Engines won't start!!! Batteries?

[RickieT]

Hi Everyone,

I believe I'm having an issue with where my batteries are drawing their power. Consequently my engines won't start...they just make a clicking sounds when turning over. I have 3 batteries...one is in the bilge where my port engine is. Tested and it has plenty of power. There are 2 other batteries in a row directly below the middle hatch between the two engines. One
I believe is sucking the power from the other one and engines aren't starting. One battery is brand new and the other was already in the boat when I purchased it last year. I am looking for any help as to why the engines aren't turning over. I'm guessing one of the batteries isn't holding a charge? I'm also curious as to what I'm supposed to set the knob in the salon panel for the batteries? Choices are Both, 1, 2, off. My next step is to perhaps take the 3 batteries to be tested to see if they are ok?

Thanks

Rick

[tomschauer]

The battery in front of the port engine is most likely dedicated to the generator.
The other two are your main batteries connected to the battery switch.
With the switch in the off position you should have no power to anything other than bilge pumps, shower sumps and CO detectors and most likely stereo memory.
With it in the 1 position what ever battery connected to that side of the switch will feed all loads. When switched to 2 that battery will feed all loads.
When in the both position both batteries are paralelled and feed all loads.

you didnt say whether or not you are connected to shore power and the charger is on?
Many things on your boat will draw power from the batteries constantly. If the charger is not on you should shut off all 12v breakers that are not required or you will have dead batteries on a regular basis.

[RickieT]

Source of the post The battery in front of the port engine is most likely dedicated to the generator.
The other two are your main batteries connected to the battery switch.
With the switch in the off position you should have no power to anything other than bilge pumps, shower sumps and CO detectors and most likely stereo memory.
With it in the 1 position what ever battery connected to that side of the switch will feed all loads. When switched to 2 that battery will feed all loads.
When in the both position both batteries are paralelled and feed all loads.

you didnt say whether or not you are connected to shore power and the charger is on?
Many things on your boat will draw power from the batteries constantly. If the charger is not on you should shut off all 12v breakers that are not required or you will have dead batteries on a regular basis.

I am connected to shore power...and where would I see if the charger is on???

[mjk1040]

Rickie; the 2 batteries are ur engine batteries, number 1 & 2. The 3rd battery should be for the generator. U should be able to start your engines on battery number 1 or 2 and/or on both on the selection switch. I've always run on both on the selector switch, other wise only one battery is charging when the engines are running. Personally I would be putting 2 not one brand new batteries in. keep the best of the three u have for the generator. If you leave the boat and do not leave the AC battery charger on for that period of time your fridge will run ur batteries down. Ur theory that one battery is bad drawing the other is not true unless u left the selector switch on both while away. Certain items on ur boat will draw power when the selector switch in the off position, fridge, bilge pumps, smoke alarms.

[mjk1040]

Charger is on the AC breaker panel. A meter may be on the charger itself. if not you'll have to test battery leads with a meter to see if 12-14 DC volts are being supplied to the batteries.

[RickieT]

Thank you!!!

[buster53]

Ok, have you looked at your 120 volt electrical panel to see if your battery charger is in the "on" position?
What position is your 1-2-Both-Off battery selector switch in?
Try starting your engines in all three positions...1-2-Both and let us know what happens.
If you are sure the battery charger is on and has been for a while. The engines should start easily in the "Both" position. Since one battery is new and the other is not, there's a good chance that in either the "1 or 2" position, one battery will start the engines fine, but the other battery may struggle if it starts the engine at all. The one that struggles will surely be the older one and should be replaced. When it comes to batteries, it's best to replace both at the same time.

When you are out cruising, always have the selector in "Both". If you stop, say to anchor out for the afternoon, and you don't want to run your generator, always put your selector in either the 1 or 2 position, so both batteries won't run down while at anchor and you still have one strong one to start your engines. You should always have big enough/strong enough batteries that only one is needed to start engines. If you need to use both, something is wrong.

Not giving you a hard time but you sound like a newbie with regards to larger boats. I suggest you enlist the help of one of your more seasoned boating buddies to go over some of the systems on board that you might not be too familiar with.

[RickieT]

I appreciate the help and not offended at all. It's very obvious I'm a newbie with larger boats and again appreciate all the help I'm receiving. Another question...if I'm on shore power do I leave it in 1, 2, "both" position or off???? I have a month old Deep cycle battery and will be buying a crank/start battery on Monday...Hopefully this solves the issue. Might my navigation lights not working have anything to do with this issue???

Thanks,

Rick

[bud37]

We have the same boat, couple years or so newer....we are at our boat almost every day in the season.....so here is how I leave ours .......shorepower plugged in with only the house side on, the one with the air conditioning off......the only AC circuit on is the one that has the fridge on it.....battery charger off......the one two both 12volt dc switch set to off...12vdc main breaker on the panel is off....the stereo memory off..That stereo memory will pull a bunch of power if the stereo is a little goofy and will kill a battery.

So really the only power on the boat is the 120volt circuit feed to the fridge. Lots of folk leave the air on etc but we are there enough so it is not a problem, also the bilge pumps are hard wired in to the batteries,also the CO monitors but they can be shut off though on our year.Took me a while with some issues much like yours, so I know that this works for us now.
Now I am not saying you should do it this way, just an example, everyone has different needs and I full agree that you should get a little local help for a bit as this is quite a learning curve and takes years sometimes......good luck man.......

[bud37]

I will add that all the issues we had to resolve came down to all bad batteries,cleaning main grounds to engines, bad CO monitors and that stereo memory that I mentioned......when that was all addressed the power issues stopped......older Charles 50 amp charger will be next to go splash to be replaced with a smart charger.....hope this stuff helps ya a bit to hear we all go thru this, not trying to hi-jack this........