Battery Issues

[capeters]

I recently purchased my first boat, a used procraft fish/ski combo, and I am having a battery issue. I have two batteries. One battery that I think is the cranking battery and has the the electronics hooked up to it. The other is for the trolling motor. Both of the batteries have "battery keepers" on them which i can connect to an extension cord at home to recharge the batteries.

My issue is that the battery keeper hooked up to the cranking battery is indicating that, when plugged into my house power, that the battery is not charged and not charging up. So, I bypassed the battery keeper and charged the battery with a battery charger. When i first hooked up to the charger, it indicated that the battery was only at 45 percent.

After the battery was fully charged, i went out for a day of fishing, came back, and went to recharge the batteries. Again, the battery was at about 45 percent.

I know very little about boats, and even less about electrical systems. I just want to know what is draining my battery, and how i go about figuring it out.

Thanks for you help.

 

[mark1905]

Re: Battery Issues

It could be that the battery itself is old and not keeping a charge. Do they have dates on them? You can always take them into any auto parts store and have them tested. If the boat has been sitting for any amount of time, this is most likely the case. It seems that one of the first things that I've always had to do after buying a new boat is go buy a new battery for it.

 

[capeters]

Re: Battery Issues

Sorry........I should have mentioned this..........The battery is a new battery.

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Battery Issues

Capeters, it could be your motor charging system is not working. Post the make, hp and serial number of your motor so we can help you better.

 

[rschap1]

Re: Battery Issues

I have seen more and more BRAND new batteries that are bad in recent years.
I bet a half dozen co-workers have bought either car or boat batteries this year and had to return them right away.

You could have many issues, but I bought my own load tester so I could rule the battery itself out quickly.
If I charge one and it doesn't look good on the meter I know it's a lost cause.

Good luck with your issue.

 

[mark1905]

Re: Battery Issues

1. Start boat on the trailer with muffs.

2. Rev engine to 1500 rpm

3. Use a volt meter and put the red probe directly on the charging post of the alternator and the black probe directly on the battery GND terminal

4. Read voltage. If it's not at least 14v, you have a problem with your alternator.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Battery Issues

I think I would have it loaded tested just to make sure. New parts do fail.

 

[capeters]

Re: Battery Issues

Thanks for the help. I ended up removing the battery keeper from the battery in question and hooking it up to my regular battery charger... The battery is actually charging and keeping a charge. The battery keeper actually seemed to be the issue.

Thanks for your responses. Much appreciated.