Instruments not functiong (or sporadically)

[Some old guy]

Hi, I;m a new (used) boat owner and have an 18' Hurricane deck boat (9 years young). When I took the boat out of storage this spring, I hadn't realized the batteries were NOT maintenance free and ALL the cells were completely dry. I tried putting new acid in them and recharging them, didn't work so I bought 3 new batteries (1 for cranking and 2 more (hooked together) for the other things like horn, bilge pump, nav and anc lights, live well, dock lights, interior lights, radio/cassette,etc) I cannot get any of these things to work. Befors Iput the 2 batteries that are hooked together in, these things worked occassionally (i.e. radio would come on but if I pressed thehorn button, horn wouldn't work and radio would go off......things lkike that).

I put the 2 new batteries in and NOTHING works...no bilge, horn, radio, etc. I have checked all the fuses I can find which are back by the battery, put an ohm meter on them to check for continuity and that seems ok.....I have 12 volts measured on each of my batteries (which I have another question about),but I have no voltage at all on the switches behind the instrument panel.

My question is: Is there 1 big master fuse under the dash I should belooking for that might be blown ar are there other things to check?????

Battery question: When I hook the 2 batteries together, (they were like this when I bought the boat) there is a cable from #2 pos to #3 pos but no cable from #2 neg to #3 neg......should there be?

Thanks for reading the entire story!!!!!!

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Instruments not functiong (or sporadically)

Sounds like you have some serious wiring issue's to deal with but for # 2 and 3 battery, sounds like they were running those 2 in parallel and yes if the pos terminals are tied to gether the neg ones have to be also. Is there anything on the neg term of 2 and 3? Possibly they have run the 2 neg cables back to a common point and joined them there? Although it makes more sense to just jumper them together. There may be a master fuse somewhere or a master battery switch. I'm afraid you'll need to get your meter working and go forward from the batteries to see where you lose your power.

 

[ricksrster]

Re: Instruments not functiong (or sporadically)

If you want 12v with 2 batteries the hook up should be pos of one to pos of the other, The same with the two neg. Make sure all your wiring connections are tight and check your ground. You should have a ground wire from your neg post on your batteries to your instruments and a pos wire from your batteries to your instrument. Some instrument require a 12v+ from your ignition switch. These instruments will have an IGN post on the back of them.

 

[Some old guy]

Re: Instruments not functiong (or sporadically)

Thanks for the info...there is nothing on the neg of #3 (other than the built in charger connection). There are many wires on the neg of #2 which I assume are the negative connections to the instrument panel. I have searched under and behind the instrument panel and have not found any "master" fuse or battery switch. I have also used a meter and placed the probes on both contacts of the fuses behind the instrument panel and have continuity between them.

 

[Some old guy]

Re: Instruments not functiong (or sporadically)

Thanks....I did notice this morning that when I turn the key on, I hear a faint but steady "click/chirping? noise. I tried disconnecting the fuses one by one to dtermine which one (if any) are responsible for this noise....no luck. As for checking from the batteries forward to see where Iose the power, there's nnothing between the battery connection and the instrument panel except solid wire (i.e. no connections, in line fuses, etc)......