Arg...first strobe out, then flickering lights, now battery dead?

[dresbackg]

Not sure what happened to my plane! I was out flying this weekend, and had a blast, except right at the end, (literally, downwind to base) i noticed my lights flickering on my radio, and then that my strobe wasn't discharging like I thought it should be; then as I turned base to final, I noticed that my lights were back to flickering. It came back to acting normal after landing and taxi back to t-hangar, but the strobe was still a no go. Put it back, turned off all switches, and went home. Went out tonight to see plane and fly, and battery was dead. I did have indication that the engine was making amps / power, at preflight on the last flight, and it was making power when I checked it while flying. Any thoughts?

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Aside from checking the alternator, look for loose or corroded connections? Cables with only a few strands on the connector?

 

[coloradobluesky]

First thing Id do is charge the battery up and see if it holds a charge. Wiring, switch, voltage regulator and alternator are all possible culprits.

 

[sourdough44]

Type of battery? Age? Do you ever use a tender? I don't have faith that a series of 30 minute flights charge adequately.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Type of battery? Age? Do you ever use a tender? I don't have faith that a series of 30 minute flights charge adequately.

That alternator will recharge the battery in just a few minutes. It's capable of 60 amps, which is a huge charge. The OP's problem will be an intermittent or weak alternator, and if it hasn't been off for internal inspection in 1000 hours, the brushes are shot. And if it's a newer alternator, from a certain well-known manufacturer, it will have had way too much grease put in the rear bearing. That grease squishes out when the shaft enters the bearing, and gets onto the rotor's slip rings and fouls them and the brushes, limiting the field current so much that the alternator's output suffers terrifically. They've been doing this for several years and don't seem to care. I guess they don't examine or troubleshoot alternators being returned for warranty.

 

[sourdough44]

Still think it is pertinent to list the battery type & age. It's good to start with the simple stuff.

I had a buddy that flew to lunch two years ago. After eating his plane wouldn't start, poor cranking. He called on the local maintenance shop. Two weeks & $600 later he had a new battery.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Still think it is pertinent to list the battery type & age. It's good to start with the simple stuff.

Doesn't hurt, but it won't fix the OP's problem. When that engine is running, even at idle, the alternator takes over all the loads and the battery, once it's charged, just sits there and does next to nothing. Power problems in flight are most likely due to the charging system, and in my experience, it's usually a poorly-maintained alternator or broken field wiring. Regulators give little trouble, especially the old electromechanical types.

 

[denverpilot]

Definitely sounds like alternator is where I'd look first. If you have a voltmeter on board, it makes that sort of trouble a lot easier to see.