4 batteries and a 3 bank charger

almtm3

All (first post, pls be kind),
New (to me) 2006 342 EC has 4 batteries and a prosport 3 bank charger.  Does anyone else have this configuration or was it an addition later?  Am watching the house batteries just sort of bleed out and I don't want to replace the batteries until I understand how the system should work correctly.  Is there any way the charger could be charging all the batteries? Was thinking that it made sense to be charging the cranking batteries and one of the house batteries, but as I think of it, it might make sense to keep only one of the cranking batteries under the battery tending and both house batteries.  Not having a true wiring diagram is driving my crazy.

symptoms: with decent 110V and the battery charger energized, the house won't charge even with just the dc main and no load (that I know of).  

am thinking that the logical troubleshooting order would be 1) batteries, 2) charger circuit, 3) load or other shorts

thanks gang

LaRea

Welcome to the forum!

The two house batteries are connected together in parallel, so the charger just sees them as a single large battery.  That's the standard configuration.  

I'm sure you've already checked that the cable connections are all clean and tight.  Check the water levels in the house batteries.  If they are low, top them off with distilled water and see if that helps.  

Also, try to find out how old the batteries are (from the dates on the stickers, or maybe from the previous owner's records).  Conventional flooded batteries are lasting 3-4 years for most people here.

raybo3

Welcome to the RBOC and good luck with your new ride. Ditto on what LaRea said....

Stodge

There is a wiring diagram for the 342 floating around on the site.  I've posted the link recently.  I'm sure a search on here will turn it up.  I have the same setup.  My 1997 280 had the same set up too, but that one was after market.  You could always swap the pair of house batteries for a big ol' 8D.

Liberty44140

Yep that is the charger and configuration on my 06' 342. 2 house batteries in parallel and then 2 motor batteries, one for each side, so "3" total. Boat is new to me this summer and like you I suspect that over the years something in the wiring is not right anymore so I am going to re trace the wires this spring to make sure that its all hooked up right. I think the generator should be using the port motor battery to start but it is actually starting off of the house now. Anyway I am right there with you. 

almtm3

Awesome responses.  Thanks all.  I'll let you know what I find.

almtm3

So I think I have a few more gremlins.  With the DC main off, and shore power connected and on, with the battery charger switched on, the house battery kept draining.  Got to under 11V.  
I ran the engines and the generator for several minutes and switched to generator power just to check what worked and didn't. With the engines running, DC shows 12.5 to 13V which is what I expected. After shifting back to shore power and shutting down, Volts are steady at 12.5.  Somethings whacky.  I realize that the battery tender will go through charge cycles, but I can't figure out what would have drained so steadily before.

The "typical" wiring diagram is insufficient for the 342s with a 3 output tender, a generator, 4 batteries and two electrical isolation switches (one for Gen, one for the cranking batteries (1,2,both, off).  Who is the Electrical wiz kid in this neighborhood?

Other symptoms: Tundra cabin Frig is intermittent.  Seems to need 12V event when it is running off of shore power. Could that be true?
Shower sump doesn't seem to be getting any power at all.  Anyone know how it's wired?  I saw the cb, but it have a switch? need DC main? Draw of the same circuit as the fresh water pump?  I'm gonna be on a bug hunt for a while.

DanD2

Well I can answer the Frig question......If the refrigerator  breaker on the 110v side of your main panel is off, it'll draw 12v. If it is on, and it still draws, it may have come unplugged. You could disconnect your house batts or turn the main 12v breakers off to troubleshoot.

As far a shower sump, did you actually check the wires to see if it has power and not just a broken sump? I would imagine it's wired directly to the main panel.

almtm3

Right. That's my plan for troubleshooting. Never thought about it having come unplugged.  Good call 

I checked the leads and they say 12v, but under any load they collapse.  Tested the pump on a 12v power source. Checks 4.0. There are a couple of leads that look to be repaired, so I think I'm going to have to start tracing wires.  

LaRea

Thinking of items that could use DC power when DC Main is off ... have you tested both bilge pumps?  (One in engine room, one under mid-berth.)  A shorted bilge pump would drain batteries quick.  Touch the pump with your hand ... if the pump is warm to the touch when not pumping, you have a problem.  Then flip the "bilge" switch at the helm and make sure both pumps turn on.

The shower sump doesn't have a separate switch.  

Hamdog

The shower sump is battery only and hard wired. You cannot turn it off. The bilge pumps are battery only and cannot be turned off. If they don't work and you have battery power then it is most likely the fuse which is on the DC side of your main panel in the cabin.

Hamdog

All the items that have fuses on the DC side of the panel are hard wired with no way to turn them off except the refrigerators which can be turned off using the switches inside the frig themselves.