hot battery issue with Audere 4 band 18volt

deepestend · #1 12-21-2011, 07:39 AM

Hey all,
Hopefully someone can help as I can't see how I went wrong here.

Last night I made the big push on putting together my new parts jazz. Looking good so far with one major hiccup.

background: I'm using a warmoth jazz body with a double battery box. I am not the original owner of the body and did not install the box myself.

Last night, I installed everything, seemingly correctly and was getting sound out of the bass, but one of the batteries in the box started getting super hot. I checked the voltage on the batteries, which was fine, and switched them just to test and had the same thing happen in the same battery box.

A little research shows that the plus and minus are somehow coming into contact and that is what is causing the heat. I can't find it, though.

What am I doing wrong?
1. I have the red from the pre connected to one red from the battery box.
2. Then, the black from that side of the box is connected to the red on the other side/battery of the box.
3. Then the black is connected to ground (the jack).

Am I obviously doing something wrong here?

Bricesedge03 · #2 12-21-2011, 07:47 AM

does the pre call for series? which is what you have or parallel? you could have a bad battery connector.

deepestend · #3 12-21-2011, 07:48 AM

This is the Audere wiring diagram... I thought I had it right:

http://www.audereaudio.com/WiringPDFs/CLS_VB_4B.pdf

If I had a bad battery connector, would it still pass sound, though? Are you saying that maybe it's a bad solder connection?

Bricesedge03 · #4 12-21-2011, 07:52 AM

it could still pass voltage even though its shorting. if its only happening to the one battery i would check the socket part and the solders also. Im no expert but there is definitely a short somewhere on that battery.

Bricesedge03 · #5 12-21-2011, 07:54 AM

it looks like you have it right btw

deepestend · #6 12-21-2011, 07:57 AM

You've got to be right. It's all localized to that one battery holder, not the other one. And it's not the battery. I don't have much experience with battery boxes. Could it be anything but the solder? Could it have something to do with the actual contact points where the battery touches in the box?

Thanks!

DBCrocky · #7 12-21-2011, 07:59 AM

Disconnect the battery connector that is causing the hot batteries. While making sure the leads aren't touching, see if the + and - battery clips are shorted. This will tell you if the battery connector is bad.

deepestend · #8 12-21-2011, 08:01 AM

Thanks for the input. How do I check to see if the clip is shorted?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBCrocky

... see if the + and - battery clips are shorted. This will tell you if the battery connector is bad.

4StringTheorist · #9 12-21-2011, 08:05 AM

If the batteries are in series and one battery is shorted, the shorted battery will get hot (and possibly rupture!) and the preamp will continue to function because it's seeing 9V from the battery that isn't shorted.

You have a shorted connection somewhere in the battery box.

baskruit · #10 12-21-2011, 08:07 AM

The batttery box is likely mounted with four small screws. I'd probably take the battery box out of the body do give it a proper visual check from all angles.

Bricesedge03 · #11 12-21-2011, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepestend

Thanks for the input. How do I check to see if the clip is shorted?

do you have an ohm meter?

DBCrocky · #12 12-21-2011, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepestend

Thanks for the input. How do I check to see if the clip is shorted?

With a multi-meter. You can get one at radio shack for pretty cheap.

RadioShack® 15-Range Digital Multimeter - RadioShack.com

K-Frog · #13 12-21-2011, 08:11 AM

I agree with the short in the battery box. I bet the bass still functions with that battery removed and the other one in place. You could confirm the short in the battery box that way. I think you could also check for continuity between the + and - in the suspect battery box, with a meter.

Jaco D · #14 12-21-2011, 08:12 AM

Looks like a short in the "hot" compartment. Try this: load a 9V battery in the "cold" compartment and close the hatch. Leave the "hot" compartment empty and close the hatch. If you get some semblance of output when the bass is plugged in an amp then current is passing between the open contacts of the "hot" compartment and closing the circuit (though at 9V).

deepestend · #15 12-21-2011, 08:14 AM

I do have a multi-meter, though I admittedly only know the basics.

2 questions:

1: when I tried to remove the battery box completely, there was some sort of anchor wire holding it in. Can I just cut this? Doesn't seem electrical, just an anchor, though I can't totally tell. It's a gotoh battery box that looks like it was intalled by Warmoth originally.

2: How do I use the multimeter to check for continuity in that suspect battery box?

Again, thanks all! I had to just put this down last night and walk away because I was getting frustrated and was worried that I'd do something dumb while trying to fix it.

K-Frog · #16 12-21-2011, 08:22 AM

Put one probe on each contact in the "bad" box and use your continuity setting if you have it, or just check for very low resistance (<100 ohms)

deepestend · #17 12-21-2011, 08:34 AM

Sounds good. I will check for continuity when I get home.

In the meantime, is there any danger in just running it in 9v with the battery that does work? I'd love to bring the bass to band practice tonight, but won't be able to fix it beforehand.

deepestend · #18 12-21-2011, 08:41 AM

This is the multimeter that I have:

EQ-TS-F309 Trisonic 19 Range Pocket Digital Volt Ohm Meter With Transistor Tester

Is the continuity setting just before 6 o'clock on the dial?

mikezimmerman · #19 12-21-2011, 08:54 AM

If it will operate with just the one battery in, then it's pretty certain that you've got a short in the other battery box--otherwise, the series connection would be broken without the second battery in, and you wouldn't be getting any power to the preamp.

But no, there's no harm in running the Audere with 9 volts.

K-Frog · #20 12-21-2011, 08:54 AM

The info on that website says you have an audible continuity test, but i can't make it out on that pic. I think it might be that black icon at about 5:30ish?

turn on your meter and touch the probes together and try that setting. It should beep. if not, move to the other settings that don't appear to be typical range settings for resistance, voltage, etc, and try until you find the setting that gives the audible beep. That should be the only one that gives you a beep.