Battery question

[cheese]

My battery's 3 yrs old I took to auto zone to get it checked they said it was fine.i started the boat with no problem let it sit for 3days n it was completely dead.i only have the motor on the battery no accessories.ya think the store was wrong n I need a new one

[gravureguy]

More likely either it drained due to a short or the charging system is malfunctioning.....just my 2 cents.....have you tried to recharge it off-line?

[Sk8man]

A couple things come to mind.....first of all I know with my Optimax it needs at least over a half charge to actually start the motor so if it drops below it it will try to turn over but not start. Second the battery core may be bad or individual cells bad and under a heavy draw it could appear dead yet if just tested  without putting it under a draw and it may APPEAR OK. If it were me I need to rely on a good solid battery and not take chances so I'd get a new one....but that's me

[campwheeler]

Charge it,unhooked from everything....Let it set for 4 or 5 days,then hook back up see if it starts boat. If it holds charge and starts boat,then you know it's not battery.

[Waltzin Sue]

My Lund has a battery switch. If I forget to turn it off when I'm done with it, my battery will run down in a few days and will not start. However my battery does have other things hooked to it besides the motor. If campwheeler's test shows that something is draining it, installing a battery switch may be a good option.

[GeckoGuy]

As others have said, attach absolutely everything in the boat to a switch (except bilge pump).  This way, it is impossible for your battery to drain when you aren't there.  If you have this setup it will be obvious when your batteries have gone bad.

[cheese]

K thanks I will start by charging it then c if it starts if not get a new one with a switch.my other question is if I get a new battery do they usually come fully charged or do I need to put it on a trickle charge for a little while