2002 ELPTO 75HP Charging Question

[Hvymtl]

Went to use our boat this morning and the battery was flat. Checked to make sure nothing was left on from when it was used last week - there wasn't. Boat has been running fine...and battery checked good at Autozone..needed a charge they said. Can a short in the charging system drain a battery like it can in a car? Is there a check I can do to see if I have a charging short?

2002 75hp 3 cyl 2 stroke.

 

[dwco5051]

I don't know what all is on your boat but the first place I would check would be the bilge pump if you have one. If it has a float switch it could be bad or you were taking on water somehow.

 

[bruceb58]

Run the engine and verify the voltage at the battery is between 13.5V and 14.0V.

If it is, you likely have something drawing down the battery. Remove one of the battery cables and put a multimeter in line and measure the current draw.