Winter Battery Maintainance

[BaitCaster]

What do you do over the winter to maintain your batteries? I was thinking that if I charge my batteries once a month that should keep them healthy.

 

[redbug]

i leave mine hooked up all winter long

 

[justnortherns]

What do you do over the winter to maintain your batteries? I was thinking that if I charge my batteries once a month that should keep them healthy.

I usually charge once a week, or once every two weeks maximum. I also check the voltage before charging (to see how far the charge might have dropped). Beyond that, I check the water level once a month.

 

[fender66]

Have on-board charger that runs all year. Turns on and off as needed.

 

[89Suburban]

Have on-board charger that runs all year. Turns on and off as needed.

Same here.

If you can't afford a high dollar on board charger just pick up a cheap trickle charger/maintainer, they do just as good a job over the winter. :wink:

 

[Popeye]

Top off the charge and then top off the water and keep the on board charger plugged in. I check the water level every month or so. Should do it monthly but some times it's just a bit cold to go out there and pull off the cover and crawl into the boat to check it.

 

[Hanr3]

I disconnect it, clean the terminals, charge it, disconnect the charger, spray the terminals with a protective coating and let it sit all winter long. Come spring, I charge it again, usually it doesnt take much, its still like 98% charged.

 

[heman]

what do you guys mean by "check the water level" on the battery? I only plug mine up to a trickle charger

 

[fender66]

what do you guys mean by "check the water level" on the battery? I only plug mine up to a trickle charger

Some batteries are NOT maintenance free and they require you to maintain (fill when necessary) the level of water on the cells.

 

[BaitCaster]

I have the Minn Kota portable charger. Would it be okay to leave that hooked to the battery all winter?

 

[fender66]

I have the Minn Kota portable charger. Would it be okay to leave that hooked to the battery all winter?

I'm not familiar with what that is, to be honest. I have no idea. Do you have an owner's manual? Possibly download one on line?

Charger, and Trickler are sometimes different. Better safe than sorry.

 

[justnortherns]

I have the Minn Kota portable charger. Would it be okay to leave that hooked to the battery all winter?

I have two versions of the Minn Kota chargers, correct me here if I'm wrong, but I don't think the cheaper ones I have are designed to be left on all the time. They don't have the ability to turn off automatically. One of the chargers is 2 stage and one is 3 stage. Both will sit in the trickle charge (float) mode when the charging is finished, but a continuous charge will still be applied. It sounds like a more expensive 3 stage charger would have a controller aboard: turn on, bulk-absorption-float charge, turn off, sense the battery voltage decline to some level (like 90% or something), turn on, and repeat the charging process. The Minn Kota manual might have some information, I can check to see what it says about constant charging (if I can find it)!

 

[steam_mill]

I disconnect it, clean the terminals, charge it, disconnect the charger, spray the terminals with a protective coating and let it sit all winter long. Come spring, I charge it again, usually it doesnt take much, its still like 98% charged.

I hear this talk all the time with batteries both for boats and for cars. The above is what I do and store in a location where it will not freeze.

To get an idea, my cranking battery in my bowrider lasted 7 seasons. My trolling motor battery is about 5 years old. My sports car battery is 4 years old.

I think this whole thing about trickle charging over the winter etc. is not really necessary. What's important is that you don't leave your battery connected to anything because that's when it drains.

 

[fender66]

I think this whole thing about trickle charging over the winter etc. is not really necessary. What's important is that you don't leave your battery connected to anything because that's when it drains.

But....you have to charge your troller at some point. Mine certainly doesn't charge itself....unfortunately

My onboard charger charges all 3 batteries ONLY when they are low, then it shuts off. If one battery drops any...it comes back on. I feel good knowing that my batteries are 100% ready to go when I am.

 

[steam_mill]

I feel good knowing that my batteries are 100% ready to go when I am.

Oh, I don't disagree. However, I'm in Canada. I actually use my boat April to November which is an extreme case. Also, my boat stays in the water during this time. I'm only running a 32lbs MinnKota rear mount motor plus fish finder and night lights (used maybe 2X per season).

I have a small solar panel mounted to charge the battery. I'm charging the battery, maybe every 6 weeks. I use the boat every saturday and sunday during this time.

At the start of the season, I charge up the battery and I'm good to go.

So, my point is, I'm always ready to go fishing!

 

[PartsMan]

I pull mine out, charge them up and put them in the garage.

 

[FishingCop]

I used to leave them in the boat - boat was stored inside a non-heated building. Last two years, one of the two batteries went dead over winter (Illinois winter) and wouldn't hold a charge. So, after buying a new battery for the last 2 years, this year, I took them out and put them in the basement for the winter. It's a pain in the butt, but so too is not being able to raise the motor cause the battery is dead - and changing them around and buying a new battery every year. We'll see how they hold up this year in the basement... It will still be a pain having to put them back in the boat in the spring, but better than having to buy new ones....

 

[justnortherns]

I have the Minn Kota portable charger. Would it be okay to leave that hooked to the battery all winter?

I have two versions of the Minn Kota chargers, correct me here if I'm wrong, but I don't think the cheaper ones I have are designed to be left on all the time. They don't have the ability to turn off automatically. One of the chargers is 2 stage and one is 3 stage. Both will sit in the trickle charge (float) mode when the charging is finished, but a continuous charge will still be applied. It sounds like a more expensive 3 stage charger would have a controller aboard: turn on, bulk-absorption-float charge, turn off, sense the battery voltage decline to some level (like 90% or something), turn on, and repeat the charging process. The Minn Kota manual might have some information, I can check to see what it says about constant charging (if I can find it)!

Found the MK 210P user's manual, it says nothing about constant charging, except maybe "charger's DC output leads are designed to be temporarily connected to the battery." I believe since the charger cannot shut off automatically that it's best to charge it and then disconnect it until the next charge interval.

 

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Walmart has a very economical battery maintainer. It just turns on when needed and then shuts off. It will not charge a battery, it just maintains the charge. I have my boat in a heated garage now and that helps tremendously during a Northern Illinois winter.

 

[bulldog]

Once a month I'll put my trolling motor on continuous and run the batteries down and then recharge them. I heard it is good to cycle the batteries when they are not in use. Same batteries for 2.5 years now and they are still very strong and the voltage is perfect.