Battery Drain

[Jimmy Easterling]

I installed a HDS-7 this week on my boat and after a couple hours of fishing today the batteries were almost dead. I have the 24V TM, and two sonar/gps units running off the same batteries. Could this new unit have drained the batteries that quick? Haven't had a issue running the two 520. Guess I am going to have to run some wires to the cranking battery.

 

[john horn]

Are you sure it is running off the TM batteries? If the Z7 has the same master power as the Z6 it is connected to the cranking battery. If it drains that quick I do not think the outboard alternator would be able to charge fast enough and you might end up dead on the water. I would think there is something else happening. Did you test for draw? Throw a test light between the battery cable & the feed, if it lights with nothing on you have a draw.

 

[Dan J.]

I'd look for a more substantial drain and/or lack of charge. More importantly, your depth finders should NEVER be ran from your TM batteries. You are asking for outrageous interference and/or a surge mishap blowing your DF heads. Your trolling motor batteries should power your TM only. Your accessories and engine harness should run off your cranking battery.

 

[Berry Lindley]

Agree.

 

[Jeff Daubert]

How can you run a fishfinder on a 24V system?

 

[Aroldo Hernandez]

I'm with jdfish all of my fishy finders are 12 volt's.

 

[Tim Stuart]

I'm sure this is a color unit, and if i'm right about that they are very hard on batteries. One other thing. Does your boat still have interstate batteries. Not trying to bash em, but I had battery problems until i relaced them.

 

[john horn]

I have had color units on Interstates for years and never had any problems. Nitro should have pre run wires up front for the finder that runs back to the fuse panel. I would first check which set of batteries the power is coming from.

 

[Jimmy Easterling]

OK, they are not running off the TM batteries so there is a problem somewhere else. The charger is attached and working on both batteries, no blown fuses, the red light comes on when I plug it in and green when it is finished, so it is probably not the charger. I checked the battery post and they seem to be clean. This is the 4th time the boat has been out and the only thing I did different was install the sonar/gps. For whatever reason, the batteries are not matched, I was told, when adding 24v system to the Z6, for optimum permormance and charging the batteries should be exactly the same. Any thoughts on this? I don't know the manufactured date of this boat but since the 09 came out in 08 and it was just put in service 4 weeks ago there is a good chance that these batteries have been sitting for as long as a year uncharged.

 

[Jon Strong]

did you check the fluid level in the batts ?



Is it the TM batts that are dying or the cranking batt ?



JS

 

[Jimmy Easterling]

No I didn't check the fluid and it is the TM battery.

 

[john horn]

Put a meter between the battery post and cable and take a reading. Make sure you dont have a draw some where.

 

[Jimmy Easterling]

So what you are saying, John, is to remove the cable that runs to the trolling motor, and put one lead from the meter on it and one on the battery post? Does it mater which, pos or neg?

 

[john horn]

I would remove the Main positive battery from the TM feeds, the one that would travel to the tm's. Put a Multimeter to that cable and the battery post. If you have a 24v reading you have something drawing on the batteries. If you have a draw I would then disconnect the Tm and read again to see it it is drawing. Some TM's (MinnKota???) draw while off unless turned off.

 

[Lamar Gilbert]

Actually, you want to put the multi-meter in the DC amps setting and that will show ANY current draw from the battery. In the voltage position, it will not show current draw, only the potential voltage available after the drop through anything that is on at the time.

 

[john horn]

Lamar if it shows close to a 24volt voltage reading it will show a draw. Without draw the meter would not be able to complete a circuit. Most muiltmeters have a low amperage range, if he has a good short it could blow the fues in the meter. I was first trying to determine draw. He could even use a test light if he did not have a meter.

 

[Bruce Freeman]

OK so you have a 24v tm and two 12v TM batteries plus the starting battery? But you only say one green and one red light on the charger? "I was told, when adding 24v system to the Z6, for optimum permormance and charging the batteries should be exactly the same" Not with a single 12v charger?



BF

 

[Jimmy Easterling]

I am going to pull them out and have a cranking amp test done on them. I charged them Saturday when I got home so they should be fully charged.

 

[Jimmy Easterling]

The non Interstate battery at fully charged is only charging up to 1/2 cold cranking capacity and meter detects a problem and says to replace it. Now I know.