Chartplotter turning off when cranking Port Engine

[HarborHound]

I have a 2008 282 Sailfish with twin 250 Yamahas (F250 / LF250) and 2014 Raymarine electronics. With the batteries turned on correctly (not combined), when I crank the Port Engine the Chartplotter/MFD turns off, every time. No other electronics shut off and it never happens with the Starboard engine. When I start the Port with batteries on combined, it works fine (but this isn't a solution for me). I have 3 group 31 AGM batteries, with more than enough CCA and Reserve.

The boat yard tech went through it and checked all the batteries, cleaned the connections and replaced the Port motor battery. Everything is good there. Then we thought the Port starter was going bad, so they replaced that as well. Still having the chartplotter problem.

The chartplotter is wired into the same fuse block as the rest of the electronics at the helm, no issues with anything except the chartplotter. Except that my separate Furuno fishfinder (brand new last year) only reads 10 volts, even though the fuse block is putting out 12 volts. Not sure its related or not.

The chartplotter is showing both battery banks greater than 12 volts, with the engines off. 14 volts with them running, so its charging fine. I also have it on shore power at the dock.

Anyone run into this issue, or have an idea of where else to look?

 

[Hookup1]

How old are the batteries? Levels topped off? Are the batteries all isolated in that nothing is paralleled? You have 2 engine batteries and a separate house battery? House battery powers the chartplotter? The house battery should be connected to the charging shunt off one of the engines. Which one?

Check all connectors from battery to the block that the chartplotter is wired to. Ues a voltmeter to test voltage. Ignore what chart plotter says voltage is.

I would swap house battery for one of the others.

Most likely a battery that is on its way out or just old. Maybe a bad connection/connector.

 

[SkunkBoat]

A common problem.
Often, the more things you have turned on the worse it is.

Many MFDs are designed to shut off if power falls below 10.1V even for an instant. That happens when you start your motor.

First, make sure every ground wire is connected.

The best solution is to separate your House 12V from your start batteries.

 

[seasick]

How are your 3 batteries wired?
What switch settings do you select before starting? for example, Engine 1, switch set to BATT 1, engine 2 switch set to BATT 2...
How are you measuring the fish finder voltage? Did you use a voltmeter or a screen display on the fishfinder?

Finally, did this problem always occur or is it something new?

For a simple diagnostic test, if you select Batt 1 for one engine and 2 for the other, try setting the battery switches in the opposite position; switch that was 1, now set to 2 and the opposite for the other switch. Try you motors and see if the reboot of the MFD is caused by the same motor or it it switched to the other motor.

 

[Halfhitch]

Get your house feed off of your start battery. You only start one motor at a time so put both start cables on the start battery and the house feed coming off the house bank with no starting duty unless a problem arises, and you need to combine them. An ACR is your friend here.
This is one way BlueSeas recommends.

 

[Legend]

My Sailfish has the starboard and center batteries wired in parallel. These two batteries are the house and starboard engine starter. The port battery is the port engine starter. My electronics work through engine startup except for a Furuo Radar/GPS which is wired through the overhead etectronic box. When I start the engines it always causes the Furuno to reboot. Have not been able to figure it out for years and just assumed the Furuno was more sensitive to a slight voltage drop. Good Luck and hope you figure it out!

 

[Legend]

Get your house feed off of your start battery. You only start one motor at a time so put both start cables on the start battery and the house feed coming off the house bank with no starting duty unless a problem arises, and you need to combine them. An ACR is your friend here.
This is one way BlueSeas recommends.

I think the setup has 3 batteries -

 

[SkunkBoat]

That symptom is telling you there is a problem.

The E box fuse panel is farther from the batteries and its fed with 10awg wire from a terminal block under the dash.

Check for green corrosion on the pins of the Furuno cable, green on the fuse block and fuse. Look at both sides of the fuse block.

Try moving the furuno to a different connection on the fuse block.



It is still better to separate the House from the start.

 

[Hookup1]

Separate the batteries and install another switch if you need it.

Each engine should have its own battery and have a A/B/both switch.

The house battery should be connected to the charging shunt from one of the engines. If there is no charging shunt install one. You could install a A/B switch to move the house load to one of the engine batteries for emergency use.

You may need to upgrade to a 3-bank battery charger. I use a ProMariner ProSportHD 20-amp for my boat with great results.

 

[everwhom]

I have my MFD's (pair of Garmin 7612) set up to only turn on manually and not when power is available. So I always turn them on after the motors. I don't have any particular reason for doing this -- my MFD's don't reboot when I start, but just habit since I feel that electronics always prefer being started and shut down from their controls instead of having the power cut out from under them...

 

[Punchline Cap]

I had the same problem with my single Yamaha 300 and my Raymarine unit. When restarting the engine the unit had to reboot. It didn’t do it ever time but it was a real hassle when in shallow water in the bay and would lose the depth finder. I replaced the four year old batteries last year and didn’t have a problem all last season.

 

[seasick]

Too many solutions and not enough details describing current (pardon the pun) config and history

In addition, the OP posted one message and hasn't posted since.

 

[Chessie246G]

Too many solutions and not enough details describing current (pardon the pun) config and history

In addition, the OP posted one message and hasn't posted since.

Agreed,

I'm guessing the MFD is not wired correctly (to the engine battery not the house) and likely a corroded connector is also coming into play. My Lowrance unit corroded right where the power connector plugged into the back of the unit. Luckily for me it was an easy swap out of the power harness.

 

[ItalianAngler]

I had a similar issue materialize late last season, a simple test of the batteries revealed my culprit. Mine are wired the same as Legend, so it would occur when I cranked stbd.

 

[HarborHound]

Sorry all, been crazy here and hadn't gotten back on. Thank you for the advice - Yes I have 3 batteries, all Group 31 AGM's. One is brand new. The other two were load tested and are in good shape. I also have a ProMariner 3 bank battery charger. So as far as I (and the boat yard) can tell, its not a battery health problem.

My batteries are wired the same as Legend (and ItalianAngler). As from the factory. Center & Stbd are in parallel, then a separate Port battery. Two switches. The power for the electronics is running from a main line coming off a circuit breaker on the switch box (I don't have the exact configuration at the moment). I'm guessing the start drop in voltage is just enough to shut down the sensitive MFD. It seems that my best bet, from the above feedback, is that I should consider isolating a House Batt on a separate switch specifically for electronics.

Seem reasonable?

My only concern is that the two battery house / start setup now, powers the livewell pump, which I'll run if I'm drift fishing for Tuna. I wouldn't be confident doing that with 1 house battery.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Sorry all, been crazy here and hadn't gotten back on. Thank you for the advice - Yes I have 3 batteries, all Group 31 AGM's. One is brand new. The other two were load tested and are in good shape. I also have a ProMariner 3 bank battery charger. So as far as I (and the boat yard) can tell, its not a battery health problem.

My batteries are wired the same as Legend (and ItalianAngler). As from the factory. Center & Stbd are in parallel, then a separate Port battery. Two switches. The power for the electronics is running from a main line coming off a circuit breaker on the switch box (I don't have the exact configuration at the moment). I'm guessing the start drop in voltage is just enough to shut down the sensitive MFD. It seems that my best bet, from the above feedback, is that I should consider isolating a House Batt on a separate switch specifically for electronics.

Seem reasonable?

My only concern is that the two battery house / start setup now, powers the livewell pump, which I'll run if I'm drift fishing for Tuna. I wouldn't be confident doing that with 1 house battery.

You could use the paralled bats as the House and use the other to start both motors (see the diagram from halfhitch). That makes more sense.
Or get another Batt and have two Parallel House and one for each motor start. Thats what I have but I have smaller grp 24s.
see this thread for an idea.https://www.greatgrady.com/threads/new-battery-config-for-265.25744/

You can use an AUX Charging cable from each of the Yamahas to charge the House. It will charge whenever any motor is running. And use the third ProMariner cable to charge the House at dock.

There are a lot of ways to do it...

 

[HarborHound]

Thanks SkunkBoat, I like that idea. I was kind of thinking that as well. Appreciate the input, seems the long story short is that I can't have my house bank also being used as a start bank.

Also, I appreciate the Manasquan location! I grew up fishing with my uncle out of Hoffman's marina, 25' Blackfin "Hustler". I miss the fluke down there, I moved up to Boston 6 years ago. But I don't mind the Tuna here.