Dead battery / Can't open engine cover
 

After two days of plugged in shore power, my port motor battery is still dead. The starboard and center motor battery are charged at 12V on the console gauges and all 4 battery disconnects are on.
The engine hatch is not working, Assuming the engine hatch is wired to the dead port motor battery.
How do you get power to open the engine hatch if that battery is shot?

There will be a remote battery connection under the rear seat or similar area, typically.

Noted: I'll look for that
Thanks!! .

Worst case open from the back hinges of the engine hatch!

It's been my experience that these piano hinges are often 'trapped' inside the hull...meaning no access from the back.

Also, what year? From about 2000 on, maybe slightly before, they made the 'slider' on the hatch ram have some travel in it, to where you can usually lift the hatch (they ARE heavy!) enough to get your arm through with a ratchet and socket, and take out the bolt that secures the hatch to the ram.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...60cdd27e93.jpg

you may be right... on my sonic there are4-5 exterior hinges so it is very easy to do...

my 2000 is the same setup as yours

If the hatch ram is not on a relay, you can just apply 12 Volts to the back of the hatch switch

AZBaja,

If you can't find a way to directly apply 12v to the lift jack, check to make sure you can't just lift the engine hatch by hand. The lift jack on our PQ is not actually held to the hatch by a pin. It's heavy as farq, but I can lift it, and we keep a "stilt" in the engine bay, off to the side, for popping it up, in the event of an issue. Short of that... I've heard of people removing the cover or grill, going in through a side vent and pulling the pin holding the hatch to the lift jack with a hook. Hopefully, it's a detent pin and not held in with a cotter pin.

Thanks. Brad.

If the “engine hatch is wired to the dead port motor”, by linking the batteries (like you would to start that port motor) wouldn’t that give power to the dead battery and its accessories? All boats have a link/emergency start for the batteries don’t they?

Maybe the battery isn’t the only problem.

RR

You can usually power it back through the switch to lift it enough to solve your problem. Also if you remove a side vent, the pin can often be reached which will unhook the ram at the connection point

May be able to "back feed" through accessory (cigarette lighter) plug with a "jump/booster pack".

Thanks for that insight. I ended up reversing a boost box through the 12v cigarette lighter. Now looking at a bad inverter that wasn't changing from the 30A shore power inlet.

Thanks for that insight. I ended up reversing a boost box through the 12v cigarette lighter. Now looking at a bad inverter that wasn't changing from the 30A shore power inlet.

I ended up reversing a boost box through the 12v cigarette lighter. Now looking at a bad inverter that wasn't changing from the 30A shore power inlet. Thanks for that insight.