Battery discharge. ...normal?

[harringtondav]

The battery held its charge for short periods through the summer after I started opening the battery switch after boating.
But even with this switch open the 1000CCA battery would discharge w/in two weeks. I told the dealer I'd bring the battery in at end of season for a check.
When I was winterizing boat I found the battery dead again. I charged it for fogging. Before I pulled the battery I opened the switch and checked for current across the B- post and the B- cable. I don't remember if the DC amp limit was 10mA or 10A, but the display showed blinking '333'.
Dealer said "normal", radio and ECM draw (???).
So now I'm thinking I'll move the disconnect switch to the B- cable at the battery, or add a simple blade disconnect on the B- post. Since the battery was removed last winter, and everything came on line fine, including the radio I think this should work.
Thoughts?.

 

[jlh3rd]

I've read this entire thread.
My thoughts are......you've been informed from previous posters you have a problem. Disconnects and on/off switches provide a work around for the problem.
Sorry, the dealer's comment is bogus....and "standard" for dealers who don't give a crap....you said you're not impressed.
I have 4 cars, a motorcycle, and a boat. I never hear "clicks" when I re-connect a battery. If I did, in addition to a discharge problem, I'd be looking for the reason. Also, one car and my truck can sit for weeks with no startup issues. It was the same with my boat for a few years. ( battery dis-connect installed now)
Something is on that shouldn't be.
In a car, and it's time consuming, you can pull individual fuses to try and isolate the circuit with the problem.
I don't know what your boat has....but if you can do that and the click goes away, that might be the circuit causing the issue....

food for thought.....I don't think most new boats come with battery disconnects, do they?....

 

[briangcc]

FWIW...my Chap dealer told me the following when I took delivery of my boat....

Turn the batt switch OFF if its going to sit for over a week unused as it WILL drain the battery dead, Modern radios have memory circuits which DO have a parasitic drain. Not sure on the MPI/EFI setups but I would wager just the same. This also ensures that you didn't leave something on inadvertently - courtesy lights, nav lights, depth finder, etc.

Mine has an On/Off batt switch that controls the main (starting battery). Only thing not hooked to it is the trolling motor - separate batt. IF I follow my dealer's advice, I have NO issues with letting the boat sit for extended periods of time.

Again, your Regal is a new boat under a factory warranty. Use it. Call Regal direct if you are not getting any results from your marina. This avoids you voiding your warranty.

 

[dingbat]

I have 4 cars, a motorcycle, and a boat. I never hear "clicks" when I re-connect a battery. If I did, in addition to a discharge problem, I'd be looking for the reason. Also, one car and my truck can sit for weeks with no startup issues.

What year are your vehicles that don't click?

If I disconnect the battery from any of my truck and both cars, I loose the Alarm system, Clock, CD/Radio, Touch Screen (Display) and Driver presets at a minimum.

If I leave it disconnected too I loose the settings on the EMC as well.

 

[poconojoe]

So many electronics in our vehicles these days that it's amazing the battery can handle it all. You would think the batteries would be twice the size.

When I unlock my Silverado I can hear the fuel pump priming.
If I sit in my 2022 Ford Escape waiting with the engine off for 20-30 minutes, it makes all kinds of random noises. The first time I did that I thought a small critter was crawling around the engine compartment or undercarriage. It's like the car is haunted!

 

[Lou C]

If you use that parasitic draw tester I posted up you’ll see the draw when you shut off the ignition gradually drop as the modules go to sleep. Regal must have a spec for what’s an acceptable draw. If it is staying high then something is wrong. These are simple tests to do that will help track down what’s causing the issue.
Your initial question was is it normal for a 1000 CCA battery to go dead in a week and I think it’s not, a month maybe but a week no way!

 

[flashback]

I make sure my batteries are full up at bedtime and 4 months later I wake them. So far so good .

 

[Lou C]

The way I look at it is if they are fully charged when I put the boat away in Nov, if one is dead in April it was due to be replaced anyway. Usually after that length of time storage they are 75-80% charged still. Keeping a battery that has no loads on it on a maintainer can actually mask a weak battery.

 

[nola mike]

The way I look at it is if they are fully charged when I put the boat away in Nov, if one is dead in April it was due to be replaced anyway. Usually after that length of time storage they are 75-80% charged still. Keeping a battery that has no loads on it on a maintainer can actually mask a weak battery.

You ain't got no fancy electronics. My car gets unhappy after a month or so of not driving. Yells at me about abnormal battery discharge, won't let me drop the top or roll down windows, and I'm all, "hey, you jerk car! It's not abnormal after a month of not driving!". And then I start it and it shuts up after a while after I show it who's boss.

 

[jlh3rd]

What year are your vehicles that don't click?

If I disconnect the battery from any of my truck and both cars, I loose the Alarm system, Clock, CD/Radio, Touch Screen (Display) and Driver presets at a minimum.

If I leave it disconnected too I loose the settings on the EMC as well.

'02 camaro, '08 silverado, 2012 volvo, 2013 camry hybrid, '75 honda, 2021 merc. 115 hp ( '05 60 hp previously).....
Except for the camry, I've replaced/ disconnected/connected batteries and haven't heard/seen power draws like described here. My associated depleted batteries were age related, not power drains after just two weeks... If my vehicles were doing that, I'd suspect a problem. I dont get a "spark" at the neg. terminal which is the last connection I make.
If I did, then I know something is drawing power that shouldn't be.
I wonder if he is.....
Maybe mine aren't old enough.
But the few times I've trouble shot this type of problem for relatives, it's some type of short or bad components.
I had no issues with my '05 merc or my now 2021 merc. sitting for weeks...I got the motor in july of 2021. I don't always remember to use the battery disconnect during the season. Mainly for storage, like now...
and I've never heard the mercs. make any sound when messing with my batteries

 

[Lou C]

You ain't got no fancy electronics. My car gets unhappy after a month or so of not driving. Yells at me about abnormal battery discharge, won't let me drop the top or roll down windows, and I'm all, "hey, you jerk car! It's not abnormal after a month of not driving!". And then I start it and it shuts up after a while after I show it who's boss.

Yeah but this is happening after 1 week! Not normal!

 

[tpenfield]

For a boat, it is becoming more important to have some sort of battery maintenance supply, be it shore power, solar charger, or whatever.

There is the radio, then there is the corrosion protection, not sure if the PCM draws any power (but maybe), and then the batteries themselves.

My boat also has an inverter that seems to stay in a standby mode (God only know how to turn the thing completely off ).

So, a continual 50 ma into a battery for maintenance does not seem unusual. If your drain on the battery at rest is in that range, it is 1.2 Amp-Hours of depletion per day. Left for a few weeks and it is 20+ amp-hours, which 'can be' a problem when trying to start the engine.

@harringtondav - Since you are seeing depletion even in a week's time, you probably have some additional current draw that needs to be tracked down.

 

[QBhoy]

Not normal for sure. I’d be perhaps tempted to ask what kind of boat it is and what auxiliary devices it has that might draw power. And chart plotter or fish finders left powered up ? And fancy lcd dash equipment or similar ?
I’d also suggest that although you have an enormous CCA rating of battery, this means it’s no doubt got plenty of juice to crank and engine over…if it’s a battery that’s more inclined for just brute force starting power, this can also mean that it’s not so great for sustained draw from the odd auxiliary item over time. They don’t hold a charge as long as a dual purpose or leisure battery would.
What AH rating is the battery ? Often high CCA batteries can be quite small in these terms.
I have a dual purpose leisure battery in one of the boats. It is 110ah and I think around 600/700 cca rated. I can leave the boat for weeks and it will still start. Especially in summer. When things get colder at the end of the season…if I’m away from it for more than a week, I might think about turning the isolation off…but likely wouldn’t need to. These types of batteries are the answer, I’d suspect.
Sorry to ask…but has this only happened once or is it a frequent thing ? Very easy to leave the odd switch on. Like courtesy lights or something not noticeable.

 

[Lou C]

I agree with this point, in a boat that doesn't run all the time a dual purpose battery may be better, but even so, a starting battery should not be drained in one week. Imagine you buy a new car, the car has even more electronic modules than a boat does, and the battery goes dead after one week. You'd be back at the dealer in a heartbeat.
If the dealer is clueless, I'd buy that parasitic draw harness & a multi meter and check it yourself! I did this on my old '98 Grand Cherokee, and found that the security system does put an additional draw on the system. There is a fuse you can pull if the vehicle is in storage to reduce the draw on the system but I found that not setting the security system (locking doors manually) was enough to keep the battery from getting drained if it wasn't driven for 2-3 weeks.

 

[QBhoy]

Not normal for sure. I’d be perhaps tempted to ask what kind of boat it is and what auxiliary devices it has that might draw power. And chart plotter or fish finders left powered up ? And fancy lcd dash equipment or similar ?
I’d also suggest that although you have an enormous CCA rating of battery, this means it’s no doubt got plenty of juice to crank and engine over…if it’s a battery that’s more inclined for just brute force starting power, this can also mean that it’s not so great for sustained draw from the odd auxiliary item over time. They don’t hold a charge as long as a dual purpose or leisure battery would.
What AH rating is the battery ? Often high CCA batteries can be quite small in these terms.
I have a dual purpose leisure battery in one of the boats. It is 110ah and I think around 600/700 cca rated. I can leave the boat for weeks and it will still start. Especially in summer. When things get colder at the end of the season…if I’m away from it for more than a week, I might think about turning the isolation off…but likely wouldn’t need to. These types of batteries are the answer, I’d suspect.
Sorry to ask…but has this only happened once or is it a frequent thing ? Very easy to leave the odd switch on. Like courtesy lights or something not noticeable.

I’d also add, that my stereo and diesel heating digital controller is left live when boat isn’t in use…can be left for weeks and no problems. If your battery is good…got to be something drawing from it that’s substantial. I know that modern cars can sometimes have issues with parasitic drain from Bluetooth systems. Constantly searching for connection

 

[dingbat]

Battery size and type do matter......... lets do some math

Parasitic drain of modern automobile = 50 to 80 mA ( 0.05 to 0.08 amps)
0.08 x 24 (hrs.) = 1.2 to 1.9 Amps per day

Specs and Days till dead calculations for various battery types and sizes:

DieHard Platinum AGM Starting Battery (used in my truck)
760 CCA
Amp Hour - Not rated
Reserve Capacity = 120 Min. - (120 x 60)*25 = 180,000/3600 = ~50Ah
Days till discharged (10.5V) - 41.6 to 26 days

West Marine, Marine Starting Battery (grp.24)
800 CCA
Amp Hour - not rated
Reserve Capacity = 130 Min. - (130 x 60)*25 = 195,000/3600 = ~54Ah
Days till discharged (10.5V) - 45 to 28 days

​

Duracell Marine Dual Purpose Battery (grp.24)​

550 CCA
Amp Hour - not rated
Reserve Capacity = 120 Min. - (120 x 60)*25 = 180,000/3600 = ~50Ah
Days till discharged (10.5V) - 41.6 to 26 days

EverStart Lead Acid Marine/RV Deep Cycle Battery, (grp.24)
690 MCA = 552 CCA
Amp Hour - 101
Min Reserve Capacity = Not rated
Days till discharged (10.5V) - 84 to 53 days

EverStart Lead Acid Marine/RV Deep Cycle Battery, (grp.27)
750 MCA = 600 CCA
Amp Hour - 109
Min Reserve Capacity = Not rated
Days till discharged (10.5V) - 90 to 57 days

Mfg. Recommended Battery Size for my motor - min. 500 CCA
I run two (2) EverStart grp. 27. One for Start and one for House.
Can use battery switch to "combine" batteries to supply 1,000 CCA in a pinch.

 

[tpenfield]

It all seems like the batteries have about 50 Amp-hours of reserve capacity and if they loose 1.2 amp-hours per day, then you've got about 40 days to fairly depleted battery.

 

[harringtondav]

Battery size and type do matter......... lets do some math

Parasitic drain of modern automobile = 50 to 80 mA ( 0.05 to 0.08 amps)
0.08 x 24 (hrs.) = 1.2 to 1.9 Amps per day

Thanks. I did the math and figured something is wrong.
Assuming my 1000 CCA battery is good (not verified), and depletes w/in 14 days, there is an approx 3A/hr draw with the main battery switch open. Not enough to cause a melt down, but not what I'd call "normal".
I'll call Regal. Not hopeful. All of their surveys direct me back to my dealer with any concerns. If I manage to get to a knowledgeable person I'll ask if this is normal. If so, I'll let them define the current.

 

[harringtondav]

Not normal for sure. I’d be perhaps tempted to ask what kind of boat it is and what auxiliary devices it has that might draw power. And chart plotter or fish finders left powered up ? And fancy lcd dash equipment or similar ?
I’d also suggest that although you have an enormous CCA rating of battery, this means it’s no doubt got plenty of juice to crank and engine over…if it’s a battery that’s more inclined for just brute force starting power, this can also mean that it’s not so great for sustained draw from the odd auxiliary item over time. They don’t hold a charge as long as a dual purpose or leisure battery would.
What AH rating is the battery ? Often high CCA batteries can be quite small in these terms.
I have a dual purpose leisure battery in one of the boats. It is 110ah and I think around 600/700 cca rated. I can leave the boat for weeks and it will still start. Especially in summer. When things get colder at the end of the season…if I’m away from it for more than a week, I might think about turning the isolation off…but likely wouldn’t need to. These types of batteries are the answer, I’d suspect.
Sorry to ask…but has this only happened once or is it a frequent thing ? Very easy to leave the odd switch on. Like courtesy lights or something not noticeable.

A Blue Tooth radio is the only extra device. I'm pretty sure I shut it off. ...modern gizmos aren't intuitive.
Battery is at home in the basement. We are at the river house. I'll check AH tomorrow.
We got the boat late Aug last year. Frequent use, no issues. I don't remember the time interval between putting it on the trailer and winterizing it at home. ...it started fine. I pulled the battery for winter and charged before muff check out after storage. Fine of course. It sat on the trailer for several weeks at the river with the main disconnect closed (didn't know it existed). Dead battery.
I started opening the main disconnect after use. Intervals were one week max with not problems. Two weeks = dead battery.

 

[Lou C]

If you hook up a multimeter with that harness I posted and remove fuses one at a time....when you find the one here the draw drops down to like 30-50 milliamps then you have found the module thats staying on. Basically a simple process you can do it yourself....