Battery switch not starting on 1, starting fine on 2 and All

[zul]

Installed batteries after charging. Two strong batteries, checked all connections for corrosion, wired correctly (me thinks).

On #1: No starting Beep. No crank, a quiet noise on and off sounds like its coming from the stereo sub. Click-chunk. Then quiet. Sometimes this noise repeats, sometimes it does it only once. Not even a click from the key.

On #2: Startup beep normal and starts normal
On All: Startup beep normal and starts normal

On battery #1, there is a thin wire that is disconnected. Could this be the issue? Hard to imagine that the starting of the boat is having problems from this thin wire?

Seems like the system is lacking ground on #1.

Any ideas?

I'm trying to do a lake trip soon .... will there be a drain on the batteries? Will one dead battery prevent the boat from starting? If I do the trip without being able to fix this, I'd disconnect the batteries at night. Would rather figure this out so I can sleep at night ....

Thx!

 

[T/O]

To get any kind of help with this probably need some pictures or better yet a sketch on how your batteries and switch are hooked up

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would tend to think that your battery on #1 is dead or has a bad connection. have you had the battery load tested? are the connections clean enough for your mother-in-law to eat off them?

 

[dingbat]

Swap batteries to see if the problem moves to stays with battery #1.

If it moves with the battery, #1 battery is compromised. If it stays, you have a wiring problem

 

[zul]

I charged batt #1 and same adios feedback click from sound speakers. No beep, no crank.

I will not be able to fix this before launching onto a large lake w few or no boats. Is there any risk that I become stranded, not being able to start? I plan to be 50 miles from nowhere on Lake Powell.

Ideas on possibility of starting/not starting?
Boats starts up fine on #2 and All.

 

[dingbat]

I charged batt #1 and same adios feedback click from sound speakers. No beep, no crank.

I will not be able to fix this before launching onto a large lake w few or no boats. Is there any risk that I become stranded, not being able to start? I plan to be 50 miles from nowhere on Lake Powell.

Ideas on possibility of starting/not starting?
Boats starts up fine on #2 and All.

"Charged" means nothing more the battery is at "capacity" based on current condition. A fully "charged", compromised battery is only worth the core charge

There is always a risk which is why I run two batteries and have a Tow Boat policy with a 75 mile offshore service area

 

[Scott Danforth]

Its up to you, I personally would sort it out before you become a headline in the Page AZ newspaper " boater body found, been missing for weeks"

 

[Silvertip]

Here's what happens if battery #1 is bad. Leaving the switch in BOTH position will allow battery #1 to suck the life outof battery #2 and you now are left with stranded. Find out what's going on. Try a different battery in #1 slot or as was suggested, swap with #2. If the problem now is with battery #2 position you solved the problem. You didn't fix it but you know what the issue is. Install a good battery. If the problem didn't switch to battery #2 then there is a wiring issue on #1.