East Coast Dave Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 So I went out to social distance (fishing) a couple days ago. The Trollingo motor after a very few minutes died. Checked breaker, connection etc everything looked okay. Trolling motor showed battery was dead according to indicators on top of tiller. Got home, put on charger. Checked with handheld battery checker. Showed good. Ran motor for 30 sec or so and then checked againL. One of the two showed 11.5 ? I assume the old optima blue top is shot. Is that normal to look like it has a charge and then drop to 11.5 if it’s bad? The other battery went from 12.6 to 12. Not using the most high tech equipment and I admittedly know nothing about batteries. Thanks for any advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamaskeet Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 I suggest you charge the batteries and take them to your local auto parts store for testing. You can buy a reasonably priced battery tester at Harbor Freight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin-addict Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Same thing last week. One 12.3 other 9.7. Changed both out. Best to change both out at the same time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernWake Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Yes that is a common way for batteries to show they are gone. They can still show correct V right after charge but will drop out fast under load. you can go to a auto store and load test but likely will need to replace both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPizzle Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Sams just recently had their Duracell marine agm for $20 off, which makes the Group 31 $160. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jh141 Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Checked with handheld battery checker. " I assume this refers to a volt meter " What You Need is to "Load" test the battery's. Like Bamaskeet said. Your local auto parts store can quickly do that for you and most are glad to do it. Charge both batteries to full capacity then have them load tested (or like Bamaskeet also said pick up a "load" tester from Harbor Freight). I have Advance Auto test mine when there suspect. They have a really nice digital Load tester that will quickly identify a problem battery. You likely have one bad and one ok. My Dodge Diesel has two batteries. For about a month it was acting strange while starting, some times slow, sometimes not etc.......Had both batteries LOAD tested. One was junk one was good. I replaced them both. Problem solved, but I kept the good one around for other 12 volt related task around the shop. These are Load testers from Harbor Freight, first one ok, second one better. Hope this helps!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyB Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Yes it’s very common for a battery to show fully charged until it is put under a load. As stated above the only true test is to charge and load test. But I can tell you from the description you provided you have at least one bad battery. You can choose to replace one that shows bad but I would replace both. It truly is one battery once wired for 24 volts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Coast Dave Posted April 17, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 That was my fear that I might need to replace both. I hate to spending $500 on batteries but those two are 10 years old. Can’t beat that.. I’ll take it down to advance auto and have them double check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernWake Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 38 minutes ago, East Coast Dave said: That was my fear that I might need to replace both. I hate to spending $500 on batteries but those two are 10 years old. Can’t beat that.. I’ll take it down to advance auto and have them double check. At 10 years I’d consider it money well spent and put new ones in as even if they aren’t dead yet they have to be on their last days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 2 hours ago, SouthernWake said: At 10 years I’d consider it money well spent and put new ones in as even if they aren’t dead yet they have to be on their last days. Yep !!!! I use DEKA's,AGM Series 27's for my trolling motor. I don't use the stealth system. I do charge immediately upon return from my trips, and I charge the night before I go out every trip. I have a seperate trickle charger I use for the house battery (it's a black and decker jumper system), but, it has 15amp charging. It's also connected to the 3 bank charger, but, I want to be sure it has 100% charge on the house. I use a Interstate Series 24 for the house which the correct reserve capacity, and has plenty of CCA's for starting and the power pole...which is all I run off it. So far, All good...I've been getting about 4-5 years on a set of batteries. dc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 5 hours ago, jh141 said: Checked with handheld battery checker. " I assume this refers to a volt meter " What You Need is to "Load" test the battery's. Like Bamaskeet said. Your local auto parts store can quickly do that for you and most are glad to do it. Charge both batteries to full capacity then have them load tested (or like Bamaskeet also said pick up a "load" tester from Harbor Freight). I have Advance Auto test mine when there suspect. They have a really nice digital Load tester that will quickly identify a problem battery. You likely have one bad and one ok. My Dodge Diesel has two batteries. For about a month it was acting strange while starting, some times slow, sometimes not etc.......Had both batteries LOAD tested. One was junk one was good. I replaced them both. Problem solved, but I kept the good one around for other 12 volt related task around the shop. These are Load testers from Harbor Freight, first one ok, second one better. Hope this helps!! I have the one on the left...works well...nothing fancy, but, allows you to load test. dc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headhunter Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Dave, An optima that completely discharges will not recharge with a stand charger. I know because I worked there. I have an optima charger you can use if you want to try or put two 12 volt batteries in parallel and hook the charge to both. If it will not charge you can't load test it. I still have the optimas in the pathfinder and dekka in the Maverick. If you have to switch go to Sam's for their AGM battery. Best bang for the buck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Coast Dave Posted April 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 Chuck, thanks for the offer. I went and bought a replacement optima today. My wife and I ran by your place a thinK a week or two ago ( Days are running together these days) I think you may have been sitting on the doc with the Mrs.. I’ll have to stop one day and introduce myself. I fished some of the mosquito cuts back in the basin by Bryan island last weekend. Did pretty well. The Maverick got back there without a problem and then Wednesday when the battery died.....I was practically sitting on bottom trying to get back there. The basin is tricky. You have to know where you’re going or you can get in trouble.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Troy Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 9 hours ago, East Coast Dave said: That was my fear that I might need to replace both. I hate to spending $500 on batteries but those two are 10 years old. Can’t beat that.. I’ll take it down to advance auto and have them double check. If you are running 10 year old batteries on anything I would have them framed and mounted on the wall. More times than not they short internally or become sulfate ridden on the plates. Batteries hooked up for 24 volts will eat each other if one goes bad. Kinda like dragging the wounded. Time for new ones! I would not spend 10 seconds of my time messing with 10 year old batteries. Low voltage and battery issues will also try and kill your TM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyB Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 I’m still on the buy two batteries buss. The old battery will be sucking the life out of the new batter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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