Battery promblem

[alvinals5]

I have a 87 sunrunner 220 volvo pentra with two batteries the prymarie starts and hold a good charge when i switch to the secondary with a full charge the battery run down an will not start the engine this is a new battery just purchased i notice the gage show discharge and i can hear a strian on the engine when i switch it over while running off the prymery is this sommething in the switch or the alternator

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Battery promblem

Switch the batteries around and see what happens. That will either eliminate the switch or reveal it is the problem. What kind of switch is it? How does the wiring look? We have no idea how your system is wired yet.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Battery promblem

Which battery runs down? The primary, after you have charged it and switched to secondary? if so, it obviously has a load or short, or is bad.

 

[alvinals5]

Re: Battery promblem

I have switch the batteries around and it is always the secondary that gos down leading me to belive that it is a short in the switch or corrosion somewhere will be trying it again tomorrow to see if i get the same results

 

[alvinals5]

Re: Battery promblem

My switch is set up from completely off to primaries to both and then to secondary

 

[airshot]

Re: Battery promblem

I would definetly check your wireing on your battery switch, I had a similar problem when I bought my current boat and had to rewire the entire charging system but now everything works great.

 

[alvinals5]

Re: Battery promblem

A boater friend told me to turn my switch to use both batteries engine starts right away with no problem an keeps both charged at the same time say he always has used both . I their any problem with this that I should know. About

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Battery promblem

the engine will only recharge the battery that has been selected so if you run one battery down then switch to the other that will get you home but the flat battery will not be recharged. You can select both when you know you have a battery that is low then the engine will recharge both on the way in. It will take a while at high rpm's to recharge a flat battery so you may have to use a charger when you get back to the dock.
A better way is to use a acr relay and only run the motor off one battery. The second battery will be used as a house battery (deep cycle)and handle the higher load items like the stereo. The acr relay will send charge from the starter battery to the house battery when the engine is running with out you having to change the switch setting. You may still have to charge the batteries at the docks depending on the size of the alternator on the boat and the amount of time you run at high rpms on the way in.

 

[alvinals5]

Problem solved had a deep cycle battery where it should have been a starter battery which have more amps for starting

 

[NYBo]

A deep cycle battery in good condition should have no problem starting your motor, so it was probably bad.