Battery wiring for 12/24 volt

[Lodge06]

I have a ranger boat that is equipped with a 12/24 volt trolling motor. On the foot control is a switch that allows you to switch back and forth from 12 to 24 volt. The batteries are wired like this: one battery has a red wire to + and a black wire to -. The other battery has a orange wire to + and a white wire to -. these four wires then run into a circuit breaker then out to the front of the boat. I was wondering is this was wired correctly because the boat is new to me. The batteries have solid voltage, but seem to die faster than they should. All the wiring diagrams I have seen on here seem to be different. Thanks in adavance!

 

[sasto]

Re: Battery wiring for 12/24 volt

Are you running the motor in 12 or 24 volt mode? Are you running the motor off both batteries. Provide some more info please, somebody will help.

 

[Lodge06]

Re: Battery wiring for 12/24 volt

I run the TM in the 24Volt mode. I would assume that in the 24V mode I am running off both batteries.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Battery wiring for 12/24 volt

There are as many different wiring schemes for 12/24 systems than there are boats. Your system is wired correctly AT THE BATTERIES but it may not be correct up front. Some additional info is needed.

1) do you have a three or four terminal trolling motor receptacle.
2) Does your boat have a 12/24/RUN/CHARGE switch on the panel next to the receptacle? If so, what are the switches and how are they labeled.
3) What make and model troller do you have.
4) Normally, if measuring voltage at the receptacle, the terminals where the red and black wire match up from the trolling motor will measure either 12 or 24 volts. Some have this as the 24 volt pair, others have that as the 12 volt pair.
5) The Orange - Black pair would then be the opposite of whatever the red - black pair measure. (If Red-Black = 24 volts, then Orange-Black = 12 volts.

If your boat does not have any switches on the receptacle panel, then the orange and red wires in the either the troller plug or receptacle are switched. Ground is ground so you cannot screw that up. If the red and orange wires on the troller plug are switched setting the switch to 24 volts would only run the motor on 12 volts which would kill the battery quickly. So break out the voltmeter and check the receptacle.

 

[sasto]

Re: Battery wiring for 12/24 volt

You found your man, Lodge. If you can answer the questions to the best of your ability, he can solve your problem. 2-12 volt batteries don't always equal 24 volts....Welcome to iboats.

 

[Lodge06]

Re: Battery wiring for 12/24 volt

Silvertip-

1. I have a 4 pin plug on the trolling motor and 4 pin reciever on the boat.

2. The only switch is on the foot control of the trolling motor. You Can either choose from 12V or 24V. There is no run/charge switch on the panel. The switches that are there are for motor trim, lights and accessories.

3. The trolling motor is a bow mount 1993 OMC. Model number is BFL4TK.

Thanks for the info guy!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Battery wiring for 12/24 volt

OK -- One last question -- does your motor have three or four wires in the cable going from the troller into the plug?

Remove the panel the receptacle is mounted in and look at the back of the receptacle. Note each terminal and what the wire color is. The wire colors and terminals on the plug must match those on the receptacle. But as I indicated before, not all motors have the orange wire as 24 volts and red as 12 volts. Some have it the opposite way.

Remove the cover on the plug and check the back of it. Sometimes there is a jumper on the back of the plug. That plug may have been replaced at some point and installed incorrectly.

 

[Lodge06]

Re: Battery wiring for 12/24 volt

Silvertip-

OK took the panel off today and found this:

Boat side-
On the back side of the plug the top left was black wire. the top right was white wire. The bottom left is the orange wire and the right is the red wire.

TM plug-
The plug on the TM has 3 wires going into its plug. The 3 wires are white, red and black. The white one is connected to both top and bottom right side terminals. The black wire is connected to the top left and the red is connected to the bottom left.

Thanks.