Battery drain or bad battery...

[KM2]

Well I have been having some electrial problems lately, the one I can't seem to figure out is why my battery is draining down to the point it won't start the boat. It's happened a few times, I go out fishing, turn the radio on and the depth finder fish for a hour maybe 2 and go to start the boat and have 11 volts or less, boat won't start. Jump or put in back up battery and boat starts. Also, If I leave the boat for a couple of days and don't plug the charger in the battery will not have enough to start the motor. This battery is only a year old. With everything off, fuses pulled I'm still getting a draw at the battery. Not enough to light a test light but a draw. Using the voltmeter it drops from around 13@ battery(full charge) to 11 (Putting the voltmeter between the pos. cable and pos post on the battery. Anyway, is it my starter battery that's not holding up or is something like the alternator drawing the battery down prematurely.<br />I would like some opinions before I go replace the battery. Thanks Kevin<br /><br />Info:<br />01 four winns horizon 180<br />4.3 GL VP sx drive

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: Battery drain or bad battery...

It sounds like the battery is a good place to start.A starting battery can show signs of weakening if you leave accessories on for an hour or two because thats not what they are designed for.A starting battery is for starting and a deep cycle/starting battery is for starting and accessory use.Once you run down a starting battery and recharge it,it is never the same.A deep cycle is designed to be run down and recharged.If you carry 2 batteries I would have 1 to start and the other a deep cycle or deep cycle/starting combo battery.Do a load test on the battery in question and see what you have.Charlie

 

[csanna]

Re: Battery drain or bad battery...

Did you have anything electrical hooked up lately, like a sterio?

 

[tommays]

Re: Battery drain or bad battery...

there should be no draw on the battery when everything is shut down if there is even the best battery is going to run down when the boat is not in use.<br />i have seen a badly run wire laying in bilge water leaking enough current run down a battery or a bad dieod in the chargeing system the inportant thing is that you say you are getting a draw on the battery if you keep unhooking things one at a time you will find what is leaking current and solve you problem<br />tommays

 

[out_bored]

Re: Battery drain or bad battery...

Had a similar problem on my boat and it was a beggar to find. Usually is not related to engine-connected stuff that requires the starter switch to be on, unless a very bad miswire.<br /><br />To be sure that it is a constant small draw, use your voltmeter as an in-line ammeter so you can actually measure what's going on. Set it for the large (often 10-amp) setting before reducing the range, and connect it IN SERIES (in-line)to the battery. You will have to disconnect the + or - from the battery to do this. Red on ammeter to plus side of battery or line, black towards - of battery, and then read the drain directly in amps. <br /><br />If you read zero amps, then the problem is with the battery, and it likely was, as mentioned, drained to the point of non-recovery, and has what is known as a high self-discharge rate. All lead-acid batteries drain themselves naturally but usually slowly. A new battery is all that will really help.<br /><br />If you read any substantial current, then start disconnecting gadgets, lights, pumps or whatever until the current drops exactly to zero where you will have found the culprit. Hope this helps.

 

[KM2]

Re: Battery drain or bad battery...

Thanks for the posts, It sounds like I shouldn't have a draw on the battery when everthing is dis connected and I do. I can't do anything until this weekend the boats up at the lake. <br /> So by draining my starting battery down too far it was probably ruined my battery... I need to find what is drawing amps and correct it plus a new battery. When I said not connected I mean I pulled all the fuses. The stereo, ignition, bilge, live well pump, lights etc.. Where do I start looking?

 

[CTD]

Re: Battery drain or bad battery...

If your battery was fully charged when you started and went dead 2 or 3 hours later as you said it is no good. If it wasn't fully charged to start with the problem you had is to be expected. As far as the draw if it wont make a test light glow it is too small to hurt anything on a vehicle used frequently. If you leave your boat for weeks at a time disconnect the battery.

 

[out_bored]

Re: Battery drain or bad battery...

Considering that you pulled main fuses, the only likely culprits are those with smaller in-line fuses that you didn't pull or didn't notice, and those are usually associated with "small" electronic devices.<br />Usually the value of the current drain itself can help, since a 1 amp drain implies a device draining 12 watts (12V X 1 amp), which might be the standby power usage of an external stereo power amp, a bigger stereo itself, a panel light that might be hidden - that sort of thing. Hard to say exactly, but I'd probably start here and leave unlikely things like wire shorts through water (hard to push much current at 12V) till the very end of any search.

 

[KM2]

Re: Battery drain or bad battery...

I had the battery checked and it's good. So I'm back to trying to find the source of the the draw. What a PITA! I'll be looking for the inline fuses, I know of one at the trim pump where should I look for others? <br />Thanks for the help everyone. Kevin