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Posts: 1316
Location: Madison, WI | Over the weekend, I had a bad starting battery. I went in and they traded out the old battery for new and after 3 days on the water using 2 locators and the occasional burst of aerator the battery died. This doesn't seem right to me. We were using the big motor to set a drift back up about hour. Does the big motor charge the starting battery? Any ideas? I have a 2004 125 merc elpto.
Edited by Magruter 10/21/2008 8:03 AM
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Check your alternator. I run a 3 bank charger so starting battery is getting charged each night as well. I had issues with my starting battery too, sitting for a week or two unplugged, as my Lowrance gps puck was always powered up. I now am sure to turn off my main power breaker, and also unplug power cord on the lcx, which is double insurance. Also, if you are only using your motor for short bursts, you might be using more energy to start the motor than your motor is putting back into the battery by the time you get to the next spot. If you charge fairly often and unplug things, you should be fine. Also, take a test light and check to see if you have a power draw. With everything shut off, disconnect all of your negative battery leads and hook the aligator clip of the test light to the negative terminal on battery battery, and the light to each of the leads. This will show you if and relatively how much draw is coming off per source. I think it might have been Al Warner(Musky Maniac) on this board who suggested that to me awhile back. I notice that even my motor draws a bit while in the off position, along with certain other sources even with the power switch off.
Also, knowing that your battery is being drawn a bit, be sure to disconnect everything before winter storage, fill it up, and give it a full charge.
Edited by Reef Hawg 10/21/2008 8:21 AM
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| ditto what JS said...it sounds to me like you should have charged it each night...if you don't have one, get yourself an on board charger... that many days without charging it and short bursts on the big motor, plus cold night temps will do a number on your battery...I charge mine with a 3 bank charger after every day on the water...
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Location: Athens, Ohio | My starter battery charges off the big motor. Nonetheless, I installed a 2 amp trickle charger on it that I plug in with my troller batteries, just to be on the safe side. I think I got it at Auto Zone. m |
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| Charge it every night after you use it....charge it the night before you are about to go fishing.
NOT charging your batteries is one of the WORST things you can do to a battery.
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Mines hooked up through my onboard charger gets plugged in after every trip. |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I added a 2nd on-board charger for my starting battery after having an issue. It is a 1 bank 6-amp Minn Kota and was relatively low priced. Its well worth it. |
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Posts: 395
Location: NW WI | Your new battery may not have been fully charged. Nonetheless, as I did in my boat, I would change out your existing charger to one that's capable of charging your starting battery. Small price to pay for piece of mind.....IMO |
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Posts: 35
Location: Johnsonville, Wisconsin | It's worthwhile to check if your batteries are all getting a good charge. I have a three bank on board, a starter battery and two deep cycles. When I charge the boat and all the lights turn green the starter battery shows 100% with a meter. The two deep cycles only come up to 70% on one and 80% on the other, so I hook an external charger to them to bring them up full. I have heard that it is not uncommon for an on board to come up short on a charge.
For me, this easier than spending $$ to replace the on board that still does a so-so job.
Lusox |
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Posts: 1887
Location: syracuse indiana | just to let you know that opti takes nothing no less than a 1000 cca to start her up.. if its not a big battery and you run electronics for a while than you will not have the cca's to start her....bill |
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Posts: 1316
Location: Madison, WI | Well my biggest problem is Schmacher chargers. I'm on my second speed charge. For some reason they are freezing up instead of turning the amperage down when they are complete they have been cooking my batteries. I won't be buying anymore of those. Any suggestion for a reliable single bank charger? |
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| Pro Mariner, Minn Kota or Guest all make decent 1 bank chargers and very affordable...I am biased to Pro Mariner though of the 3 |
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Posts: 5874
| As BN said, but I liked my Guest better than the Pro Mariner I have now.
Just as an FYI, when a charger claims to be automatic, that does not always mean it is fully automatic like a deep cycle charger should be. Automotive type chargers may be automatic, only meaning they go from hard charge to trickle, and that's it. They will continue to trickle charge until your batter is cooked. Doesn't mean the charger is bad, but misapplied. |
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