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Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       05-22-2014, 6:56 PM Reply   
I have been chasing voltage problem for a while. So tonight while switching out batteries in the dark I need my interior light one to see. But I noticed that no matter if it was on battery 1or 2 my interior lights worked. I thought if battery 2 is just for the stereo it wouldn't run the lights or the rest of the boat if its on number 2.
Old     (boardman74)      Join Date: Jul 2012       05-22-2014, 7:02 PM Reply   
If your lights are hooked to the common stud, then they will work on either. Anything on the common stud will work off either battery, but only the one the switch is set on.
Old     (chpthril)      Join Date: Oct 2007       05-22-2014, 7:06 PM Reply   
If you were switching out batteries in the dark and the boats interior lights were working, then you have another battery hooked up some where!

Seriously though, if the interior lights, which should be connected to the helm BUS, work whether the switch is in the "1" or "2" position, then Id say thats correct. That indicates the Helm is connected to the C post of the switch.
Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       05-22-2014, 7:16 PM Reply   
Didn't think about it being on the common post. I got to check and see what voltage I'm getting off the alternater. Both batteries are new and if I ride and have the stereo cranked it will kill both the starting and stereo battery with it on 1+2. The reason I know the voltage is dropping is because the perfect pass starts ack up when the batteries get low.
Old     (trayson)      Join Date: May 2013 Location: Vancouver WA       05-23-2014, 3:14 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonblarc7 View Post
Didn't think about it being on the common post. I got to check and see what voltage I'm getting off the alternater. Both batteries are new and if I ride and have the stereo cranked it will kill both the starting and stereo battery with it on 1+2. The reason I know the voltage is dropping is because the perfect pass starts ack up when the batteries get low.
I had a problem with my PP showing low voltage. Turns out that the run of wire to the dash was pathetic and while I had good voltage at my batteries, it wasn't getting where it needed. I ran a good new line of 4 gauge to my fuse block. I also ran a good new ground to a bus bar that I put in for the various dash accessories like my PP.

I also replaced the 4 gauge wire that was connecting both my batteries to the perko with 0 gauge welding cable. I found a place that sold the wire and also sold the various ends, so they made me some custom cables for no extra charge. I replaced a lot of the cables (all but the main power cable that went to the starter solenoid since that one looked okay.

I would test the output of your alternator before assuming it's not doing its job. Because your PP might be getting robbed of power like mine was. before I redid the wiring, I'd rarely even see 12v on the PP. Now I get 13.8 while running.
Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       05-23-2014, 6:27 PM Reply   
Ok just backed the boat into the water on the trailer.

At the alternater with the motor reved up to 1500 to 2000 it showed 13.2 to 13.4


At the starting battery it's show about 13.0 to 13.2

The dash gauge never went over 12.1 the hole time. Either it's bad or a loose connection. Will see how it goes on the lake tomorrow. Both batteries are fully charged
Old     (chpthril)      Join Date: Oct 2007       05-22-2014, 7:36 PM Reply   
that sounds like a charging issue, not an incorrect wiring issue.
Old     (phathom)      Join Date: Jun 2013       05-22-2014, 10:29 PM Reply   
Quick question, other than the charging, is there any reason you are running it on 1+2 while you're out. If you have a good battery setup, you should be float charging the battery bank for your stereo at home and only running the boat on 1 to prevent that situation from happening. If you don't have enough amp hours on the battery bank to run all day and you have to have the alternator charge it, you might want to look at upgrading your setup, maybe to a 6v bank.

If you are running it on 1+2 and it's starting to drain the other battery, as TigeMike said, it sounds like your alternator is not putting out enough amps to keep it charged and you should look into that.
Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       05-23-2014, 4:06 AM Reply   
I have a starting battery and a group 29 ac Delco deep cycle for now. I've been thinking about upgrading to two deep cycles. But I'm 98% sure my alternater is on the out. My voltage gauge on the dash never reads above 13 no mater what the RPMs are.

So when I'm rideing and listening to music should I have the switch on 1??? So it's just charging the starting battery?
Old     (bryce2320)      Join Date: May 2012       05-23-2014, 4:16 AM Reply   
When the alternator is working, and batteries are fully shore charged, I'd run around on all until I was ready to anchor out. It'll have no problem keeping your 2 batteries topped off. I'd still rely on shore charging after you deplete your stereo battery.
Old     (h20king)      Join Date: Dec 2009       05-23-2014, 8:18 AM Reply   
Also both batteries should match and be changed out at the same time. Batteries only have so many cycles and a bad cell on one will pull them both down.
Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       05-23-2014, 9:00 AM Reply   
Both where bought last season at the same time. My father in-law is a auto parts manager. So two weeks ago I though maybe my starting battery was going bad and I didn't have my volte meter so I had him bring me a new one when he left work. Then during the week I had the old one tested and it was good, so I was just swapping it back to the original starting battery and returning the new one.

I think it is either

1. alternator not putting out enough I should know tonight what its putting out, once I get in the water and put the voltage meter on it.

2. Or maybe it the way I wired them batteries. I used 4 awg for the lines that run back to the perko and maybe they need to be switch out to a bigger gauge. But its a real short run of wire. The perko is right beside the batteries.
Old     (bass10after)      Join Date: Feb 2010       05-23-2014, 12:52 PM Reply   
blair its a good idea to check the voltage but also a clamp on amp meter will tell you if its got balls behind that voltage. think voltage as hp and amperage as torque. i'd switch your starting battery to match the deep cycle one and consider adding a 3rd to match it. parallel two of them and connect to the 2 side and leave one on the 1 side. then you have a two battery stereo bank if youre stopped, a 1 battery starting bank and combined have a bunch of reserve capacity. This depends on how crazy your stereo is though. It sounds like your alternator is def a problem and if thats the case it HAS to be replaced with a marine unit. Get the highest amp rating you can afford, again depending on your system requirements.
Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       05-23-2014, 1:12 PM Reply   
Thanks Detox

I thought you only need to match up the batteries on the same bank. I didn't know it needed to be a deep cycle for the starting battery too.
Old     (bass10after)      Join Date: Feb 2010       05-23-2014, 11:17 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonblarc7 View Post
Thanks Detox

I thought you only need to match up the batteries on the same bank. I didn't know it needed to be a deep cycle for the starting battery too.
yea you don't need to, but having all three batteries have the same capacity and be able to recover from heavy discharge doesn't hurt. If your cranking battery is getting drained completely it could already have lost capacity and compounding the situation. Personally I don't see the point in having a smaller cranking battery when you can add something thats usefull to your cause and serve dual purposes- again just a preference not really a must. Hope you figure it all out though. I had a similar problem with my gauge last year and it ended up being a loose connection on the alternator itself.
Old     (chpthril)      Join Date: Oct 2007       05-24-2014, 1:00 PM Reply   
i have no qualms with a main cranking battery being a different group size from one or two deep-cycle batteries wired in parallel.

When used differently, its best that they are conditioned/recharged differently, so no real need for all to the be same group size. On the same token, there is nothing wrong at all with having more CA's than needed.
Old     (chpthril)      Join Date: Oct 2007       05-23-2014, 2:09 PM Reply   
^^^^^^ You dont
Old     (chpthril)      Join Date: Oct 2007       05-23-2014, 6:53 PM Reply   
Start at the back of the volt gauge working back to the battery/switch, until you find where the voltage drops.
Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       05-27-2014, 12:11 PM Reply   
Well ran the boat all weekend and never had a problem with is not cranking or anything. Each night I recharged the stereo battery and all seem well. The only problem I had was on Saturday my perfect pass would cut on and off and beep at me while I was cruising across the lake. By the afternoon it just went blank and just keep beeping at me even though I wasn't using it. So I crawled under the dash and pulled the power cord out of it. The next day it was blown out with people so we surfed a-little bit, so I plugged it back in and never had another problem with it.
Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       06-11-2014, 1:33 PM Reply   
I'm still having voltage issues so today at home I hooked the boat up to my fake lake.

The voltage on the starting barttery was 12.2 before I cranked the engine. I rode last night but didn't charge the battery over night.

Once I started the boat at idol the alternator show 12.5 or so and the batteries showed the same thing maybe .1 lower.

Then with the engine above idol 1500 rpms both show 13.1 to 13.2

But no matter what the rpms are is won't go any higher than 13.2 even at 3200 rpms

How does this sound to you. When my batteries are freshly charged my perfect pass works fine. But if I wait until the end of the day to ride the starting battery always seems low and perfect pass acts up on me.
Old     (phathom)      Join Date: Jun 2013       06-11-2014, 2:08 PM Reply   
As it's been said, perfect pass is picky with voltage. It needs a good constant 12 or it's not happy.

Just a thought, how much tension does your alternator belt have on it? I have seen belts that are loose or worn slip a bit on the pulleys and not give you full voltage. You would probably here a squeaking too of it slipping, but not necessarily.
If anything, pull the alternator and take it to autozone to have it tested.
Old     (trayson)      Join Date: May 2013 Location: Vancouver WA       06-11-2014, 3:50 PM Reply   
Well, the most I seem to see on mine is 13.8 when the alternator is charging at full output. I don't know if 13.1 or 13.2 is *that* terrible.

But you're right, PP is unhappy with low voltage.

I have a perko switch and use 1 battery to run on and the other functions as a reserve. Seems to work okay for me.

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