my boat eats batteries

ksievers · 09-07-09, 01:18 PM

new here, looking for help!! I have an '03 Skeeter 21 footer, with the Yamaha 200 HP outboard. All is great, except (!) I have been through several cranking batteries. Way too many way too often and way too soon.

Yes, I store it out of the weather with the accessory power off. My problem is, when I take it out to go fishing, the cranking battery is usually totally dead. For a time I'd be able to recharge it in the driveway before heading out, but that got worse and worse. I've had the rectifier replaced already. (It has a 24v trolling set-up if that matters, onboard charger for that).

Most recently I was leaving it stored hooked up to a battery tender, but last trip out the battery was deader than a brick, and when I checked it was bone dry too (apparently the tender cooked the battery even though it is supposed to sense when it's charged and turn itself off)..

but what I'd love to find out is why it goes dead while being stored in the first place? How do I trouble-shoot that? If I just let it sit for a week or few it is very likely to be dead.

help??

thanks - KS

nofearengineer · 09-07-09, 01:47 PM

Ksievers,

Man...where do I start?

First...how long are you storing this battery for? A cranking battery, even if you happened to be using a deep cycle battery, should not be stored for a long period without being charged.

When a lead-acid battery is discharged, the lead that represents the lost charge is in solution in the acid inside the battery. If you leave it like that too long, it may crystallize, thereby making it impossible to be deposited back onto the plates. This is why old batteries sometimes can't be charged back up to their original voltage, no matter what you do.

Second, if your charger ran your battery bone dry, that charger obviously needs to go to the junkpile (if it's an automtatic one...if it's a manual, don't leave it unattended). If it is capable of being fixed, you could do that, but obviously a new charger will cost less than several ruined batteries.

Third, when you get home from boating, your battery really ought to be fully charged. If it is not, your alternator/rectfier/wiring/whatever isn't working properly. Remember, your alternator is not meant to be a battery charger...it is there to replace the small draws it takes from the battery when starting. If you are putting a low-charge battery in with just enough juice to start your battery a few times, and nothing more, you could possibly be doing damage to the alternator by over loading it.

If I were you, I would get a multimeter and check the voltage of your battery when you go out, when you get home, and every now and then when it is on the charger. That should let you know where you are having your problems. A fully charged battery should be running 13--14 volts when new, and the better you take care of it, the longer it will remain that way.

ksievers · 09-07-09, 03:00 PM

thanks for the help... I rarely let the boat sit w/o using it for too long. and, it seems that I should not have to have it on a charger just to keep it from being dead in the first place, should I?

one more wrinkle that may have no bearing, but the tilt/trim meter on the dash panel does not work. all the other gauges work. I just throw that out there in case there is a dead short somewhere that has to do with that gauge? perhaps at the mechanism? because that circuit is "on" even with the aux power switch off, correct?

I hate to put the boat in the shop and pay a diagnostic fee - but maybe that's the next step.

again, thanks for the help

Dave Smoot · 09-07-09, 03:14 PM

Boat shops love this kinda thing! You definitly have a problem that could be simple or it could be a real job to find the issue here. After you fully charge your battery (by what ever means) leave the ground wires hooked up and start to (TOUCH) not connect, the positive side wires to your positive(+) post. Do this a wire at a time. If you come across a wire that causes a spark then you may have found the wire that is drawing down your cranking battery. You can then trace down that wire as to were in goes and what it is powering. Your Trolling motor batteries should only power your trolling motor and nothing else. Your in-board charger(if its a 3 bank will connect the cranking battery and trolling batteries but only through the wires). All inboard chargers have an internal ground. This eliminates any amp draw while in use starting your Yamaha. If you can't find the culprit wire then it's time for someone with a Multi-meter to check the grounds for the entire boat. See what the output is on your inboard charger ect... Keep in touch if you do find the problem, as we all are ever learning.

bamabassman · 09-07-09, 11:12 PM

no real advice that isn't already given.
but i am wondering how you pronounce your last name. ther is a reason for this of course. if it is pronounced the way i think it is. we have the same last name, just spelled different.

Abbeysdad · 09-07-09, 11:16 PM

Seems to me any circuit with power even with all switches off, especially to a gauge that doesn't work is a sure suspect - either drawing power all the time, or a short to ground.
I'd rule that out first. I think I'd have it looked at. If cash is low, disconnect the battery between uses and/or install a main switch?

ksievers · 09-08-09, 08:02 AM

thanks for the tip about the main switch... can you talk me through that and/or describe the switch so I can look for one?

and my name is pronounced: See-vrz with the accent on the first syllable. Deutsch..

Abbeysdad · 09-08-09, 11:03 AM

I haven't installed a main switch in my boat, but it's just an in-line switch on the positive line off the battery....

I was 'complaining' to the dealer that the back lit clock in the stereo had power all the time unless I press the release button (as though I was going to remove it). He said the only resolve is to put the stereo on a switch, OR install a main switch on the boat battery to ensure that no power is available to anything when the boat sits idle.
Seemed like a conveniently located main switch might resolve/compensate for your issue, however, it doesn't really address the root cause of your problem.

ksievers · 09-08-09, 05:08 PM

Abbeysdad: thanks.. on it. K.

zooker · 09-08-09, 06:54 PM

also check the cranking amp on the battery.i was given a new one cause it did not have enough juice to turn over a 250 horse etech...

ya definatly have a power drain..

zooker

bamabassman · 09-08-09, 10:19 PM

mine is too, hahahaha. seaver. SEA- VER like the old baseball pitcher. interesting huh?

wargoth · 09-10-09, 09:30 PM

Nothing really new here, and without knowing much about your motor etc... as we know, you have a power drain of some sort going on somewhere in the electical... one culprit I have encountered several times in various engines is actually the voltage regulator (often tied to the alternator). Just wanted to toss out this bit as something further to look into.

ksievers · 09-10-09, 10:05 PM

thanks again - I wish I knew how to test that stuff.. I have a decent multimeter, just not sure how to dive into that motor and make use of it.

1FASTLASER · 09-14-09, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Smoot

Boat shops love this kinda thing! You definitly have a problem that could be simple or it could be a real job to find the issue here. After you fully charge your battery (by what ever means) leave the ground wires hooked up and start to (TOUCH) not connect, the positive side wires to your positive(+) post. Do this a wire at a time. If you come across a wire that causes a spark then you may have found the wire that is drawing down your cranking battery. You can then trace down that wire as to were in goes and what it is powering. Your Trolling motor batteries should only power your trolling motor and nothing else. Your in-board charger(if its a 3 bank will connect the cranking battery and trolling batteries but only through the wires). All inboard chargers have an internal ground. This eliminates any amp draw while in use starting your Yamaha. If you can't find the culprit wire then it's time for someone with a Multi-meter to check the grounds for the entire boat. See what the output is on your inboard charger ect... Keep in touch if you do find the problem, as we all are ever learning.

Mr Smoot gets the cookie on this one. You definately have a draw while not in use. Doing as he described is the easiest way to ISOLATE the culprit. Using a multi meter is not as hard as most folks make it. Ifn you can poke a probe through a wire (LOL not your finger like I do) and read what the readout tells ya you can check all your grounds and continuity on wires. If after checking the system as Mr Smoot described you find nothing then your charger is highly suspected of NOT doing its job. I have been using Sears chargers for years. Only reason is they have a 3 year warranty........BUT I have found that they will lie to you and show that your batts are charged when they really aint.

09-07-09, 01:18 PM	#1
ksievers BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 5	my boat eats batteries new here, looking for help!! I have an '03 Skeeter 21 footer, with the Yamaha 200 HP outboard. All is great, except (!) I have been through several cranking batteries. Way too many way too often and way too soon. Yes, I store it out of the weather with the accessory power off. My problem is, when I take it out to go fishing, the cranking battery is usually totally dead. For a time I'd be able to recharge it in the driveway before heading out, but that got worse and worse. I've had the rectifier replaced already. (It has a 24v trolling set-up if that matters, onboard charger for that). Most recently I was leaving it stored hooked up to a battery tender, but last trip out the battery was deader than a brick, and when I checked it was bone dry too (apparently the tender cooked the battery even though it is supposed to sense when it's charged and turn itself off).. but what I'd love to find out is why it goes dead while being stored in the first place? How do I trouble-shoot that? If I just let it sit for a week or few it is very likely to be dead. help?? thanks - KS

09-07-09, 01:47 PM	#2
nofearengineer BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southwest IN Posts: 5,630	Ksievers, Man...where do I start? First...how long are you storing this battery for? A cranking battery, even if you happened to be using a deep cycle battery, should not be stored for a long period without being charged. When a lead-acid battery is discharged, the lead that represents the lost charge is in solution in the acid inside the battery. If you leave it like that too long, it may crystallize, thereby making it impossible to be deposited back onto the plates. This is why old batteries sometimes can't be charged back up to their original voltage, no matter what you do. Second, if your charger ran your battery bone dry, that charger obviously needs to go to the junkpile (if it's an automtatic one...if it's a manual, don't leave it unattended). If it is capable of being fixed, you could do that, but obviously a new charger will cost less than several ruined batteries. Third, when you get home from boating, your battery really ought to be fully charged. If it is not, your alternator/rectfier/wiring/whatever isn't working properly. Remember, your alternator is not meant to be a battery charger...it is there to replace the small draws it takes from the battery when starting. If you are putting a low-charge battery in with just enough juice to start your battery a few times, and nothing more, you could possibly be doing damage to the alternator by over loading it. If I were you, I would get a multimeter and check the voltage of your battery when you go out, when you get home, and every now and then when it is on the charger. That should let you know where you are having your problems. A fully charged battery should be running 13--14 volts when new, and the better you take care of it, the longer it will remain that way. __________________ Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after.

09-07-09, 11:12 PM	#5
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	no real advice that isn't already given. but i am wondering how you pronounce your last name. ther is a reason for this of course. if it is pronounced the way i think it is. we have the same last name, just spelled different. __________________ so many lures, so little time.

09-08-09, 06:54 PM	#10
zooker BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: denton nc Posts: 13,441	also check the cranking amp on the battery.i was given a new one cause it did not have enough juice to turn over a 250 horse etech... ya definatly have a power drain.. zooker __________________ the godfather.. aml in remission since 7-20-09

09-08-09, 10:19 PM	#11
bamabassman BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: cedar bluff, alabama Posts: 15,292	mine is too, hahahaha. seaver. SEA- VER like the old baseball pitcher. interesting huh? __________________ so many lures, so little time.

09-07-09, 03:00 PM	#3
ksievers BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 5	thanks for the help... I rarely let the boat sit w/o using it for too long. and, it seems that I should not have to have it on a charger just to keep it from being dead in the first place, should I? one more wrinkle that may have no bearing, but the tilt/trim meter on the dash panel does not work. all the other gauges work. I just throw that out there in case there is a dead short somewhere that has to do with that gauge? perhaps at the mechanism? because that circuit is "on" even with the aux power switch off, correct? I hate to put the boat in the shop and pay a diagnostic fee - but maybe that's the next step. again, thanks for the help

09-07-09, 03:14 PM	#4
Dave Smoot BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lexington, Ky Posts: 8	Boat shops love this kinda thing! You definitly have a problem that could be simple or it could be a real job to find the issue here. After you fully charge your battery (by what ever means) leave the ground wires hooked up and start to (TOUCH) not connect, the positive side wires to your positive(+) post. Do this a wire at a time. If you come across a wire that causes a spark then you may have found the wire that is drawing down your cranking battery. You can then trace down that wire as to were in goes and what it is powering. Your Trolling motor batteries should only power your trolling motor and nothing else. Your in-board charger(if its a 3 bank will connect the cranking battery and trolling batteries but only through the wires). All inboard chargers have an internal ground. This eliminates any amp draw while in use starting your Yamaha. If you can't find the culprit wire then it's time for someone with a Multi-meter to check the grounds for the entire boat. See what the output is on your inboard charger ect... Keep in touch if you do find the problem, as we all are ever learning.

09-07-09, 11:16 PM	#6
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	Seems to me any circuit with power even with all switches off, especially to a gauge that doesn't work is a sure suspect - either drawing power all the time, or a short to ground. I'd rule that out first. I think I'd have it looked at. If cash is low, disconnect the battery between uses and/or install a main switch?

09-08-09, 08:02 AM	#7
ksievers BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 5	thanks for the tip about the main switch... can you talk me through that and/or describe the switch so I can look for one? and my name is pronounced: See-vrz with the accent on the first syllable. Deutsch..

09-08-09, 11:03 AM	#8
Abbeysdad BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central NY - Finger Lakes Posts: 1,307	I haven't installed a main switch in my boat, but it's just an in-line switch on the positive line off the battery.... I was 'complaining' to the dealer that the back lit clock in the stereo had power all the time unless I press the release button (as though I was going to remove it). He said the only resolve is to put the stereo on a switch, OR install a main switch on the boat battery to ensure that no power is available to anything when the boat sits idle. Seemed like a conveniently located main switch might resolve/compensate for your issue, however, it doesn't really address the root cause of your problem.

09-08-09, 05:08 PM	#9
ksievers BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 5	Abbeysdad: thanks.. on it. K.

09-10-09, 09:30 PM	#12
wargoth BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Thompson, Ohio Posts: 223	Nothing really new here, and without knowing much about your motor etc... as we know, you have a power drain of some sort going on somewhere in the electical... one culprit I have encountered several times in various engines is actually the voltage regulator (often tied to the alternator). Just wanted to toss out this bit as something further to look into. __________________ -Wargoth

09-10-09, 10:05 PM	#13
ksievers BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 5	thanks again - I wish I knew how to test that stuff.. I have a decent multimeter, just not sure how to dive into that motor and make use of it.

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