new dead battery question

[Bad Pete]

I have a relatively new Mercury 75 HP 2016 with a new Deka 800 Starting Power battery. Ran it for about 10 hours ;last fall before I stored it in my basement for the winter. After the winter I put a charge on it. This spring I put about another 10 hours on it. I put in a Lowrance Hook 7 (or the dealership did). Took it out another 3-4 times no problems. Bad weather on weekends set in here in the northeast and I have not used it for 4 to 5 weeks. I was cleaning it up today (on the trailer) I discovered the battery was dead, real dead. No switches were left on and I take out the Lowrance each time I use it. I'm real surprised the battery was dead for such a new battery. I called the dealership and the nice lady said that happens with Marine Batteries if do not use them. Some how this does not sound right to me. I've got the battery on a charger now and we're headed out tomorrow. I bought a cheap battery tester so I can test it before I go out.

Any advice? we're head out next week to the mountains and I am storing it during the week and will be using the boat every 2 to 3 days. But it may sit for up to seven to 10 days at a time over the summer. I'm worried about a short or an unseen drain on the battery. Its really a simple CC OB 17 foot. There's not a lot of complex gauges. Also there is not a lot of support up in the mountains. I don't want to get caught up there in mountains with my pants down with a lot guys with banjos,

 

[Bad Pete]

I may have found the problem. I went out to see how the charging was going an there was a lights indicator on. Its a switch that is different than the other switches. and in the dark it had an on light indicator you cannot see in the day time. Sorry to bother you guys

 

[roscoe]

One small indicator light may drain the battery, but...

You might want to check to see if your motor is charging the battery while running.

Or you may be hearing those bangos.

Could also be a bad battery, it happens.

The "nice" lady ? is giving you a line of carp.

 

[Bad Pete]

You might want to check to see if your motor is charging the battery while running.

any suggestions on how I do that. She ran great today started up fine. But I charged the battery yesterday

thanks

 

[GA_Boater]

What does the lighted switch run? It may not be the light in the switch but what it turned on that drained the battery.

The "nice lady" is full of it! Omitting a couple of letters for the sake of PC.


To check charging, connect a meter across the battery. At idle it will read about 12.5 volts and about 1500-2000 RPM it will read about 14 volts. With a newer motor, it may show the same voltage at idle, about14 volts.

 

[Bad Pete]

What does the lighted switch run? It may not be the light in the switch but what it turned on that drained the battery.

The "nice lady" is full of it! Omitting a couple of letters for the sake of PC.


To check charging, connect a meter across the battery. At idle it will read about 12.5 volts and about 1500-2000 RPM it will read about 14 volts. With a newer motor, it may show the same voltage at idle, about14 volts.

Thanks this boat is really very simple. It has a running light switch that turns on the navigation lights. All the other switches have two positions forward on and back off (horn, ballast pump etc.). Its easy to see if these switches are off or on. However the running light switch has 3 positions forward on, middle off, rear on. When any of these switches are in an on position a little light goes on that is almost impossible to see in the daylight. The 3 position running light switch is real easy to bump and turn it on and by eye is hard to see if its on due to low tolerance between the 3 positions. My theory was when I put it away 4 to 5 weeks ago (on the trailer) and when I pulled the boat cover over it tripped the navigation light switch. Good theory but I think its time to spend the money on volt meter and check it out. I figured you had to check it while running the motor. I have a cheap meter but it just tells you if the battery needs charging it does not tell you the voltage output.