2007 370 Rinker DC electrical issue

Dream_InnDream_Inn Member, Moderator Posts: 7,910 mod
in General Boating Discussions
I have a friend at my marina that has the older style 370, 2007 I believe, that has a DC voltage problem.  I really didn't have much time to diagnose it, but saw the symptoms and thought I'd throw it on here and tell him to look here for responses.  :smile:  He has a brand new house battery.  So, the 370 DC power setup with breakers/switches is a little different than what I'm used to seeing.  There is no rotary knob for the house battery that I saw.  It just has two rotary switches/knobs for the engine batteries and then a push button 70A fuse for the house along with a bunch of others, all in back of cockpit.  There is a rotary switch/knob in engine room for generator.  The panel in the salon has a DC main switch and then all the other normal ones.  
When you turn the battery charger off, the DC power on the analog gauge in the salon goes to zero, nada, nothing!  Like there is no connection to the house battery at all!  But, when the charger is on, things, I believe, seem to work ok on DC power.  Is there a way that the charger could be connected up to the house circuit without being connected to the battery?  Again, I didn't spend much time on it cause I was on my out and it was really hot.  So I didn't get my meter out to read his battery when I did this.  
Again, I'll send him this link to get any ideas and maybe comment to.  Thanks all!

Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express

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Comments

  • YYZRCYYZRC Member Posts: 5,384 ✭✭✭✭✭
    @tricountytrail resident 370 expert!
    2008 350 EC on Georgian Bay
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  • grouch0jrgrouch0jr Member Posts: 195 ✭✭✭
    edited July 6
    Sounds like my '06 342 has a very similar setup to his 370, in terms of battery switches etc. Here is a schematic I found posted on this forum (I think by @LaRea ):



    The drawing doesn't show exactly how the gauge is tied in, but I imagine it's just connected to the load side of the cabin panel's main 12v breaker. Some questions:
    - When the battery charger is turned off do any of the of the other 12v circuits work (such as cabin lights or head flush)? If not, it sounds like the house batteries are not properly connected (or completely dead) and the 12v circuits are only running off the charger.
    - Is is the factory battery charger? If not, maybe someone messed up the wiring, possibly to the battery isolator.
    2006 342EC - Twin Mercruiser 350 MAG MPI Horizons
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  • FormulabenFormulaben Confirm Email, Member Posts: 213 ✭✭✭
    grouch0jr said:
    - Is is the factory battery charger? If not, maybe someone messed up the wiring, possibly to the battery isolator.
    That's a good thought.  If someone connected the battery charger circuit to the wrong side of the helm power circuit breaker (line vs load terminals) then a tripped or broken circuit breaker would isolate the battery, but could still allow the charger to power the helm power bus.

    I would open up the panel and take a look at that helm circuit breaker and see if the terminals are correctly installed.  It's a fairly easy mistake one could make. Correct wiring should be: 2 wires on the helm C/B line terminal (power in from battery and charger) and 1 wire (power to helm power) on the load terminal; if the charger terminal is mistakenly on the load terminal to helm power, then there's your problem...but this also presumes a broken or tripped C/B, or some other wiring issue between the C/B and the battery.
    2006 Fiesta Vee 270
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  • Dream_InnDream_Inn Member, Moderator Posts: 7,910 mod
    edited July 6
    Well, I looked at the breakers at the helm, back of cockpit and the panel in salon and didn’t see anything blown.  I forwarded him this link, so this should give some ideas.  Thanks and keep the thoughts coming.  When it gets figured out I’ll be sure to post the fix.

    oh, the charger is not factory.  It is the pronautic one.

    I’m leaning toward something not wired right around battery.  A meter on battery with charger on would tell you at the battery if the charger is connected to it.

    Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express

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  • IanIan Member Posts: 3,052 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Silly question - you sure the battery is good and connected? I had one go totally open circuit once and then one time left off one of the negative lines - exactly the same symptoms he has.

    Regards,

    Ian

    The Third “B”

    Ravena Coeymans Yacht Club

    https://www.rcyachtclub.com/

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  • Dream_InnDream_Inn Member, Moderator Posts: 7,910 mod
    So, I’m sure the battery is good, but not sure of connections.

    Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express

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  • tricountytrailtricountytrail Member Posts: 252 ✭✭
    edited July 9
    Sounds like your house battery is NOT connected to Positive or Negative correctly or your Batt 3 70A fuse is bad. The Battery Charger is suppling all dc voltage when ac is on but battery is NOT in circuit. 
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  • captkevincaptkevin Member Posts: 526 ✭✭✭
    that would be my guess. Have missed a wire before connecting everything. 
    2004 232
    2021 Yamaha Fx svho
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  • IanIan Member Posts: 3,052 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Exactly my thought above

    Regards,

    Ian

    The Third “B”

    Ravena Coeymans Yacht Club

    https://www.rcyachtclub.com/

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