Battery switch issue

[Diad]

If you have a buddy with dirt under his fingernails, call him over.

I don't have any buddies with clean fingernails

 

[Diad]

Disconnect the + cable from each battery, and see if the lights go out. Which battery? If not, you have another battery. If so, disconnecting will save your battery until you have time to work on finding the problem.
If your boat is in the water, that won't be a good idea, since normally that would disable the bilge pump.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will check this out. Boat is on the hard getting dreaded exhaust repair done to the 225's

 

[Diad]

This forum is great! I have only been a member (and a Grady owner) for a very short period of time. There are so many folks willing to help. Thank you!
I, hopefully, answered everyone's questions to help further the trouble shooting exercise. I'm going to try to get to the boat tomorrow to check some of these suggestions out if the rain holds off in MD. I feel like electrical work in the rain isn't the smartest thing to do. Some other details that may or may not help..Both battery compartments have 2 starting batteries connected to each switch. They are wired in parallel. If i remember correctly each battery had 650CCA's. The "house" side is on the starboard side along with the red button breaker (whcih will be replaced). I don't know why the previous owner had 4 starting batteries???? Maybe the 2005 F225's needed more cranking amps? BUT the stickers on them said 9/22 so they are pretty new.
Please continue to ask questions and offer suggestions. I really am grateful. Thank you!

 

[SkunkBoat]

Something doesn't sound right. You said "a switch for each bank of 2." The switches would normally switch you from one side to the other, not switch between the pair on a given side

You are certain both sides are parallel pairs? Both sides are wired as the Start battery for motors? The Starboard bank is "1" on both switches and the Port bank is "2" on both switches?
The Starboard switch controls the start power to the Starboard Motor AND the House. The Port switch controls the start power to the port motor?

If the PO added a battery he my have changed the setup also. You had it all apart so it might not be back together the way it was working.

 

[Diad]

Something doesn't sound right. You said "a switch for each bank of 2." The switches would normally switch you from one side to the other, not switch between the pair on a given side

You are certain both sides are parallel pairs? Both sides are wired as the Start battery for motors? The Starboard bank is "1" on both switches and the Port bank is "2" on both switches?
The Starboard switch controls the start power to the Starboard Motor AND the House. The Port switch controls the start power to the port motor?

If the PO added a battery he my have changed the setup also. You had it all apart so it might not be back together the way it was working.

I suppose that this is possible. However, when i removed the terminals i zip tied them together and marked with tape so not to mess up the replacement. I just need to get to the boat to take apart the switches to see how they are wired. I can tell you that the second battery is wired in parallel on each side. Meaning, the poss and neg connected to the battery going to the switch. Thank you!

 

[seasick]

Four starting batteries is not a problem exactly. As a mater of fact, when there are two batteries wired in parallel, they should be the same type.
Here is where to start. The accessory feed that powers just about everything should be connected to the output lug of one of the battery switches. To check you probably will have to unbolt the switches. If you do that you can also check if the switches work using a test lamp.

I have a possible explanation for the weird behavior. If the previous owner wired the bilge pump incorrectly, it might be possible thet the constant power wiring for the float switch is back feeding the switch panel via the feed that is normally used for manual operation of the bilge pump. To check, find the feed for the bilge pump near the batteries and disconnect the inline fuse ( there should be one). The inline fuse may be a squarish plastic thing about an inch and a half square and 5/16 or so thich. It will have two wires and may also have a tab that is used to screw it to the wall of the battery compartment.
If removing that fuse makes everything work correctly except of course the bilge pump, then the bilge pump is wired incorrectly.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Original 2000 265 was like this. The one below it is what you have? No charger?

 

[wspitler]

For a stock set up, think of the switches as each serving a different bus. The starboard switch typically serves the house bus which powers all items in the boat such as lights and electronics. The port switch typically serves only the port engine only and maybe the generator or other major accessories. The switch simply provides power to it’s dedicated bus from either set of parallel batteries one or two.

 

[SkunkBoat]

If you asked me to bet on it being
A) a switch that broke in such a way that it doesn't turn off (and the knob is not just spinning - the switch is turning)
or
B) an incorrect connection or operator error

My money is on B

 

[SkunkBoat]

For a stock set up, think of the switches as each serving a different bus. The starboard switch typically serves the house bus which powers all items in the boat such as lights and electronics. The port switch typically serves only the port engine only and maybe the generator or other major accessories. The switch simply provides power to it’s dedicated bus from either set of parallel batteries one or two.

I would put it a different way.
Starboard side is "1". Motor 1, Battery Bank 1, Switch position 1. The House is connected to Motor 1.
Port side is "2". Motor 2, Battery Bank 2, Switch position 2.

The normal operating postion of the switches is

Starboard side switch on 1, Starts Motor 1, charges Bank 1 from motor 1, powers the House from Bank 1 (and the motor 1)

Port side switch on 2. Starts motor 2, charges Bank 2 from motor 2.


If the Starboard side switch is in any position other than OFF, the house will have power

 

[Diad]

So I am at boat now. I removed both batteries from the starboard side. I removed the battery switch which appears to be wired correctly per my owners manual and Skunks picture above. However, when I switch the port side switch on 1,2, both everything works. All pumps, lights and both motors. Clearly, nothing is running through the red button breaker on the starboard side. When I turn the switch to off, the only thing to turn off is the port side motor. I’ll put the starboard side back together now and take apart the port side to see what happens

 

[Diad]

Starboard side

 

[Diad]

When both switches are off, and both batteries are removed from the starboard side everything is finally off. No lights, No motors and no pumps.

 

[DennisG01]

So I am at boat now. I removed both batteries from the starboard side. I removed the battery switch which appears to be wired correctly per my owners manual and Skunks picture above. However, when I switch the port side switch on 1,2, both everything works. All pumps, lights and both motors. Clearly, nothing is running through the red button breaker on the starboard side. When I turn the switch to off, the only thing to turn off is the port side motor. I’ll put the starboard side back together now and take apart the port side to see what happens

No, that is not correct. The breaker is pretty much always "on". It will only trip if there's an issue. So this is not a conclusive test.

Let's try to sum up things in one place - it's just getting a little hard to follow what you're doing. I realize you've said some of this already. Answer the below with everything hooked back up like normal.

-- Post a picture of the port side batteries and another of the stbd side batteries

-- With both switches turned to OFF, what works/doesn't work

-- With the stbd switch turned to BOTH (port OFF), what works/doesn't work

-- With the port switch turned to BOTH (Stbd OFF), what works/doesn't work

-- With both switches on BOTH, what works/doesn't work

 

[SkunkBoat]

The breaker is connected to the Feed or COM of the stbd switch along with the stbd motor. It will be powered by the stbd switch being in 1(bank 1 stbd side batteries), both or 2 (bank 2 port side batteries). The Port switch position should have no effect on the House power if connected correctly.

For you to have power on the breaker with the stbd batteries disconnected entirely, the stbd switch has to be stuck on 2 or Both. *** unless someone added another feed to your helm from the port battery.

 

[wspitler]

One other thing to add to Skunkboats comments, the number one battery bank does not necessarily have to be on the starboard side. Battery banks one and two can be either side but normally the number 1 bank is placed to starboard and number 2 bank to port. There is enough cable to make the number 2 bank reside on the starboard side and number 1 bank could be port. Should not really matter. Regardless, unless someone has completely rewired the system, power to the house bus must go through the 40 amp circuit breakerWhich is normally powered from the starboard battery switch.

 

[glacierbaze]

I don’t think that you want to troubleshoot by turning your battery switches off with your motors running, just to see what happens.

 

[Diad]

I don’t know how to label the pictures but the first three are the starboard side, the next two are the port side and the final picture is the fuse panel.

The starboard side switch appears to be wired like the owners manual picture. The battery has the return from the 40A breaker wire AND three green wires wrapped to one ring terminal.

The port side switch appears to wired differently from the owners manual. The memory and fwd float are wired to #1 versus one to 1 and one to 2. The battery is connected to the feed versus #2. #2 goes to the motor. The second lug on the feed and the second lug on #1 goes over to the starboard side I assume via the conduit.

Both switches “off”
STB key beeps but no start
PORT key nothing
switch panel works
cabin lights work
no macerator pump (used because I know it works in the fuse panel)
windlass works

Port switch on “both” and stb “off”
STB key beep but no start
port key beep will start
no switch panel
no cabin lights
no macerator
no windlass
****5A fuse blew on lower right position In my picture. When I replaced the fuse with a 10A fuse the cabin lights, macerator and windlass all worked.

STB switch to “both” and port “off”
STB key beep and will start
port key no beep
switch panel works
cabin lights work
macerator works
windlass works

Port and STB switches to “both”
everything works as it should

Interesting data point with the blown 5A fuse. When the port side switch is off, the fuse lights up as if blown. The fuse is not really blown. When I turn the switch back to “both” the blown fuse light goes out and everything works as described above. I use the easy ID fuses for this reason. SO….if both switches are off, the lit up blown fuse everything is off as it’s supposed to be. Right now I left the boat with the fuse blown so that everything is off. In my original question to start this thread is when I replaced the 5 blown fuses. That’s when my problems became noticeable. I’m not sure exactly what the fuse goes to, but that’s my next step. I hope that all of this makes sense.

What are your thoughts as next steps?
Thank You!

 

[Diad]

I don’t think that you want to troubleshoot by turning your battery switches off with your motors running, just to see what happens.

No I don’t. I don’t actually start the motors because the lowers are off and no hose hook up. When I test for start I just hit it to hear if the starter turns.

 

[SkunkBoat]

This description isn't correct fort Port switch... I see the Batt2 and #2 jumper on 2 and motor on Feed..... unless the switches are different with lugs in different positions...that would explain shit.....