help with battery switches
 

How come I only get power to anything in the boat, when the battery switches are on all? No power to anything, including power hatch ram, when the batteries are on either 1 or 2, only when switched to all. Any ideas?

Something is wired wrong.

I agree something got moved. The battery switch should have no effect on bilge pumps and your hatch (ussually). What kind of boat. Give me as much detail as you can and I will see what I can do to help walk ya throught the trouble shooting process.

Jon

A - Same answer as before, wired up wrong. - possible
B- Could be a bad battery switch. - possible
C-Both batterys could be low & when both tied together you get enough juice to operate items - smalll chance, but never say never

Something sounds wrong. Pretty easy to diagnose just disconect your bats, and check across your switch with a continuity tester. With the switch in the off position you should not have any continuity from either post to the power out, and with the switch turned to the pos. # 1, # 2, or both you should be able to trace it.

Hi guys,
The boat is an 01 scarab with twin 350s. Ther are two battery switches mounted to the bulkhead inside a box housing the main circuit breakers as well. The only time anything gets power is when either one of the batteries is switched to all. I am not very good with electric, so any guidance would be a help. Thanks

Mark

Pantera133,
I think if you check again you will find that you will get power with a 1+2 combo on the switches. Turn one off and try the other one in all positions then do the same with the other.
For example my fridge and 12vdc panel are hooked up to my right side switch position 2. My dash is wired to the left side battery position 1 and will not work off the other one unless it's in the both position. Get it (good):rolleyes:
I can't believe that you have a problem with a 01 batt switch but I guess anything is possible with a boat part:D
I would also suggest running your lift hatch (if switches are under it) and your bilge pump DIRECT!!!

Good luck and let us know what you find
Scott

Ok this is truely messed up so I am going to go with that the wireing on the back of the switch is incorrect. What I would do it pop off the switches and there will be 3 posts on the back. There will be a BAT1, BAT2, and a output (labeling on that one I am not sure of. I make my switches point to the battery that I am using. For example in my boat if the switch is pointing to the starbord I am drawing and charging the starboard battery. Depending on the way your switches face will determin what battery that is. On my boat the starboard battery is Bat1. So on the back of both switches I have a wire that goes from the starboard battery possitive, to the BAT1 on the back of the switch. The port battery has two wires that go from the port battery to the BAT2 on both switches.
Now This can get a little confusing so if it does not make sence then ask quesions. Another way to do it is to go from the battery to the first switch then from the first switch to the second instead of having two wires off the battery. So in this example from the Starboard battery you will go to the Bat1 position on the starboard switch and then from the Bat1 position on the starboard switch to the BAT1 position on the Port switch. They are both the same as far as electronics go. I prefer the first method but they are both ok.
The output (the only post left on the back of the switch) should be connected on the starboard switch to the starboard engine, and the port switch to the port engine. Lets start there and see how that goes. I do not want to have you chase to many things and confuse you. This is a one step at a time deal tell we find the problem. I do not think you have a bad switch because you have two of them that are seemingly doing the same thing.

Jon

sounds like when thy built the boat all they had were dual battery switches,if you have dual batteries,you only need one of those,or dual on-off only with a jumper between the common posts...there correct but man even i got lost reading all that.....just make sure your hatch and auto bildge are connected to constant battery voltage,like they said...

I hope it is not that confusing. Just take it one sentance at a time and do the checks one at a time.;) ;)

Check the battery switches, I have an 02' formula which after 7 hours on the boat I had a very similar electrical problem, although I did not have enough juice to crank or trim, only to cause electrical feedback to the dash and operate low voltage items (hatch, etc). After MUCH agrivation it turned out to be a bad battery switch. Try just jumping out the switch(es) and see if you get full power.

Thanks to all for your input. I believe that with everybodys input, I now have it under control. Rewired engine hatch directly to battery so Ill never have to break-in again, and it seems that the rest of the problem may be related to the number 2 battery being bad. I didnt think to check it because the batts are new and were just charged, but that said 2 was dead and there is no apparent draw on it. Ill replace it and let you guys know how I make out. Thanks again to all.

Mark

Check your ground cable on the "Bad" battery, I had a wierd problem like yours and it was both problems, switches wired wrong and a coroded ground lug on the back of one engine. Perko has full wiring diagrams on line. These may help too: http://www.perko.com/cat_frames.html