Battery Wiring

GrowingLad

GrowingLad

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I wonder if I could double check something with you guys.

I've a small motor boat and I'm slowly getting her back to her former glory after sitting out of the water for many years.

I've had a load of work done by a so called professional but the more I look the more I realise the guy was a major toss pot. Anyways, I'm slowly working my way through the jobs and I'd like to check the following with you.

I've got two batteries (now I should know more about this as I used to be a sparks many years ago, but the old gray matter has been filled up with other stuff since and I can't remember much from my college days about DC, batteries in parallel and series etc..

I've got two batteries:
1) Part Number 135UKG - not sure if that's important
135a AH 20h
2) Part Number 065VP
CCA SAE
420amps and then it says
AH20h 42 amps

I've got a battery switch which has bat 1, bat 2 and both.
Okay, I can work out that you switch from batteries with the switch, what I want to make sure is everything is connected correctly.

Could you take a look at the diagram and let me know if everything is as it should be.

boatwiring-1.jpg


Many thanks in advance

Simon
 
Bus bar should be on the larger battery not the smaller (engine start) battery.

Also I would not wire the common neg to the manifold - The manifold will get hot - better to connect the common neg to the block (bellhousing bolt? or engine mounting bracket?)

Neg bus should go to the common neg not direct to a battery - assuming you want to kill all electrics when you switch the batteries off.

Some connect the VHF direct to a battery (+ & - leads) so the VHF is live even though the main battery switch if in the off position.
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hammer.gif
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity
 
The rotory selctor switch has two inputs 1 and 2, and a single output. Battery pos goes to terminal 1 and the other pos to 2, the pos feed to engine and the boats DC busbar goes to the out terminal on the switch.

All DC negs go to a common bolt, a single wire then connects this to battery neg.

In theory you start on one battery, then select 2 or both to charge with engine running.

When you leave the boat you switch to off, to isolate the batteries from the boat.

Brian
 
Cliff,

Yep, I thought something wasn't quite right as the I had power to the fuse/switch pannel when I had the main battery switch in the off position.

Also, I didn't think connecting the common to the manifold was the best idea in the world, as I said, I'm discovering that the "proffesionl" who's carried out the work is probably the biggest bodger I've ever experienced.

Halcyon, where should I be looking for the cock up? I'm pretty sure I've traced it correctly but I was on my own and lots of the cables I was tracing where concealed in places so I could have made a mistake but I did a few takes.

Thanks for the input guys.
 
Sorry Brian, I posted before seeing your other reply.

There were some markings on the back of the switch but I didn't have enough slack on the cables to see them fully and not enough time to disconnect everything to get a better look.

When I'm down at the boat next I'll take a closer look.

So, should I have a neg bus bar in the battery compartment, and connect the negs together there?

Main job for this afternoon was to clean out the bilges and unblock the bilge pump coz earlier said toss pot had left a load of crap in the engine bay (oil absorbant towels he's told me....need I say more) Plus his crap fitting of cabin windows meant there was plenty of water from all the rain whilst the boat was back in the UK....it's a saga... a full report will be given to forum members once I find out a little bit of info next week..

Thanks again, appreciate you help.

Simon
 
There should be a positive to the two inputs, and a positive out from your common to engine and DC busbar.
As you have you short out the battery.

Brian
 
I was just changing the diagram to what I think I should have.

Whilst I look at the link you sent does this look correct ?

boatwiring1.jpg


I don't wish to take up any more of your time so I think if my diagram is way off, I'll diconnect the switch next time I'm down at the boat have a good look at the markings on the back and compare that with the diagram on the link you've sent. I'll have a dig around a bit more and hopefully connect it up properly.

Thanks again,
Simon.
 
Just to check,

Is his the diagram that you had mind?

examplediagram.jpg


I'll get a better look at the back of the switch when I'm down the boat next time to double check everything.

Thank you for all your help.

Simon
 
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