08 330 Engine room battery switches

aero3113

 With the new boat there are a lot of new components I need to learn about. My question is for the engine room battery switches. Port side is in auto with a red light on, emergency is in auto with no light and starboard is in the On position with no light. Right now, I can only start the port engine with the emergency start button up on top deck, otherwise I just hear the starter relay or starter chattering when I turn the key. Starboard starts no problem. Thanks for your help!

Port and Emergency switches



Starboard switch

Dream_Inn

Sounds like your port battery may be needing replaced.  I'd start by putting a meter on it.

aero3113

@Dream_Inn , I was thinking the same. But are the switches in the correct position? After the port engine runs for a little bit, I can shut it down and it will start right up without the emergency switch.

aero3113

Also why is the light illuminated on the port switch? I searched the Internet for a manual but had no luck.

JimGuy341

@aero3113 I have the same battery setup in our 2008 350 and the same issue as you.  When the Port switch was on AUTO, it would not start.  When I moved it to ON, the engine started.  That's where I left it for the season.  The boat is new to us this year and all batteries were new in 2018.  I assume AUTO is the correct setting, but like you, I can't find any manuals online to explain things.

JimGuy341

Just found this PDF... 

aero3113

Thanks @JimGuy341 , I can’t open your PDF but found this last night (might be the same as your PDF). I’m still confused as to where the selectors should be set for normal use.

http://webserver.flak.no/vbilder/10438_1.pdf

Dream_Inn

After reading the file, it looks like the emergency switch should be in auto and the individual engine switches should be in the on.  & have the individual  engine switch in off before first turning the emergency to auto.  LED light should on and not blinking.

Spyderweb

@aero3113 I’ve had same problem as you figuring out those battery switches (2008 330).  I’m on boat now and just checked mine.  All are set to ON and port switch has red light on, same as yours.  I’m pretty sure that’s how it was set when I bought it (not knowing what to do different).  Everything has worked fine for the 2 seasons we’ve had it.

Spyderweb

@aero your link is the same as @JimGuy341.  After reading it and @Dream_Inn post, sounds like emergency switch should be AUTO and others ON.  I guess I don’t understand what that is doing for us, and what it’s not doing if emergency is set to ON.  

aero3113

@spyderweb , my port switch is set to Auto with the light on. I guess ill have to play with the switches when I get to the boat.

Dream_Inn

I believe all that the auto for the emergency switch is doing is automatically detecting and adding in parallel the other starter battery if it detects that the starter battery does not have enough to start.  Having it on all the time means your starter batteries are jumped together in parallel.  You do not want to leave it in that position because when you go to start & it's dead, then both batteries are done without any warning.  (Tied together, a bad battery can pull down and ruin a good one).

I do not have these switches, but I believe that is how it works.

aero3113

@Alswagg , so is both battery switches on ON and emergency on AUTO the correct settings?

aero3113

Thank you