Strange battery issues today

skennelly

Get to boat.

I found battery #1...which I leave on the switch was nearly dead...wouldn't crank the motor and fridge wasn't working.

Put switch in both position and still no power.

Put switch on #2 and now I had power.

Why didn't both work?

I'm going to do a full investigation of the charger and isolator hopefully tomorrow to see what I have to fix.

Thoughts?

skennelly

Does the charger run to the switch to charge both batteries or to the isolator?

skennelly

Checked things out today.

Charger is putting out 12.38v on bank 1 and 11.27v on bank 2.  Manual says it should be 14.7v.

With engine running and charger off battery 1 reads 11.27v and battery 2 reads 13.38v

With that info I'm going to replace the charger and the isolator.

I exposed the battery switch and there was an old bee hive on it.  lol.  It otherwise checked out okay.

@Alswagg - recommendation on a charger to purchase that won't break the money bank?

Handymans342

Ahh the curse of Handy LOL

skennelly

Thoughts?

https://www.amazon.com/ProMariner-43021-ProSport-Generation-Battery/dp/B00F5EBTGA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=promariner+battery+charger&qid=1561308036&s=gateway&sprefix=promariner&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&th=1

Willhound

That's what I have and works well. Pretty well known.

skennelly

@Willhound - cool.  How did you wire it up?  Go direct to the batteries?

skennelly

Just noticed the 3 bank charger is less expensive than the 2 bank...but the 3 bank you have to use all 3 for it to work.

Willhound

Yea. I have the two bank (I think) but wired the way I am it all works out. Look around between the charger and the isolator it may be possible to run the 3 bank and make it all work?

skennelly

I picked up a promariner 20amp

skennelly

@Willhound - Do you recall on your wiring of the charger.  Did you combine all the black wires to a common ground and then run all the positive's to the appropriate isolator terminals.

Willhound

@skennelly I don't remember the ground for sure but I think what I did is run direct to both battery banks not through isolator since charger controls the flows anyway. Only my alternator leads go to the isolator.

skennelly

@Willhound - Gotcha.  Going direct to each battery is certainly the easiest way to go.

Dude_Himself

Alswagg said:

We install Charles brand battery chargers.  2 battery systems a minimum 20 amp.  But quite a cruiser we would install a 30 amp for a 270. Not sure what breaks the bank, but sitting at the dock with dead batteries sucks.  It’s worth spending the extra for a reliable charger 

Charles Chargers don't make chargers anymore. :-(

Dude_Himself

Also - no one mentioned that if your battery has a dead cell it would explain everything.

The battery switch on both would have the good battery drawn down by the bad battery. The charger output would indicate lower as the dead cell would be shorting out and the charger can't overcome. Check the batteries by themselves (disconnect the ground). If it's not a bad cell swap the battery positions and see if the charger is still low on the 2nd bank.

kordo

With regard to having 2 battery banks and a 3 bank charger, I believe you can put a jumper between 2 of the banks on the charger thereby turning it into a 2 bank charger.  Check the manual.  I don't have my pronautic manual handy but I'm sure it's in there.

skennelly

@kordo - I checked the manual and it said every charging cable has to be connected to a battery.  I ordered the dual battery one so it's not an issue.

LaRea

Why do people keep saying to run cables from the charger direct to the batteries?  That's just one more set of mistakes that you or a future owner can make when changing batteries.  Don't make it more complicated than it has to be (not to mention more expensive and difficult to install).  

Connect the charger to the output posts of the isolator.  That's electrically the same as going direct to the battery, but without adding another cable at the battery.  

LaRea

Besides, you'd have to run #6 wire to the batteries.  The charger probably can't take connections bigger than #10, maybe #8 at most.  

Stodge

LaRea said:

Why do people keep saying to run cables from the charger direct to the batteries?  That's just one more set of mistakes that you or a future owner can make when changing batteries.  Don't make it more complicated than it has to be (not to mention more expensive and difficult to install).  

Connect the charger to the output posts of the isolator.  That's electrically the same as going direct to the battery, but without adding another cable at the battery.  

Because the instructions from the manufactures of the charger says to do that.  I installed a new ProMariner in my 280 and it said to run #6 from the charger to each bank, which I did.  Didn't have issues with it.

Willhound

Yep. Same here. With the new electronic chargers there's really no benefit going to the isolator as the charger keeps each bank isolated anyway. And the output of the charger is easily handled by the wire it comes with.

LaRea

In the OEM wiring, the charger output doesn't pass through the isolator.  It connects to the isolator's output side, not the input side.  The output side provides a direct connection to the batteries.  

I did not change the OEM wiring.  There's no benefit, and there is a downside if you add cables direct to the batteries:  higher cost, more cables to install and maintain, and higher risk for mis-connected cables.  

skennelly

@LaRea - I agree with you on keeping it OEM.  I'm going to try to.  The only problem is if the charger will allow it.  My old charger has a single terminal for ground and then terminals for positive out.

I need to verify with the manufacturer that I can combine all the negatives coming out of the charger.  If it's okay to do then I'm def running the positives to the isolator.

However on my 270s current wiring I don't believe the charger goes to the isolator...it runs to the battery switch but first through battery charger breakers.

skennelly

There's nothing wrong in theory about connecting the grounds together...in the end they all are anyways.  Just need to make sure the "smart" in the charger isn't somehow affected

Dude_Himself

skennelly said:

There's nothing wrong in theory about connecting the grounds together...in the end they all are anyways.  Just need to make sure the "smart" in the charger isn't somehow affected

The charger can't tell the difference so long as the wiring is adequate to carry the load (and if it's not then you're looking at fire anyway...).

skennelly

@Dude_Himself - Yes understood.

skennelly

@Willhound - I was reading about the prosport chargers a bit more and there seems to be some controversy using them on a cruiser that has things like a refrigerator and other loads that draw from the batteries.  Have you encountered any issues related to that? 

Willhound

Not that I know of. I do have an issue right now of low voltage reading at the dash but I'm sure it's a connection somewhere because with charger on I'm getting 13.4 to 13.8 at the batteries. And I've had the charger for 3 years and that issue just showed up recently.

Dude_Himself

This get resolved?

skennelly

I'm putting the new charger in tomorrow