My battery is dead

[adam7]

The boat has been sitting for maybe 3 months in storage and I went by today to check on it. It appeared the battery was dead so I took it home to test it, and yup, very much dead. The battery itself is an Everstart 27DC-6, which I'm seeing around the internet as mainly a deep cycle trolling battery. This is the only battery on my boat however, so it has to support quick start, right? I mean it did all summer.

Should this have been the only battery in the boat? It looks like it was purchased in December of last year, so its not very old. I never charged it though, I guess I thought I had a quick start battery in there and never really thought about it until now.

Obviously I'm new to this, advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Adam

 

[lprizman]

Re: My battery is dead

what kind of boat and power?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: My battery is dead

What on earth is a "quick start battery". Your battery is dead because something in the boat was either left on or the "station memory" on the radio has finally killed the battery. For long term storage, you must always ensure the battery is fully charged and then disconnect it. If the boat is stored in a public storage facility, remove the battery and take it home with you and charge is once a month or so. You should have a marine starting battery. Unless you have a lot of accessories a very high power audio system in your boat there is no reason you need two batteries. An exception would be if you boat very large water or off-shore, then a dual battery setup would be recommended. It would also help to know what we are talking about here. Remember - we can't see your boat.

 

[adam7]

Re: My battery is dead

Its a Key West 1900CC with a Mercury 115 outboard. Nothing was left on since I remove all the electronics whenever I store it. I think the only thing that could have been draining the battery was a dash light for the bilge pump. I have a plug for a trolling motor, but I don't have a motor.

If the battery was new in December, it was probably sitting mostly unused for 6 months until I bought the boat in July. We used it for maybe 40-60 hours total this summer. I never charged it in that time because I didn't know any better.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: My battery is dead

in my opoion i always have to batterys on my boat unless on my little jon boat my 14' boat with a 50 hp has two batterys ones indepenent for the motor and the others for the elcectonics i am planing to put in a dual battery chareger thing it connetcts both batterys and charges it from the motor its a great idea and insures that you wont be stoped by a dead battery

 

[adam7]

Re: My battery is dead

As far as my saying 'quick start', just from reading a few places on the internet since I got home there are two main uses for the battery. One is a quick burst of power to start the engine, the other is for things that drain it like various accessories or a trolling motor. I'm still working on the terminology since I'm more used to thinking of an automobile battery. I didn't realize the deep cycle battery would do both.

 

[JimS123]

Re: My battery is dead

How dead is dead? I mean, how many volts does it show?

More than likely, it's still OK. Just charge it up and keep it recharged monthly, or when it falls below about 12.4 volts.

If its dead dead and won't take a charge, then it should have a warranty on it if its only 1 year old.

 

[lprizman]

Re: My battery is dead

I would see if you could return the battery for a new one at a pro-rated price,,,secondly check for any draw on the system while everything including the battery switch is off,,,add another battery if you can,,one deep cycle battery and one deep cycle starting battery,,,as stated you should have 2,,,I have 2 on mine and keep a third not connected just in case.

 

[adam7]

Re: My battery is dead

How dead is dead? I mean, how many volts does it show?

More than likely, it's still OK. Just charge it up and keep it recharged monthly, or when it falls below about 12.4 volts.

If its dead dead and won't take a charge, then it should have a warranty on it if its only 1 year old.

I saw about 3mV on it. Better than 0 I guess? Do you think it can still take a charge? I have a charger at my other house but I won't be able to get to that till Tuesday.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: My battery is dead

I saw about 3mV on it. Better than 0 I guess? Do you think it can still take a charge? I have a charger at my other house but I won't be able to get to that till Tuesday.

well if your probeblem is that it wont take a charge then your better off getting a liqiud that you put in your battery and makes it brand new i cant think of the name but if you watch ship shape tv you might see it

 

[sasto]

Re: My battery is dead

I would take it to my local Discount Zone Sears NAPA Auto store and have them check it out for me.

Good Luck!

 

[NYBo]

Re: My battery is dead

I saw about 3mV on it. Better than 0 I guess? Do you think it can still take a charge? I have a charger at my other house but I won't be able to get to that till Tuesday.

If that voltage is accurate, the battery is shot; I wouldn't trust it. It probably died because it never recharged fully between starts (is the charging system working on the motor?).

A deep cycle battery will work fine as a cranking battery for that size outboard as long as it is maintained and the motor is running and starting correctly.

 

[JimS123]

Re: My battery is dead

I saw about 3mV on it. Better than 0 I guess? Do you think it can still take a charge? I have a charger at my other house but I won't be able to get to that till Tuesday.

My guess is that a 1 year old battery that has been badly abused, but still started the motor 3 months ago should still show 8 or 9 volts.

I question the reliability of your volt meter.

Take it to AutoZone and get it checked. Then chrage it up if applicable. If not, go for the warranty.

 

[Bass Buster One]

Re: My battery is dead

Adam7, batteries are something you'll spend a little money on over time. They're an expendable part of boating. That being said, if the battery is new, try to charge it. You will know then if it's no good; or, it may partially charge (say to 75%) and you can still hang onto it as an emergency battery, or as a small electronics battery. If you have a 'smart type battery charger', where it will diagnose the battery condition as soon as you hook it up, you'll know right away if the battery is shot, or not. Personally, I always take batteries out of the boat and store them at home away from the elements of 'off season'. You can also get you a 'battery tender' that will maintain a full charge on your battery, as long as there is AC power near by to hook up to. On my bass boat, every time off the lake, I disconnect both my starting and my accessory batteries. Always remember this though, personal experiences are your greatest education.
Bass Buster One

 

[JBow]

Re: My battery is dead

I think an EVERSTART is a Wallmart battery and they will take back about anything. Return it to the store and I think they will give you a new one. You may have to pay some pro rated cost but it shouldn't be much. I think their warranty is at least 1 year.

Good Luck

 

[NYBo]

Re: My battery is dead

I think an EVERSTART is a Wallmart battery and they will take back about anything. Return it to the store and I think they will give you a new one. You may have to pay some pro rated cost but it shouldn't be much. I think their warranty is at least 1 year.

Good Luck

Yes, that's the in-house WalMart brand. But I remember reading that WalMart eliminated its warranties on marine batteries.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: My battery is dead

For any auto store to test a battery it must be charged first. No sense trying to test a dead battery because -- well it's dead.

Adam -- there is no such thing as a "quick start" battery. There are three basic battery categories 1) starting, 2) deep cycle and 3 dual purpose. Your idea of a quick start battery is a "starting battery" since it is designed for the very high current draw required when starting the engine. Deep cycle batteries are designed differently than starting batteries since they typically power things like trolling motors and audio systems where current demand is not very high, but it occurs over a long period of time. Dual purpose batteries sort of split the difference. They can be used for both purposes but like anything that does more than one job, it does neither job as well as a specific starting or deep cycle. Deep cycle batteries can be used for starting duty but if the engine requires lots of cranking, it won't last long.

Lastly, if your boat is used regularly you don't need to charge the battery as the engine does that for you.

 

[adam7]

Re: My battery is dead

I guess I'll have to take it over to Walmart and see what they say regarding the battery condition and if they'll give me a new one.

That being said, if I need a new battery what should I be looking for? Recommendations?

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: My battery is dead

Make sure you try and charge it before taking it back.

Either a marine STARTING battery or a dual purpose Marine battery....

 

[adam7]

Re: My battery is dead

The battery itself was dead. I had to get a new one. At least I know now that the charger works (the battery would charge, but not hold a charge).