Narrative:

We arrived at the aircraft in the morning at ZZZ and the first officer noticed that the battery master was in the position with mfd (multi-function display unit) #1 and #2 illuminated. He selected it off and advised me of his finds as I entered the aircraft. I turned on the battery master and discovered that the battery voltage was 21 volts and both mfd #1 and #2 showed 'display overheat.' I contacted maintenance control after speaking with our dispatcher and advised 'xyx' of our discovery and that the battery master was currently selected off. He recommended that we get an AC power cart, hook it up for 15 mi, see if the battery voltage is 22 or above, and get the APU started. We talked about the write-up and I said I will be making one just stating what we found when we came to the aircraft regarding the battery master on, current voltage and the display overheat message. He advised that they will call contract maintenance and have them come to airplane. I called him back 15-20 mins after we got a power cart and advised that we were successful in getting the APU started and the battery voltage was now 25 or 26 volts in addition to the absence of the display overheat messages. The only remaining problem was the open write-up now in the mud flap. He advised me that they are having a problem with the on call contract maintenance and he has apparently turned his cell phone off. He said that his supervisor and he felt that since everything is fine with the aircraft now we can just cross out the open write-up and say 'entered in error.' I said, 'ok' and hung-up. I knew that this was not a legal option and since I was working on very little sleep I wanted to get another opinion to check my logic before a potential battle with maintenance began. I called the chief pilot's office and spoke with 'xyx' who agreed with me that this was not a reasonable course of action. I called maintenance control back and advised them that I will not be following their recommended course of action after spending time on hold and a later callback. I advised that they were going to have a mechanic drive up from ZZZ1, to make the sign off. He arrived 1 hour or so later and I thought it was interesting that maintenance control had the mechanic check numerous items in a manual before allowing the sign off to occur. Apparently it was not just as simple as getting the APU started and you are good to go. We left 2.5 hours late and came within 20 mins of the flight attendant timing out as per scheduling.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 WAS FOUND IN THE MORNING WITH THE MASTER SWITCH ON AND BATTERY VOLTS 21. LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. STARTED APU FOR BATTERY CHARGING. NO LCL TECHNICIAN TO SIGN LOGBOOK.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT IN THE MORNING AT ZZZ AND THE FO NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY MASTER WAS IN THE POS WITH MFD (MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY UNIT) #1 AND #2 ILLUMINATED. HE SELECTED IT OFF AND ADVISED ME OF HIS FINDS AS I ENTERED THE ACFT. I TURNED ON THE BATTERY MASTER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY VOLTAGE WAS 21 VOLTS AND BOTH MFD #1 AND #2 SHOWED 'DISPLAY OVERHEAT.' I CONTACTED MAINT CTL AFTER SPEAKING WITH OUR DISPATCHER AND ADVISED 'XYX' OF OUR DISCOVERY AND THAT THE BATTERY MASTER WAS CURRENTLY SELECTED OFF. HE RECOMMENDED THAT WE GET AN AC PWR CART, HOOK IT UP FOR 15 MI, SEE IF THE BATTERY VOLTAGE IS 22 OR ABOVE, AND GET THE APU STARTED. WE TALKED ABOUT THE WRITE-UP AND I SAID I WILL BE MAKING ONE JUST STATING WHAT WE FOUND WHEN WE CAME TO THE ACFT REGARDING THE BATTERY MASTER ON, CURRENT VOLTAGE AND THE DISPLAY OVERHEAT MESSAGE. HE ADVISED THAT THEY WILL CALL CONTRACT MAINT AND HAVE THEM COME TO AIRPLANE. I CALLED HIM BACK 15-20 MINS AFTER WE GOT A PWR CART AND ADVISED THAT WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE APU STARTED AND THE BATTERY VOLTAGE WAS NOW 25 OR 26 VOLTS IN ADDITION TO THE ABSENCE OF THE DISPLAY OVERHEAT MESSAGES. THE ONLY REMAINING PROB WAS THE OPEN WRITE-UP NOW IN THE MUD FLAP. HE ADVISED ME THAT THEY ARE HAVING A PROB WITH THE ON CALL CONTRACT MAINT AND HE HAS APPARENTLY TURNED HIS CELL PHONE OFF. HE SAID THAT HIS SUPVR AND HE FELT THAT SINCE EVERYTHING IS FINE WITH THE ACFT NOW WE CAN JUST CROSS OUT THE OPEN WRITE-UP AND SAY 'ENTERED IN ERROR.' I SAID, 'OK' AND HUNG-UP. I KNEW THAT THIS WAS NOT A LEGAL OPTION AND SINCE I WAS WORKING ON VERY LITTLE SLEEP I WANTED TO GET ANOTHER OPINION TO CHK MY LOGIC BEFORE A POTENTIAL BATTLE WITH MAINT BEGAN. I CALLED THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE AND SPOKE WITH 'XYX' WHO AGREED WITH ME THAT THIS WAS NOT A REASONABLE COURSE OF ACTION. I CALLED MAINT CTL BACK AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WILL NOT BE FOLLOWING THEIR RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION AFTER SPENDING TIME ON HOLD AND A LATER CALLBACK. I ADVISED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A MECH DRIVE UP FROM ZZZ1, TO MAKE THE SIGN OFF. HE ARRIVED 1 HR OR SO LATER AND I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT MAINT CTL HAD THE MECH CHK NUMEROUS ITEMS IN A MANUAL BEFORE ALLOWING THE SIGN OFF TO OCCUR. APPARENTLY IT WAS NOT JUST AS SIMPLE AS GETTING THE APU STARTED AND YOU ARE GOOD TO GO. WE LEFT 2.5 HRS LATE AND CAME WITHIN 20 MINS OF THE FLT ATTENDANT TIMING OUT AS PER SCHEDULING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.