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battery question
brianflhrci
Member Posts: 62 ✭✭
Took our 290 out today and noticed once we dropped anchor and shut the motors off the radio went off as well. I thought I'd check the batteries just to make sure things were connected properly after winterization and the hatch was extremely slow to the point where it couldn't open all of the way. Haven't had a chance to get a volt meter down there yet but didn't know if anyone had any thoughts or a similar experience?
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Go Steelers!!!
Boat Name: King Kong
"Boat + Water = Fun"
Boat Name: King Kong
"Boat + Water = Fun"
the find the starting battery, start at the starter slave solenoid atop your engine near the main breaker- follow the heavy gauge wire back to the battery. pretty much that simple. you may encounter a battery switch, allowing you to select which battery is the starting battery and which isn't, or if the amps are being pulled from both at the same time.
three batteries being the same isn't a problem, especially if they are all receiving charge from the same source (alternator), and they are all touching (as in a series). However, it is better to have different batteries for specific purposes. your starting batteries, for instance, are better to be 'surface' batteries, which are capable of discharging more amperage quicker than deep (thick cells) charge batteries. they emit the 12.6v, but they do so slower than the surface 'starting' batteries. running a boat's accessories while afloat, you'd benefit by isolating the 'house' (deep charge) from the 'starting' (high amperage output) batteries, and so they charge (from the alternator) at different rates, as opposed to all three being hit with the same voltage no matter what.
I don't know how PCM's on boats are managed. It's times like these I wish Al was still around. On my truck, however, the PCM regulates the regulator built into the alternator. Battery voltage is monitored by the PCM, and if while the engine is running the PCM senses a lower voltage circumstance, it opens up the floodgates and hits it with full capacity charge of around 14.5vdc. Anywhere from 13.8 to 14.5vdc is capable of charging, while 13.2 to 13.5vdc is only capable of maintaing the charge. If your batteries are fully charged and a load doesn't drag them down, the PCM will trickle charge and monitor them, instead of blast them.
If the above is true for a boats PCM, and if you are using multiple batteries that aren't isolated or switched (better to be isolated), then the PCM, as smart as it is, doesn't know and will either trickle or blast dependent on the total perceived voltage.
The batteries themselves, being in a series, will trickle from one to another until they're equal, just like water being distributed to cups would. So, if one is full (say, your starter battery) and the other requires juice to recharge (house battery; thick cell), the starter will lose charge as it's being transmitted over to the un-isolated house battery. This is **** the starter battery, which is designed for hard amperage draws in quick discharge of turning that engine, only to be instantly rewarded with the running engines alternator- instead now, it has another source drawing it down (the house battery)..
If'n I were you, I'd map out how my battery and charging system is laid out, and I would isolate the battery feeding the house items... I'd switch the batteries feeding the starter... I'd leave the switch in the A+B mode while underway, and switch it back to one or the other while at harbor without a/c power connected, just to know I'd have enough power in the non-switched battery to get me going again if I drained the other two... while charging through a/c, though, I'd make sure you're back in the A+B setting.
Don't know if you can see this well enough but it's what you might find.
Boat Name: King Kong
"Boat + Water = Fun"
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express