Battery location Freedom 235 and how to charge it.

proinvest40

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Freedom 235
This is a pretty basic question but where are the batteries located in a 2022 Freedom 235 and how do I get to them? My number 1 battery is dead and I want to charge it. I thought I was managing the batteries correctly but something happened. Can I use a regular automotive charger to charge it up? Any special precautions? Thanks!
 
if you have a 2022, call your dealer and let them look at it. my '02 gulfstream caught a dead battery during the first season. they changed it with no other problems identified. good luck, ron
 
someone asked the same question in 2020...same boat... answers were pretty much "you should know, its your boat". Your not coming on my boat
 
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Check your battery charger and engine charging system. This is a basic system test that can be done with a voltmeter. Start here and others can help going forward.

At the dock turns all your electronics on and disconnect the boat from shore power. Put a volt meter on the house battery and check voltage. Should be somewhere around 12.8 volts. Check starting battery. Should be around 12.8 volts. This is normal fully charged battery voltage. Start the motor up. Check house battery voltage. Should be around 13.1 volts. Check starting battery. Should be around 13.1 volts. This is normal voltage while engine is charging batteries. Turn the engine off and reconnect shore power. Turn charger on. Both batteries should be around 13.1 volts indicating the charger is working.
 
No reason to use an automotive charger except in an emergency. Marine systems are reliable. I use a ProMariner ProSportHD to charge 3 banks of batteries. Make sure the battery charger bank is working properly and the inline fuse to it is good (you can tell by the charging voltage with a voltmeter).
 
As mentioned above, a 2022 model boat should be under warranty top to bottom. Talk to your dealer. Secondly, it appears you are new to boating or at least your new Grady. Grab a flashlight and open every hatch on the boat. With the owner's manual, identify and familiarize yourself with every system on your vessel. In a pinch, you will need to know this stuff and how it works.
The batteries on my 255 Freedom are located inside the transom accessible through the hatch located under/behind the rear bench seat. Inside that compartment I installed a 2 bank battery tender that I can plug into shore power when needed. I have a Sportsman but I am hearing good things about the NOCO Genius line of tenders. Good luck.
 
Wow this thread will make you want to come back here for help in the future.
 
... Secondly, it appears you are new to boating or at least your new Grady. Grab a flashlight and open every hatch on the boat. With the owner's manual, identify and familiarize yourself with every system on your vessel. In a pinch, you will need to know this stuff and how it works...
this is important.

OP, as captain of the boat, you are responsible for the safety of everybody on board. there are basic things you should know. battery locations, through hull locations, seacock locations, bilge pump locations, basic wire routing, fire extinguisher locations, etc... it would be wise to familarize yourself with your boat. your local grady dealer should be able to go over the key safety points with you

please dont take this negatively, but rather as encouragement for your ability to ensure the safety of yourself, your boat, and your guests
 
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Yup read the user manual ....
OK, I got that said now for some hints

Hopefully you know and have used the battery selector switch. The batteries will be within about a 2 foot circle of the switches. If the battery switch is under the helm ( I don't know for sure) the batteries are probably in front of the hlm somewhere in, behind, or under a panel in the starboard side storage compartment behind the helm'
If the battery switch is aft by the transom, the batteries are close to that spot. You may have removable drop in boxes in a aft locker. The bins come out and there will be things in the lower space.

Your battery switch has positions like 1, OFF, 2, BOTH.

If you set the switch to 1 (Battery 1), battery 2 will never charge. Same goes for selecting 2 all the time. Battery 1 will never charge.
Some devices may be directly connected to a battery and even if the switch is set to OFF (which it should be when not operating the boat), a device can drain a battery.
When you select a battery or BOTH, try to do do so with the motor off. You can select a different battery option with the motor running but never switch to or past the OFF position.