Melted battery posts? Please help.

[spawnedoutgobey]

I took my boat out on the weekend for its s Maiden voyage this weekend and besides having the steering reversed and battery number one too low to start the motor. I switched over to battery number two on my guest battery switch and tried again and it started right up.,
I cruised around the harbour at trolling speed. Getting the odd whiff of burning plastic I put it off to Hamilton harbour being industrialized. Then I switched to both batteries on the guest battery switch to try and charge both batteries on the way back to the launch, a two km trip at full speed. Besides the steering the docking and trailering went just fine. Tilt on the motor well and the bilge worked fine.
When I got home I realized the bolt on the negative was melted out of the lead and he positive was burnt and melted and reset crooked in the lead.
What would cause this problem?
The motor is a 1989 70 hp even rude.
Can someone please help me.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Melted battery posts? Please help.

one battery wired backwards, super loose connection, if melting started after you set the switch to dual then one real flat or bad battery that caused the other to transfer at high ampage and burn up
dont think the engine is regulated on voltage so that should not be a problem.

can you draw the way the batteries are wired or take pictures

did you seriously run 2km at high speed with the steering reversed.

 

[spawnedoutgobey]

Re: Melted battery posts? Please help.

Thank you for your reply Glenn. Unfortunately I cannot figure out how to draw a picture or post them on this page yet, or any other page. I have a hard enough time signing in. I have bought new cables marine cables with protected ends. And clamp on battery lugs.to re wire. I have found a diagram of how they should be hooked up in a another thread on this page and have to check that out. Now I have a fear of arching to the exposed threaded terminal from the clamp on lug. The battery is fairly new and still works to power the ight on my camper. So I guess my question now is can I hook this up to my boat again using the battery clamp on lugs to see if there is still a problem after I change all the wires, and make sure e ery thing is right, cause I don't want to physically ruin another new battery. Marine cables were expensive enough. Previously the boat was wired with 600v #4 awg. And any suggestions what I could to to prevent possible arcing from the exposed ruined terminals t teclamp on lugs.
Oh and grease. I have heard that Di electric grease can be my friend.

 

[spawnedoutgobey]

Re: Melted battery posts? Please help.

I took a look at the wiring in my boat and compared it to a diagram that was posted by Silvertip in a thread called "2 battery switch setup" . Looking for things Glenn property of Pam had suggested. And I didn't just fond loose connections but the second d battery was hooked up backwards. The positive was going to the positive on battery number one and the negative was going to the switch. The diagram shows that the negatives should be connected together and the positives are to be connected to the switch.
I have not taken her back out o n he water but would like to thank both Glenn property of Pam and Silver tip in advance.