[C320-list] Battery Help / Confused ?

[Chris J.Manges]

I agree, it sounds like the PO rewired.... 

A couple of other thoughts:

1) West Marine will test the batteries; however, you have to remove them and take them to the store. They have a device that will tell you remaining life, load capability, etc. A good boatyard mechanic would have a similar device also.
2) My Promariner charger failed last year (my 320 is also a '99 model) in such a fashion that it put a full 20 amps into the batteries for at least two weeks, and literally boiled two AGM 8D's that were just over a year old. If yours fails in that fashion, you will need to replace the charger and the batteries. I replaced it with a Xantrex, but had to so some re-engineering (new mounting and wire bolt splices) because the new chargers all use smaller conductors than the OO cable in my boat. I also put the optional temperature sensor into the system just in case the new charger could ever fail in the same fashion.

Regards, Chris Manges, S/V Obsession, #587

-----Original Message-----
>From: Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com>
>Sent: Apr 21, 2008 7:36 AM
>To: C320-List at catalina320.com
>Subject: Re: [C320-list] Battery Help / Confused ?
>
>Joe, I think the most logical deduction is that a PO rewired the selector
>switch to separate the batteries into a house battery and a starting
>battery. yoy an use a test light or a multimeter ot test the circuits and
>confirm.
>
>On Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 8:26 AM, Joe Abbagnaro <jabbagna at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> I have a 1999 320 Hull 574, I bought the boat from the original owner.
>> It has 2 Batteries , NO Dedicated start battery. So I am pretty confident
>> the wiring is original from the factory. Both batteries are reading
>> about 12.4 volts but I have no way to load test them. My problem has
>> me confused.
>>
>> 1)  Select battery 1 Engine starts but no other accessories will work.
>>      If I turn on the map light it comes on at less than half light
>> than fades off after a second or so
>>       to no light at all. Almost looks like  a feed back condition
>> through the light.
>>
>> 2) Select Battery 2 Engine will NOTt start,  but all the Accessories
>> will work when powered on.
>>
>> 3)  Select ALL and Engine starts all Accessories work.
>>
>> Do I have a bad Battery, or possibly a Bad selector switch.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>
>
>
>-- 
>Chris Burti
>Farmville, NC


Chris Manges