volt with pos and neg being on opposite sites they are just on one side of the battery the 6 volts are all on opposites sides like pos upper left corner neg lower right corner. Anyway can I just install 6 volt or is there something special I need to do. Here is a pic on how it is connected.
Thanks

6v will have three cells, 12v have six cells.

[TheGerman]

Ummh ... these are 6V batteries but they look like they are wired wrong. Assuming they are identical and the stickers are in the same spot it appears the same polarity terminals are connected with the short jumper cable.

Now at least for wet cell lead-acid batteries you actually can charge them "the other way around" but you might want to check the batteries individually and completely discharge both individually with a incandescent light bulb and then wire them up correctly. Maybe (just maybe) that fixes the battery issues.

[LTDunltd]

This does not look right. They are 6 volt batteries.
They should be hooked up with the red wires going to the positive terminal of the bottom battery. The negative terminal from the bottom battery goes to the positive terminal on the upper battery. The black wires go to the negative terminal on the upper battery.

[LTDunltd]

They should look like the ones on the right.

[Djisle]

This is the way it was set up new when i bought it. I haven't touched it. I buying 2 new batteries and it looks like a need 2 - 6 volt deep cycle.
Thanks

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Djisle

This is the way it was set up new when i bought it. I haven't touched it. I buying 2 new batteries and it looks like a need 2 - 6 volt deep cycle.
Thanks

They are telling you that the batteries, as pictured, are connected incorrectly. We don't know the condition of the batteries. Maybe they are fine if you connect them correctly, maybe they will be fine if you connect them correctly and charge them up, and maybe they are shot.

Before rushing out to get new batteries, try:

1. Connect them correctly
2. Take the cables off, charge each battery separately, then connect them correctly
3. If they still don't work, buy new batteries and connect them correctly

Larry

[Splitshaft]

Even if the batteries were incorrectly connected when first installed (doubtful). It is possible to charge a lead acid battery in reverse. It will not work as well when charged with the correct polarity, yet will work somewhat and it will be permanently ruined and recharging it with the correct polarity cannot undo the damage done. Based on the age and condition of the batteries, you might get away with only replacing one. The one with a little bit of pink color on the filler cap appears hooked up wrong. Even when a battery’s polarity is not marked, the positive post, if it has a post, is always larger than the negative post of the battery. Anyway, since the fasteners are missing from the interconnecting cables, except for one, maybe in inspecting the batteries for failure, the cables got revered since their hold down nuts are missing in the photo. Either six or twelve-volt batteries can go back in. If using twelve-volt batteries another interconnecting cable will be required. Twelve-volt batteries work better for me even though more cables are needed to interconnect them.

[Djisle]

I took the screw off but then thought I better get a picture of how this was put together so I could reassemble. This is the first time I really looked at the batteries since I bought it new. My inverter got changed out last year. I has RV guys come out and my inverter was shot - 2 months after warranty. I would have thought they would have noticed this. They should have noticed this when they worked on it. Or maybe they changed it when trying to fix it. Be that as it may, I am buying 2 six volt batteries on Thursday. So I need pos to go to negative and then the 2 coming from the coach I assume the black on is NEG and the red one at the bottom are going to go to POS, right
Thanks

[sailski]

Before you get new batteries I would recommend having the batteries load tested at an auto parts store. If they do need replacement and you want to continue using 6 volt batteries use GC2 golf cart batteries that are designed for deep discharge as most automotive batteries are designed for starting a car or truck and be recharged right after the vehicle is started. Many RVers use them for this reason plus they are relatively inexpensive. However, they may be too tall to fit in your battery box.
I would also recommend buying an inexpensive volt meter that can measure many electrical problems and help solve them.

[sailski]

Originally Posted by Djisle

I took the screw off but then thought I better get a picture of how this was put together so I could reassemble. This is the first time I really looked at the batteries since I bought it new. My inverter got changed out last year. I has RV guys come out and my inverter was shot - 2 months after warranty. I would have thought they would have noticed this. They should have noticed this when they worked on it. Or maybe they changed it when trying to fix it. Be that as it may, I am buying 2 six volt batteries on Thursday. So I need pos to go to negative and then the 2 coming from the coach I assume the black on is NEG and the red one at the bottom are going to go to POS, right
Thanks

The positive on battery 1 should be connected to the red cables. The short red wire should connect the negative terminal on battery 1 to the positive terminal on battery 2. The black cables should be connected to the negative terminal of battery 2.

[formerFR]

the real question is: WHY do you think you need to’ replace ‘ them?

[Djisle]

they are dead. no power in the house. That's why I am buying new ones and on of them is getting a little bubble. The RV guys last year said to replace them with interstate.

Going on another trip in 6 weeks.

[CHICKDOE]

do what you want. the people here are simply saying that they are wired incorrectly and you may or may not be able to reuse the ones you have. do not assume they are good or bad. do not assume how to wire them. find out for sure! how do you know your inverter was shot after 2 months. because some rv guy who has an interest in selling you a new one said so? (we won't even talk about dealer and warranty). could it be that the miswired batteries affected the performance of the inverter (low 6 volt voltage rather than 12 volt)? what did the inverter manual say?

time to either get the wallet out (and probably keep it out) or find out for sure how these work. i think the guys on the forum are recommending the latter.

[Splitshaft]

Originally Posted by Djisle

I took the screw off but then thought I better get a picture of how this was put together so I could reassemble. This is the first time I really looked at the batteries since I bought it new. My inverter got changed out last year. I has RV guys come out and my inverter was shot - 2 months after warranty. I would have thought they would have noticed this. They should have noticed this when they worked on it. Or maybe they changed it when trying to fix it. Be that as it may, I am buying 2 six volt batteries on Thursday. So I need pos to go to negative and then the 2 coming from the coach I assume the black on is NEG and the red one at the bottom are going to go to POS, right
Thanks

As I say the way the batteries were connected, they could have worked (worked wrong, but worked). Never mind what others think about the condition of the batteries, they are ruined either way if connected as pictured. When replacing 6-volts, connect the positive cable from the coach to the positive post of one battery. Connect the ground cable of the coach the negative of the second (other battery). And connect the short jumper between the negative and positive of both batteries. Ground cables are the ones connected to the frame of the truck chassis and normally black. Cannot always go by color. Best to see where the cables go and verify ground and power connections. Red is normally used for the positive connections.

[Djisle]

Got it - Thanks folks - Just to be clear the inverter was 2 months past it warranty since it came with a 2 year warranty I was over by 2 months so that was about $1,300...

[Djisle]

Ok _ does this look right - it's working. lights up the house and startes then gen...

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Djisle

Ok _ does this look right - it's working. lights up the house and startes then gen...

Yes, that looks right.

Larry

[LTDunltd]

Originally Posted by Djisle

Ok _ does this look right - it's working. lights up the house and startes then gen...

That looks right to me. Good job.