[C320-list] Another battery-related question

[Jeff Hare]

We can only speculate here without some pictures of the wiring you're referring to, but what may have happened was that you didn't get all the grounds connected. 

The starter/engine ground connects via heavy cable to the aft most battery, then a jumper continues to the forward battery. The forward battery typically has the windlass ground attached also. Is it possible you didn't get the heavy ground between the batteries connected? All grounds need to be connected. 

Jeff

Dean Vermeire <dean at vermeire.us> wrote:

Hi Folks,

You'd think that all possible questions have been asked by now, but I 
came up with another this weekend. When we got out to the boat for a 
nice long weekend and were ready to head out, the engine would not 
start. The batteries just didn't have enough juice for it.

This is the first time I have had to get at the batteries on this boat, 
so please forgive the stupidity here! When I got at the batteries, I 
found that there was really only 1 there - a 4D truck battery (which 
others have recommended lately). That's fine. Nice to know. I ran 
over to the marina store (the only place open on Sunday) and bought a 
Group 27 Deep Cycle battery. I will probably put in a 4D again, since 
the battery tray fits a 4D perfectly.

When I hooked up the new battery. I only connected one set of battery 
cables. I put the switch on "1". The radio, instruments, VHF, etc. all 
worked fine, but the engine did not turn over. Not even a click. I 
switched the cables on the battery and put the switch on "2". Same 
thing. Finally, I put the cables the way I had found them, with both 
sets of cables hooked to the one battery. I probably put the switch on 
"All", although I don't understand what difference it would make. The 
engine started right up.

The boats I have had in the past had two batteries. I made it a habit 
of switching to just one battery once the engine was off, to make sure I 
would have enough power to start up again later. Having both sets of 
cables on one battery seems to be contrary to that idea.

So, why didn't the engine have power when I had just one set of cables 
on the battery and have the switch set to that battery number?

Humbly,
Dean Vermeire
Moonstruck II (#847)