@#%* electrical system!!

[Quiet Magic]

So I arrive at my boat after a week of absence, get the boat all ready to go and check the batteries. Battery 1: dead. Battery 2: dead. I go to start the engine: silence, NOT EVEN A CLICK! If I plugged the boat into the shore power the battery meter read full but the engine would still not turn over and as soon as I unplugged from shore power the meter would drop off to almost dead. If I ran the bilge blower off shore power it ran hard, with, it ran fine along with all of the other electronics. So, with the info I have, can any body specify the problem? Should I be suspicious of the charger over charging or not charging at all (one battery felt hot and its locker had bad hydrogen stink, both batteries are removed from the boat)? Btw nothing (as far as I know) was wrong with the shore power system.
Please help, this is one of the worst problems I've had with my boat.​

 

[u079721]

Hey - I'M Steve Christensen!!!

Well, I don't have any clever answer to your vexing electrical system problem other than to remove the batteries from the boat and have them load tested. I suspect at least one has a short, and that both ought to be replaced. If, however, the batteries test good, then you need to suspect your charging system.

But hey - I'M the Steve Christensen Ericson owner on this group! (Well, at least I used to be...) It was certainly weird to see "our" name at the bottom of your post. (Is your family by any chance from Utah?)

 

[Quiet Magic]

sorry not Utah

Well so far what you predicted seems to be true, one battery seems dead and another knowledgable sailing friend suspects the charger of maybe over charging. But the battery that seems dead still has a charge left.

As from where my family is from, the Christensen side is from Nebraska, But the name similarity is intresting. ​

 

[hodo]

Electrical problems

Hi Steve, it does sound as if one battery is shorted. Depending on the type of charger you have, and how it is wired, it may "think" that the shorted battery needs to get the heaviest charge.I'm not sure what you mean when you say the one battery seems dead, but shows some charge. Remember there is a difference in voltage and amperage. It may show 12+volts, but as soon as you put a load on it, that reading could drop to almost nothing. I agree on having them load tested at a parts store with knowledgable people, or a repair shop. there should be no fee for the test. Also, if you are smelling Hydrogen gas,be VERY CAREFUL!! Make sure there are no ignition sources in the boat, ventilate it thourghly, and remove the ground leads first. Make sure EVERYTHING is turned off. I have seen several batteries explode, and it is not a pretty sight. Handle the hot battery very carefully, it is probably the one off-gassing. Good Luck, wear protection,please. It is a good idea to replace both batteries at the same time. Hodo

 

[Joe Benedict]

Safety First

Don't get too close sniffing the gases - they are really toxic. One way to tell a bad battery is by it's shape. As the plates go bad they swell, and the rectangular shape of the battery tends to bow out and get more egg shaped. At some point the battery will split. They can actually swell up enough to get stuck in the battery case.