Battery Help Please

[jmitchell]

I will test the batteries as you suggest Mike, thanks. What numbers should I consistently be reading? Also, are you saying that my house/aux battery showing 12.3v right now is at 25% or less of its capacity and needs to be charged? Lastly, shall I go ahead and move all of the POS & NEG cables on the small terminals from the picture above over to the house/aux battery? Here are the POS & NEG terminals on the house/aux battery that are pretty crowded already...
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[jmitchell]

Andy, we purchased the boat 1 yr used. The sound system, etc. is completely factory stock and we haven't added any accessories. I would think it would be extremely hard to re-route the cables from one side of the boat to the other by accident. Seems to me that this was the way the wiring came from the factory. Do you or anyone here have pictures of how the wiring should look or looks on your boat? Thanks.

[chpthril]

I will test the batteries as you suggest Mike, thanks. What numbers should I consistently be reading? Also, are you saying that my house/aux battery showing 12.3v right now is at 25% or less of its capacity and needs to be charged? Lastly, shall I go ahead and move all of the POS & NEG cables on the small terminals from the picture above over to the house/aux battery? Here are the POS & NEG terminals on the house/aux battery that are pretty crowded already...
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These pics are of your main cranking and the other pics are of your house bank. Im 110% sure given that the pics in your post, show the 2/0ga main battery cables attached to it. This means, your amps are actually connected to the proper battery bank.

Yes, 12.3 is low for a battery. 12.8-13 for a fully charged, new'ish battery. 12.6-12.8 for a battery with a season or two on it, but still good.

[jmitchell]

Just to clarify, the first picture I posted to this thread that shows the entire top of the battery (both terminals) is the main cranking battery. It says "cranking" right on top there. This cranking battery has the main battery cables as you can see attached to the large terminals. This cranking battery (one I just replaced) currently has the amps hooked up to it as you can see by the 60amp square terminal fuse blocks on the small POS terminal.

The second set of pictures I just posted are of the POS & NEG (two separate pictures) terminals of the house battery (deep cycle). You can see that there are no main cables connected to the main terminals and there never has been.

All of the pictures are the current 'fully connected' setup. Does this help clarify?

[chpthril]

Clear as bell, but im well deeper then the sticker on the battery. im going by the cables i see and knowing what they are and where they come from and go to.

The pic in post #12 is the house bank and the pics in post #16 are of the main cranking bank.

[jmitchell]

Well now I'm confused as ever. Do I need to switch the batteries around or am I good as is? I thought the heavy cables that are connected to the larger main terminals actually started the engine. Similar to an auto setup. Maybe it's the heavier cables on the small posts in post #16 that start the engine. If that's true maybe I should switch batteries?

[chpthril]

This explains why the battery tested "good" but the boat has a cranking issue. I suspect that there is an issue with the actual cranking battery, the one shown in pics post 16. I would still start back at the beginning and get a volt meter on both batteries and check their at rest static voltage level. Charge if they are below 12.8V and then retest after charging, but not immediately after. Whats called a surface charge, is what would be measure fallowing a charging and would not be accurate. playing the stereo for about 10 minutes will do for the house battery and cranking the engine for three 10 second intervals for the cranking battery. Just unplug the ignition module so the engine doesnt fire.

Next, with engine running, test voltage at both batteries to see if they are both receiving alternator voltage. Idle at about 1200-1500 rpm and you should see above 13V

[jmitchell]

For information, the battery specs and current positions are as follows:

Pic in post #12: Cranking labeled battery (on starboard side of boat - hooked up as you noted as the house battery): Interstate 24M-XHD (800 CCA; 1000 MCA; 135 RC) [just replaced this one]
Pics in post #16: Deep Cycle labeled battery (on port side of boat nearest the big red switch - hooked up as you noted as the cranking battery): Interstate SRM-24 (550 CCA; 690 MCA; 140 RC)

There is a reasonable chance that the first winter we had the Tige dealer remove the batteries, I re-installed them in the incorrect positions based on some of my assumptions from above posts. The batteries have not been out since.

I will perform all the checks you have noted above, but do you think I should swap the batteries first so they are in the correct positions? Thanks again Mike for all the help on this!

[ChrisSnow]

You certainly want them in the correct positions. Their design is different for their purposes.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[chpthril]

but do you think I should swap the batteries first so they are in the correct positions?

I would not bother with the time to swapping them yet. For the testing procedure, it make no difference which is the deep cycle and which is the cranking. I have a feeling that that you will be replacing the deep cycle thats on the main cranking cables. At that point, swap them but with replacing one.

[jmitchell]

Alright, since I still have the brand new cranking battery out of the boat, I'm going to pull the Deep Cycle out and replace it now too so that they are both new (eliminate another potential problem). So I will swap the batteries then as they will both be out this weekend. I'll put everything back together and report back with testing this weekend. Thanks!

[jmitchell]

Here's an update. Both brand new batteries are both in the correct location now. Interstate guy said batteries were fully charged when I purchased them so I quickly threw a tester on them before they went in the boat (I did not charge them). The readings are shown in pictures below: Cranking @ 12.81v and Deep Cycle (house) @ 12.55v. I hooked up the batteries and we then ran the boat for about 3 hrs and I left the engine running most of the time (stereo on, etc.). I was able get a quick reading before a wind storm picked up of the batteries at the end of the 3 hrs with the engine running. It read: Cranking @ 12.35v and Deep Cycle (house) @ 12.15v. I was unable to get a reading on the "blue" distributor shown in the picture below nor was I able to get one on the alternator (wind kicked up and we got off). I did however go back a few days later and the current readings out of the water with engine off are: Cranking @ 12.61v and Deep Cycle (house) @ 12.27v. I wonder if the alternator is going out or if the distributor is not working.

I did run down the cables. The POS side of the Cranking feeds the starter (thru the big red switch) and gets fed by the distributor originating from the alternator. The POS side of the Deep Cycle (house) feeds the controls at the helm and both amps and gets fed by the distributor originating from the alternator. I did not chase down all the grounds.

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[chpthril]

Certainly sounds like a charging issue. Both those batteries are nearly depleted after your 3 hour trip out.

[lee]

So, you had more voltage with the engine off than when running? I would say your alternator is not working.

[jmitchell]

We are getting out on Saturday and I will check the alternator with the meter. Where would I find a new alternator? Do auto parts stores carry them? I can't see any serial or model numbers on the outside. I'll check the manual too.