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Location: Des Moines IA | My blue top Optimas are 6 years old. I don't have near the power out of my 75 pound trolling motor I use to. The charger says they're full, but on the lake yesterday, it seemed like they were barely half charged? When I got home, after using them for 45 minutes, the charger said they were @ 75%. Can a autozone or pep boys test marine batteries? I can't help but think they're toast. 6 years is a lot to ask of a marine battery. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Any mechanic should be able to load test them |
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Posts: 147
Location: Chesterton, Indiana | Stop by autozone they can load test them there right in your boat in the parking lot. |
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Location: Des Moines IA | One of them is bad, the other is good. Doesn't really matter. They might as well both be bad, can't add a new one along side the old one. So, what's everybody running for trolling motor batteries? 6 years is a great run, but @ 450$, I just can't afford Optimas again. |
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Posts: 395
Location: NW WI | There's been several threads thru the years on this subject and I think you'll get many differing opinions. I for one am a big Interstate fan and have been running them in my boats for years. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Wallyworld batteries are made byJohnson Controlls and have always worked and lasted well for me. Regardless of the names on the batteries they all come out of a very few factories. Apparently Wallmart's are built to military specs.
Unsure why you can't just replace the bad one.
Edited by horsehunter 4/4/2012 7:31 AM
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Location: Contrarian Island | farm and fleet AGM size 31s are a great batteries and on sale at 181 each...better specs than Optimas...no maintenance.. |
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Posts: 5874
| I get my batteries from Remy in Milwaukee, WI. Group 30 are Group 31 reserve in a group 29 case. I think I paid about $75 ea in 2007. Still have lots of reserve left.
These are made by Johnson Controls, as are Northern, Interstate, AC Delco, and whatever The Walmart sells. Excide? Good batteries, and even if they lasted on ly 3 years, I can buy about 9 years worth for the price of the Optima, which won't last that long. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i had all intentions of putting grou 31 gels in my boat last year and based on having one go bad on me (swapped out by Gander), i opted to go with a gel for cranking and the 29 (fit better) Interstate wet-cells for the TM. i'd sunk a bunch of coin on other things so money was a consideration for me too. i can't argue the call at the time ... someday but it's all about whe you need most and how much jingle you got to do it all ...
boats are almost worse than kids on the wallet eh? |
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Location: Des Moines IA | Thanks for the info guys. Closest Farm and Fleet is over 100 miles away, so it looks like it'll be interstate or Walmart. |
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Location: Des Moines IA | Luckily, I don't have any kids! Good thing the boat is costing me plenty. |
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Posts: 332
Location: Neenah, WI | Try Batteries Plus or Auto ZoneMike
Saint |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Kids are fun but grandkids are far more. You can wind them up feed them choclate and send them home (kinda getting even)
I've spent thousands of hours muskie fishing and its been a large part of my life for the last 30 years.Caught my share of fish large and small but it dosen't compare with perch jerkin with my grandaughters.
Edited by horsehunter 4/4/2012 3:19 PM
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Posts: 180
Location: Elgin, IL | Interstate batteries for me. Dependable and have lasted well for me. Take them to battery plus every other winter for checks and tend to fair well. |
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Location: Des Moines IA | Autozone told me one of them was bad. Batteries plus did what I would consider a 'real'load test and said they were in great shape. He also told me about 5 years ago Optima changed the way they make their batteries, and the new style doesn't last as long as the old ones. So, after pondering my boat wiring set up. I think it's the new inline 50 amp breakers that might be the culprit. Apparently they need to go in a certain direction to allow proper power flow? Not sure but that's what I'll be looking in to tomorrow evening. Anyone else run inline 50 amp breakers that only connect through the positive wire? |
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Posts: 5874
| Most breakers can be fed either way. I'd have to know the manufacturer and P/N to look into that. It's possible it this started immediately after you put the breakers in.
Is it possible your TM may be the problem? Maybe it had a leak, some water got in it, and it's drawing too much current? |
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Location: Des Moines IA | I hope it's not the trolling motor?! There are the breakers I am running. 50 amp.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Boating/Electric-Trolling-Motors/Ele... |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | to mitigate the chronic power delivery problems that come with boats, last year i gutted my boat and re-plumbed all wiring and incorporated a power distributor to the system. it's been a really positive move and although there may always be a problem when power, water and bouncing are involved ... it's given me a piece of mind that has been worth the time and money outlay. |
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Posts: 5874
| MuskieMike - 4/5/2012 9:59 AM
I hope it's not the trolling motor?! There are the breakers I am running. 50 amp
/QUOTE]
Can be wired either way. This is not your problem. Data Sheet attached.
Did it seem to be low on power right away, or did it seem to go away after running for a length of time.
Next step would be to see how much current the TM is drawing under load.
At this point, it might make sense to get it looked at by an authorized Minn Kota Dealer. It is a Minn Kota?
Edited by Shep 4/5/2012 4:08 PM
Attachments ----------------  BUS_Tns_12X_Shortstop_CB.pdf (69KB - 200 downloads) |
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Location: Des Moines IA | It's a motor guide wireless. I'm going to try it Saturday without the breakers, see if that fixes the problem or not. Depending on what happens with that test. I might be taking it in to the shop! Which would suck. I just dropped of a reel there and they said it would be 4-5 weeks as they're way behind. |
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Location: Des Moines IA | "The circuit breaker is rated foe 12v and 24v. The Resettable Circuit Breaker is marked on top next to the posts as shown in the enclosed photo and drawing, Battery or line is the copper post and Auxiliary or load is the steel post."
This is what I got from the manufacturer. I'm going to look into this, this evening and see what I can figure out. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Where do they sell interstate batteries? Can't find any listed online at specific stores I am looking at... |
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Posts: 5874
| Be pretty expensive to ship a TM battery I would think.
I think I saw Interstate at Gander Mountain. Also, lots of ACE and True Value Hardware stores have them. |
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| Not too many run Dual Pros but I've had great success with them. They've been on my past two rigs. My current set of 3 3100 series is on their 6th season and run like the day I got them. I've ecked out 3 day benders on big water and not run out. They are very pricey though at about 280$ a piece or so but compared to my buddies who buy new batteries every season or two, they've been well worth the investment.
I also take very good care of them, they get charged after every single use and stay plugged in to a 4bank Dual Pro charger year round. A lot of complaints about batteries I hear stem a lot from not taking care of them/proper maintenance... |
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Location: Des Moines IA | http://www.interstatebatteries.com/cs_eStore/DealerLocator/Default....
Store Locator |
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Posts: 5874
| Esox1850 - 5/10/2012 1:20 PM
A lot of complaints about batteries I hear stem a lot from not taking care of them/proper maintenance...
What he said! |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Hint - Buy your batteries from stores with high stock turnover. If its covered in dust don't buy it, and go somewhere else! Automotive stores may or may not be the right source for "marine" batteries. There is one good thing about Walmart - if you're traveling/on vacation & need a replacement, there's usually a Walmart nearby. Decisions, decisions, decisions!
Have fun!
Al |
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