Current draw

[KevinWI]

Is there a current draw with a navigation light switch left "on", but no navigation lights plugged in?
Trying to figure out why my battery was dead. It's the only switch left on. ....but like I said, neither front nor rear light was plugged into the socket?

 

[Al U Minium]

Nav lights likely also connected to gauge lights? But no, there should be no current draw.

If your battery goes dead with nothing turned on, use a Volt Ohm Meter (VOM) set to DC amps and remove one of the battery terminals. Measure the current that flows from the battery terminal to the battery by putting one lead of the meter on the battery terminal and the other lead on the battery.

Don't place a high amperage load on during the test like trying to start an engine or electric motor or you will likely blow the fuse in the meter.

If you use an analog meter you will need to observe polarity of the meter probes.

If you use a digital meter it will not matter which probe is connected for polarity as the display will indicate a negative or positive polarity.

Lead acid batteries can go dead from being poorly charged to start with. The culprit is usually bad electrical connection at the battery terminals caused by oxidation of the metals which forms a coating that is not conductive. When trying to charge the battery it never reaches full charge and dies early.

Lead acid batteries also have a high failure rate when exposed to fluctuating temperatures. Which is why they will die early when left on a cement floor.

 

[Still Afloat]

The GPS puck on my boat will draw down the accessory/reserve starter battery if the circuit breaker is left on. It’s easy to forget too. I’ve had to toss a generator in the boat and charge on the way to lake more than once. It could be just about any accessory that isn’t switched. Or maybe the battery is just getting old.

 

[GTS225]

If lead/acid, how's the "water" level? (If you can pop the caps.)

Roger

 

[KevinWI]

The rear battery runs the starter for the motor, the nav lights, horn, locator and bilge. Hasn't rained in a month so it's not the auto bilge. The motor does charge the battery and the onboard charger was plugged in one day last week...I'm perplexed....the battery is kept in a garage all winter plugged into trickle charger.

 

[jojo]

Which is why they will die early when left on a cement floor.

This isn't true.

How old is the battery?

 

[Still Afloat]

It just noticed another post from you with green LED accessory lighting. Is the power actually switched off to the LED lights power supply or does it use a remote? It’s possible that it could be drawing an idling current.

 

[KevinWI]

It just noticed another post from you with green LED accessory lighting. Is the power actually switched off to the LED lights power supply or does it use a remote? It’s possible that it could be drawing an idling current.

it's on a switch....and a different battery.

 

[KevinWI]

This isn't true.

How old is the battery?

Bought the boat in the Fall of 21. Never got to use the boat until May of 22.

 

[airshot]

If a new battery is alloed to drop below a certain voltage it will kill there life expectancy...then again I have had new batteries that are bad !! Get a load test on your battery, usually free...

 

[jojo]

If you do a parasitic draw test with a meter and that looks ok, there must be an issue with the battery. What does the date say on the battery?

 

[Al U Minium]

It would be polite to say "in my opinion" rather than "this isn't true"

Just take the battery to Walmart and have them do a computerized test on it. Then you will know for sure the state of your batt'ry.

 

[jojo]

It would be polite to say "in my opinion" rather than "this isn't true"

It's not a matter of opinion, it's a fact.

 

[Still Afloat]

It's not a matter of opinion, it's a fact.

So let’s see, the battery manufactures tell us it’s Ok to leave a battery on concrete.
These are the same people that want to sell us batteries. Hey, maybe they are right?

Personally, I won’t leave a lead acid battery on concrete. It’s always setting on wood or some other insulator. If you don’t feel the need, then keep your batteries on the floor.

As far as leaving a lead acid battery discharged for long periods of time and/or discharging it too deeply, it will definitely shorten its life. I just replaced a battery for this very reason.

 

[GTS225]

Guys......it's not the concrete that kills a lead-acid battery. It's the temp-sucking nature of the concrete. Leaving a battery on concrete draws heat out of the battery, and thus hurts it's ability to "stay alive", as it were. It's the low temperature for extended periods of time, without being maintained or charged, that kills a battery.
Don't blame the battery, or the concrete.....blame the owner.

Roger

 

[AlanT]

So let’s see, the battery manufactures tell us it’s Ok to leave a battery on concrete.
These are the same people that want to sell us batteries. Hey, maybe they are right?

Personally, I won’t leave a lead acid battery on concrete. It’s always setting on wood or some other insulator. If you don’t feel the need, then keep your batteries on the floor.

As far as leaving a lead acid battery discharged for long periods of time and/or discharging it too deeply, it will definitely shorten its life. I just replaced a battery for this very reason.

https://www.odysseybattery.com/blog...-about-storing-a-battery-on-a-concrete-floor/

 

[Still Afloat]

I’ve seen similar posts. I’ve also killed a couple of lead acid batteries by leaving them on concrete. Granted that was nearly four decades ago but, the lead acid chemistry really hasn’t changed that much.

So believe what you want but, I‘ve learned a long time ago that you can’t believe everything that you read. (Or view, for those that find reading a challenge.)

 

[pathunter]

The rear battery runs the starter for the motor, the nav lights, horn, locator and bilge. Hasn't rained in a month so it's not the auto bilge. The motor does charge the battery and the onboard charger was plugged in one day last week...I'm perplexed....the battery is kept in a garage all winter plugged into trickle charger.

I left my trolling motor battery on all winter hooked to what I thought was the proper (round shaped) Minkota trickle charger for the battery. Ruined the battery. Something about partial power trying to charge a higher power battery. It was explained to me by the dealer but I didn't quite grasp concept. And I always place a sheet of plywood between the battery and the cement floor. Something we were all told to do with batteries many years ago.

 

[CRS]

except for Lithium when run down passed %50 batteries are damaged, their life is shortened. If you do not monitor the use there is no way of knowing the amount of charge remaining. From past experience the monitor built into trolling motors is useless. Time at least for me has a way of sneaking by, so place a note on the battery, so it's age is not a guess. Keep the battery charged at all times. Remember how long a car battery lasts, most are not kept in a garage under ideal temperature yet they last for years. Why? because they are charged as soon as they are used. As stated batteries are not perfect their manufacture is not perfect, some last far longer then others of the same brands and type. Just my humble opinion

 

[airshot]

I left my trolling motor battery on all winter hooked to what I thought was the proper (round shaped) Minkota trickle charger for the battery. Ruined the battery. Something about partial power trying to charge a higher power battery. It was explained to me by the dealer but I didn't quite grasp concept. And I always place a sheet of plywood between the battery and the cement floor. Something we were all told to do with batteries many years ago.

If your battery is really low, a trickle charger might take to long to get the charge back up, thus shortening the life of the battery. Deep cycle type batteries need to be recharged fairly quickly, then put on a trickle/ maintainer charge.