QLD
880 posts
Sure, it's scary feeling, turn the starter key on, and what you get is a click, not enough to turn the engine.
I have only electric start too, and simple buzzer warning when batt. going downs is cheap solution.
You have very solid and well proven electrical set up. I did rewire, more than 30 years ago
a few boats identically, the only difference, we didnt have VSR and I use schotky diode / voltage drop around 0.3 Volts /
for radio battery isolation. Belive it's good and cheap and faultless solution even today.
Pity you didn't find the cause of your loss of charge.
What you describe, I believe there is a problem, should be address and fixed. Why..?
-2 years old battery would not drain after multiple starts
-after the engine starts, all charge go straight into starting bat.
-after starter battery is happy, and there is an overflow, VSR opens to house bat.
/ after house bat. is happy VSR opens to radio bat. /
- it's understandable, if there is not enough charge, house bat drain flat
if my sequence is correct, than there is NO way that starter bat. not having enough,
unles's there is something wrong....not charging enough, leakage, fault etc.
SA
564 posts
I omitted one detail, which is that I have another battery which I use for my Hookah, which charges from the starter battery via a separate VSR. That is the battery that saved my bacon on the trip, since it was fully charged. Otherwise, the charging sequence as you describe is correct, i.e., starter battery (and spare battery) gets first dibs from the alternator, then house batteries, then radio battery.
Keep in mind that I have a cat and so every start is actually 2 discharges, i.e., one per engine, so two starts is 4 discharges, but even so, I agree that 4 discharges should not drain a fully charged battery.
I'm now monitoring my starter battery like a hawk, but so far I have had not had a repeat of the situation. I'm starting to wonder if the paralleling switch was inadvertently set to ON during the previous day, although I usually leave it in AUTO.
QLD
880 posts
You on the right track, U know, pass VSR nothing really happened. One thing I would suggest,
disconnect / switch off / starting bat. and connect mA meter across. Just to be sure, you have no minor
leaks. I was chasing ones 50mA leak draining bat. on big power house of 47 footer.
Wasn't used too often, and bat, was half dead. It was actually alternator itself. Good luck.
