Electrical question

[BALLS DEEP]

I have been having some issues with my electronics on my boat. I just recently put a new battery selector switch in. I was out the other day and had the switch on number two, fished for twenty minutes and I lost all power to my electronics. I looked it over tightened a few things and hoped for the best. Went out the next day with the switch on the both position and everything was fine except for the fish finder would cut off when my rpms were low. It would power off then I would manually have to power it back on again. Does anyone have any idea what the problem may be?

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[LongLine]

Are you sure all your connections are good.  I believe "tightening things" may be your clue.  I know my fishfinder has a low voltage cut-off.  Did you check your crimp to wire connections? 

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[BALLS DEEP]

By crimp to wire connection do you mean connections from when I did the initial installation?

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Roughrider IV]

Check connection at battery switch. Some units will not withstand switching while motor is running.

[jigstick]

It all depends on how you have your switch wired, and where you have your electronics pulling juice from.  For example...here is how mine is wired, which is a very common setup:

 

Position 1:  Cranking Battery

Position 2:  Deep Cycle House battery

Both: 

Common:  4gauge Power wire feeding fuse panel, Wire from alternator / starter

Off:

 

Bilge Pumps directly wired to the deep cycle

 

All electronics are wired to the fuse panel fed off of the "COMMON" on the Perko Switch

 

When you do it this way, your electronics will always be pulling power from the alternator while the boat motor is on, and if the motor is off, it will pull from whatever battery you have selected (which should be your deep cycle).

 

It sounds to be like some of your electronics are either hard wired directly to a battery, or are feeding off of a fuse panel tied directly to a battery.  This will cause you to lose some electronics when that battery dies while not being selected.  And depending on how your switch is wired, your batteries may only be charging with the switch in a particular position.  There is no way to answer that question without knowing more about how your setup is wired.

 

Does all this make sense?  Describe how you have it wired up and I can help more.

Edited May 7, 2014 by jigstick

[BALLS DEEP]

Yes I think it makes sense thank you. I have two marine/ rv batteries on the boat with a selector switch, positions one, two and all. It looks as if all of my wire run up to the front of the biathlete and then under the dash and stearing wheel. The only things that are run directly to the batteries are my riggers and bilge pump. Also I tested both batteries and the read 12.66.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[jigstick]

Are your batteries new?  Do you keep them on a charger when you are not using the boat?  

 

Could it be that your #1 battery is getting old, and doesn't hold a charge long.  So you get a good reading when you test it after it comes off of a trickle charger, but after a while of using that battery when your switch is on battery 2, that battery 1 dies off and you lose power?

 

Where is your fish finder power wire connected to?  

 

When you say you lost "all" electronics, are you talking just your fish finder and radio?  Or like your bilge pumps, blower, power steering, dash lights, running lights, etc?

[BALLS DEEP]

My batteries are not new and I do not keep them charged up all the time. But I do have a battery tender that I hook up once and a while. My power for the sonar is also ran under the dash to the fuse box with all of the other wires. I went to the boat and played around today. What I did find was when at a low rpm and I'm running my lights, GPS, VHF, sub troll, wash down and riggers. What I'm trying to say is with all of those things on and running, I hit my wash down pump and my voltage on the dad severely drops down.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[BALLS DEEP]

And yes the other day I lost all electronics while out on the lake fishing. Hasn't happened since but at the moment my sonar will just cut off.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[jigstick]

Could be an alternator problem.  It sounds like your alternator isn't putting out enough juice to power all your stuff.  Can you test the output of your alternator with the motor running with a volt meter and report back?

[BALLS DEEP]

Yes I can try to figure out how to do that! Thanks for you're time, I really appreciate it.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[jigstick]

If your alternator output is good, then the next thing I would check is the power wire feeding your main fuse panel, and the fuse panel itself.  Fuse panels are typically rated for so many amps.  If you have added a lot of electronics to the fuse panel, the fuse panel may be approaching max capacity.  Furthermore, the wire feeding the fuse panel may not be thick enough to carry enough amps to the fuse panel.  You may be able to just add thicker wire running to the fuse panel to carry the juice…id recommend 4 gauge.

[TyeeTanic]

I was told you should never move the battery switch while the engine is running or you will blow the isolators and possibly the alternator.

Did you happen to do this? It could mean your batteries are no longer charging via the alternator.

[jigstick]

you can certainly turn your switch between your batteries with the motor running.  If you couldn't, then there wouldn't be a point of having one.  I start my engine with my cranking battery, and once the engine is running, i switch over to my deep cycle.  

 

Depending on how your electrical system is wired, you CAN ground out your batteries / alternator if you turn the switch to OFF with the engine running.  I have heard of damage happening if you do that.  Never turn your switch to OFF with the engine ON.

[jimski2]

Low battery voltage will automatically shut your electronics off to prevent them from burning up. Check your battery voltage when this happens although the voltmeter on your electronics is unavailable.

[RSF]

Break out the multi-meter. Somethings not right here. Could be as simple as a bad ground connection, low battery condition but if your losing instruments on low rpm, depending on the alternator eg small outboard, it may be producing only 5-8 amps to RECHARGE battery. 

 

Also, Always keep your batteries charged before going out and don't x-link as a weak or poor battery condition will drain the good one. Battery switches should only be used to link two batteries in parallel when need to start the engine due to the battery used to start the engine is too weak to turn the engine over.  Each battery should be charged independently.