Battery discharge. ...normal?

[harringtondav]

2022 VP 250 4.3. New 1000 CCA battery. Twice now I've found a dead battery after 1 week sitting idle. All helm switches and radio have been off. I finally figured opening the battery disconnect provided in the engine compartment solves this. I also noticed when turning the switch back to on I hear a soft click on the starboard side of the engine somewhere.
I'm guessing the click comes from the ECU or some other electric device that causes a slow drain on the battery.
I haven't had the chance to put a meter between B+ and the cable, but I know there is a drain somewhere.
Could the engine electronics normally draw current when off? ...maybe this is why the disconnect was provided?

 

[poconojoe]

I was getting a similar drain. I suspected the memory of my stereo, but your situation may be different.
Since then, I always kill the power from the batteries, plus I put a switch inline with the power wires of the stereo.
If I were keeping the boat in the water, I would have to keep one battery live for the automatic bilge pump, but I have been trailering the boat for the past few years.
So. If you're trailering, just keep the battery switch to off when not in use. But if your docked, you might want to keep the power on for your bilge pump.

 

[harringtondav]

I was getting a similar drain. I suspected the memory of my stereo, but your situation may be different.
Since then, I always kill the power from the batteries, plus I put a switch inline with the power wires of the stereo.
If I were keeping the boat in the water, I would have to keep one battery live for the automatic bilge pump, but I have been trailering the boat for the past few years.
So. If you're trailering, just keep the battery switch to off when not in use. But if your docked, you might want to keep the power on for your bilge pump.

Thanks. The boat sleeps on a lift, and my bilge isn't auto as near as I can tell.
The boat's floor, gunnels etc are a single mold. Which is great for keeping water routed to the aft bilge drains, and not the structure below. ...bad for adding wires. Even worse when the day comes to replace steering and controller cables. ...at my age my son or next owner can handle these issues.
The battery disconnect is an easily accessible rotary switch. Nothing to whine about.

 

[airshot]

Most all newer toys have some type of parasitic drain with all these electrical gizmos they have nowadays. Both my boat and motorhome have them. Rather than going thru detailed testing just use the battery cutoff if you have it or add them if you dont. I added them to my MH batteries but my new to me boat doesnt have any draws, at least not yet... they can creep up with age!! I do test batteries every week with my vom just to be sure.

 

[poconojoe]

Thanks. The boat sleeps on a lift, and my bilge isn't auto as near as I can tell.
The boat's floor, gunnels etc are a single mold. Which is great for keeping water routed to the aft bilge drains, and not the structure below. ...bad for adding wires. Even worse when the day comes to replace steering and controller cables. ...at my age my son or next owner can handle these issues.
The battery disconnect is an easily accessible rotary switch. Nothing to whine about.

Sorry... when I said drain, I meant battery drain.

You're good concerning the bilge pump since your boat sits on the lift and doesn't reside in the water. So, just shut off the battery switch when not using the boat.

 

[Sprig]

With all the electronics on boats and cars now a days there’s always some parasitic electrical drain. But no way should it be depleting a battery in a week. You need to track down the source of the drain. You can use a battery cut off but it would be far better to locate and diagnose the problem.

 

[flashback]

I was getting a similar drain. I suspected the memory of my stereo, but your situation may be different.
Since then, I always kill the power from the batteries, plus I put a switch inline with the power wires of the stereo.
If I were keeping the boat in the water, I would have to keep one battery live for the automatic bilge pump, but I have been trailering the boat for the past few years.
So. If you're trailering, just keep the battery switch to off when not in use. But if your docked, you might want to keep the power on for your bilge pump.

I wired my bilge pump direct to the battery, it's hot no matter what position the battery switch is..

 

[poconojoe]

I wired my bilge pump direct to the battery, it's hot no matter what position the battery switch is..

I did the same thing and I switched out my bilge pump to the automatic type because I used to keep the boat in the water, but I trailer it now.

 

[tpenfield]

Battery drain is why I added solar power to my boat. It seems that with all the new features on boats these days, there is more stuff to keep alive.

You may want to see if you can chase down what seems to be running once 'everything' is turned off. Any chance you can have shore power hooked up to keep the batteries fresh?

 

[flashback]

If you here It I bet it's a relay for something... maybe a security system?

 

[briangcc]

Talk to your dealer. It's new....has a warranty - use it.

Not getting anywhere with them? Call Regal direct - bet the number is in your owners manual.

 

[nola mike]

Talk to your dealer. It's new....has a warranty - use it.

Not getting anywhere with them? Call Regal direct - bet the number is in your owners manual.

Ha, this solution never occurred to me. I've never owned a car or boat new enough to have a warranty.

 

[dingbat]

If you don't have a boat's entire electrical system behind a on-off switch your just asking for problems.

People like to blame volatile memory and the likes for the consumption but your looking at 1.0 to 1.2 mA per week. That's nothing in the scheme of things.

What many don't realize is that electric motors (pumps), generators and alternators will leak current though the windings if the wiring and or the device is compromised in some way.

Had to replace a couple of bilge pumps that shorted to ground through the windings illuminating the "bilge pump" active indicator for 2 weeks or so.

You also have the a current generation of bilge pumps that "sample" on time delays. Uses about 100 mA per day with a dry bilge. Again, not that big of a deal if your using the properly sized battery for the load.

 

[briangcc]

Which again is why when you have a new boat with a warranty you get ahold of the marina to get it squared away.

New boats often have issues - mine have. I go in with a punch list to have them address it all at once. Makes it worth their time and mine to drag the boat to them.

Also avoids YOU voiding your warranty due to something you saw on the interweb and decided to try on your own.

 

[Lou C]

I think you have a parasitic draw in that a module is not going to sleep as it should. Even if you leave the battery switch on it should not go dead in a week’s time. I would take it to the dealer while it’s still under warrantee to investigate this. The auto bilge function should be directly connected to one of the batteries and still function even with the battery switch off. They make a nice wiring harness/switch that makes testing for parasitic draws easy. This is a very common problem on modern vehicles with multiple modules & CANBUS networks. Boats seem to be getting that way too, I prefer simple DC wiring don’t want or need all those “improvements!”

 

[Lou C]

Parasitic Drain Tester

Lisle 64970 Parasitic Drain Tester

www.aeswave.com

I used this to track down a parasitic draw on our old ‘98 Jeep…

 

[harringtondav]

Any chance you can have shore power hooked up to keep the batteries fresh?

I keep the boat on a lift. No shore power but I have 120V available for a battery 'tender'. ...easier to open the provided power disconnect.

 

[harringtondav]

Which again is why when you have a new boat with a warranty you get ahold of the marina to get it squared away.

New boats often have issues - mine have. I go in with a punch list to have them address it all at once. Makes it worth their time and mine to drag the boat to them.

I'll be back to the dealer...eventually. I'm not impressed with their service dept. I've received two recall notices from VP for a possible under torqued schrader valve somewhere in the fuel system. ...dealer knows about it and tells me 'any day now'. When I get the boat on the trailer at the end of the season I'll park it in front of their shop door with the hitch locked.
I can live with both issues till the end of the season. I reckon the dealer's priority now are repairs that get boats back on the water ...on the customer's dime.

 

[Texasmark]

2022 VP 250 4.3. New 1000 CCA battery. Twice now I've found a dead battery after 1 week sitting idle. All helm switches and radio have been off. I finally figured opening the battery disconnect provided in the engine compartment solves this. I also noticed when turning the switch back to on I hear a soft click on the starboard side of the engine somewhere.
I'm guessing the click comes from the ECU or some other electric device that causes a slow drain on the battery.
I haven't had the chance to put a meter between B+ and the cable, but I know there is a drain somewhere.
Could the engine electronics normally draw current when off? ...maybe this is why the disconnect was provided?

I have a dozen + batteries in equipment plus spares on my farm. Just last month I realized that the normal discharge rate on my batteries, most are new or a year or so old, is much faster than I had anticipated. Makes no difference if the battery is installed in equipment or sitting on the shelf, new. So I went to ebay and bought a box of trickle chargers and all my batteries are on keep alive now including my road vehicles which don't get used very much. Chargers were less than $10 and that beats having to prematurely replace a battery at today's prices which is where I was.

 

[airshot]

I have a dozen + batteries in equipment plus spares on my farm. Just last month I realized that the normal discharge rate on my batteries, most are new or a year or so old, is much faster than I had anticipated. Makes no difference if the battery is installed in equipment or sitting on the shelf, new. So I went to ebay and bought a box of trickle chargers and all my batteries are on keep alive now including my road vehicles which don't get used very much. Chargers were less than $10 and that beats having to prematurely replace a battery at today's prices which is where I was.

Yes...that is the best way to go, and best for your batteries as well. Battery Tender makes a maintainer of which I have 3 of.. Keeps battery charged and keeps internal plates cleaner, my batteries have doubled there service lives after keeping them on maintainers. My boat batteries are 5 years old and still hold a charge for months even when sitting. I did get new ones this year, pushing my luck at 6 years of age, however I keep the old ones to carry in my car over the winter. If someone needs a jump, I would rather hook up to an extra battery than take a chance on my vehicles electrical system. Put one of the old batteries in my grandaughters car when her battery died, been going strong for two years after being used for 4 years in my motorhome. These maintainers really do work.