Battery isolation switch for dual set up

[fmalott]

i bought a isolation switch for my boat i want to run one battery for everything except starter as i want it to have it's own battery so i want a dual system. the isolator came with no instruction i bough it from a garage sale the guy said he bought it to dual up his boat end up selling the boat and never included the isolator in the sale( i never asked why he didn't include it). i have been trying to find instructions on to hook it up but with no success, i tried you tube but most video don't show very good info. so if someone could help me i think drawing a wiring diagram would be the best the motor is a 470 merc(yes i did the alt conversion already)
to start with i got the positive wire from the starter and the ground wire where do i go from here. i have included some pictures so you know what i got for a isolator

 

[a1nowell]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

Take a look at this and see which setup best fits your switch and what you are trying to do.
http://bluesea.com/viewresource/1388

 

[fmalott]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

Take a look at this and see which setup best fits your switch and what you are trying to do.
http://bluesea.com/viewresource/1388

just what i was looking for this will help THANKS

 

[billbayliner]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

That is actually a battery selector switch, and is what you want.

Where it shows the common going to the outboard, this will be your starter motor solenoid terminal point.
You won't have the extra common to the panel unless you added one. Your main harness does this for the helm power.
Make each battery ground go to your engine block rather than joining them at a buss bar.

 

[fmalott]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

That is actually a battery selector switch, and is what you want.

Where it shows the common going to the outboard, this will be your starter motor solenoid terminal point.
You won't have the extra common to the panel unless you added one. Your main harness does this for the helm power.
Make each battery ground go to your engine block rather than joining them at a buss bar.

Yes that's the one that was also included with what a1nowell sent thanks guys

 

[fmalott]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

one last thing if you look at my picture of the switch you see the underneath where the brass nuts are you see little numbers beside the nuts, now common sense tells me when i switch it to number 1 it referes to the number 1 underneath and when i switch it to number 2 it refers to the number 2 underneath and when i switch it to number 1 & 2 it means number 3 underneath?

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

one last thing if you look at my picture of the switch you see the underneath where the brass nuts are you see little numbers beside the nuts, now common sense tells me when i switch it to number 1 it referes to the number 1 underneath and when i switch it to number 2 it refers to the number 2 underneath and when i switch it to number 1 & 2 it means number 3 underneath?

The Switch was labeled by a Crazy person.
It should have been 1,2 and C.

Assuming that 3 is the common...
OFF = No Connections.
1 = 3 connects to 1
2 = 3 connects to 2
1+2 = 3 connects to 1 and 2. (Both)

Unless 1 is the Common ????
Check it with an Ohm meter before you begin.

 

[Don S]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

Didn't that switch come with instructions? 1,2,3 sure doesn't tell you anything

 

[fmalott]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

Didn't that switch come with instructions? 1,2,3 sure doesn't tell you anything

no it didn't come with instructions as i posted on my first post this is why i'm asking the questions

 

[billbayliner]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

one last thing if you look at my picture of the switch you see the underneath where the brass nuts are you see little numbers beside the nuts, now common sense tells me when i switch it to number 1 it referes to the number 1 underneath and when i switch it to number 2 it refers to the number 2 underneath and when i switch it to number 1 & 2 it means number 3 underneath?

The Switch was labeled by a Crazy person.
It should have been 1, 2 and C.

Yes!

I didn't catch this until just now, but I agree, the rear of that switch is labeled goofy compared to any other battery selector switch.
That switch isn't capable of a #3 battery, so this is where the labeling is goofy.

Think of #1 terminal as an input. #1 will typically connect to your cranking battery.

Think of #2 terminal as an input also. #2 typically connects to your deep cycle battery bank.

[easy way to remember; #1 = 1 battery and #2 = 2 or more batteries]

Think of the "common" as an output to the engine starter solenoid terminal.
Common will be powered no matter which batter bank you select, or when selecting ALL (1+2 as this switch shows it)

 

[sschefer]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

All you need is a multi-meter in continuity mode or check resistance to figure out which terminal is common to the other two. No Mulitimeter? You can wire up a flashlight bulb and a D Cell battery and get the same results. Just check it in positon 1 and then position 2. You won't be able to tell if its in the both positon.

 

[trap25]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

What is the problem with joining the grounds at a buss bar.

 

[billbayliner]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

What is the problem with joining the grounds at a buss bar.

Schematically nothing, but you have little to no redundancy otherwise.
Theres redundancy if each battery bank ground makes a direct engine block connection.
Many accessory or battery management systems will refer to this as the engine system negative or system negative common.

 

[fmalott]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

All you need is a multi-meter in continuity mode or check resistance to figure out which terminal is common to the other two. No Mulitimeter? You can wire up a flashlight bulb and a D Cell battery and get the same results. Just check it in positon 1 and then position 2. You won't be able to tell if its in the both positon.

i checked with a multi-meter and the number three is the common. i would turn switch to #1 and touch #3 and #1 and there was resistance then i touched #3 and #2 and nothing, then i turned switch to #2 and touched #3 and #2 and there was resistance then i touched #3 and #1 and nothing, then i turned the switch to #1&#2 and i touched #3 and #1 there was resistance and then touched #3and #2 and there was resistance. so this is what's making me believe the #3 is the common

 

[fmalott]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

Schematically nothing, but you have little to no redundancy otherwise.
Theres redundancy if each battery bank ground makes a direct engine block connection.
Many accessory or battery management systems will refer to this as the engine system negative or system negative common.

the original ground was attached to the motor so i will be putting back the extra grounds on the motor

 

[Don S]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

What is the problem with joining the grounds at a buss bar.

Just to keep the size of the buss bar down, I normally hook the negative cables from the batteries directly to the engine, then with another 8 or larger wire, I go from the block to a buss bar for all the lights, pumps, and other items on the back of the boat. This keeps the batteries and the engine block from looking like a porcupine and makes it a lot easier to troubleshoot and replace any of those accessories.

 

[fmalott]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

Just to keep the size of the buss bar down, I normally hook the negative cables from the batteries directly to the engine, then with another 8 or larger wire, I go from the block to a buss bar for all the lights, pumps, and other items on the back of the boat. This keeps the batteries and the engine block from looking like a porcupine and makes it a lot easier to troubleshoot and replace any of those accessories.

THANKS Don S I will keep that in mind when i start hooking back all the wiring

 

[trap25]

Re: Battery isolation switch for dual set up

Ok so if i look at the above schematic, engine black goes to neg on starting batt. And neg. Wire from deep cycle bolts to engine block. Would any certain spot on block be best.