FROZEN Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 I'm confused..... Boat is 08 2200 TE, F250 w/24v trolling motor. So, in console I have 2-12v lead acid batts for TM and 1-12v for engine crank. Standard setup I believe. Switch is normal 1,2,1+2, and off. Onboard charger is 3 bank. I paractice 1 out, 2 return to maintain charge levels. Batts are less than 2 yrs old. A few questions...... After TM use in the gulf, the indicators on the TM might show 1/2 or 1/4 power level. I run back in on 2 position, sometimes 1 hour or more, and TM power level is same at dock. I thought motor charge system would up the TM batt charge level. So I called my local Yam service manager. He said the F250 has a charge circuit, that probably is not hooked up, that would charge the TM batts. He said stop by, and he would draw out a schematic to explain it to me to "make sure" I really wanted to do it. I said OK, but have not had that talk yet. "Make sure"???? Last weekend, I used the TM and got the charge level down to about 1/4 ( one light out of four on), put the batt switch on 1+2, and tried to crank motor. Not enough power to crank! Tried to crank on 2, same thing. I switched back to 1, and started motor just fine. I had always counted on the TM batts being a backup to an inadvertent discharge of the crank batt in the 1+2 position, but now I'm not sure. Should I have a setup that charges the TM batts on "2" when running the motor? Does it just take longer that I think to move the charge level?What is the downside he is going to tell me about. Am I operating correctly? What good is "1 out, 2 in"? Call me confused! I hope I explained above clearly enough to get some remedial help. Thanks in advance for your advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCFD rtrd. Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 When you switch to 1+2 I think the outboard is trying to charge both batteries. One hour drive time is not nearly enough time to charge two lead-acid batteries. Someone else just posted about a similar issue and found that corroded or loose wiring was the problem. I'll try to find the post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunFlatsFishing Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 1 hour ago, SCFD rtrd. said: When you switch to 1+2 I think the outboard is trying to charge both batteries. One hour drive time is not nearly enough time to charge two lead-acid batteries. Someone else just posted about a similar issue and found that corroded or loose wiring was the problem. I'll try to find the post. Here you go: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEM Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 Maybe not nearly enough to fully charge, but the F250 puts out 70 amps. Running one hour should normally be enough to charge one or two batteries enough to crank an engine. Something else has to be going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyB Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 I think you need to make sure which battery is #1 and which is #2. It sounds like #1 might be the lone battery for starting and #2 is wired in with the trowing motor battery for 24 volt operation of the motor. If #2 is being used in combination with the third battery you should probably run out on 2 and back on 1. Your trolling set will be full When you get to fish and your back up or #1 will be fresh for the return. The reason your motor did not want to start in the 1+2 mode on the switch was likely because you had one good battery tied in with two discharged batteries. Does this make any sense to you ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROZEN Posted March 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 OK, it's starting to get clear now, thanks! I think I'm connected up as above. I always assumed that switch position "1" is the crank battery and "2" is the 24 v TM batts. But as the note says, only one TM batt is the standby crank batt. So, "1 out" replenishes the cranking battery. "2 in" replenishes ONE of the two TM batteries for emergency start later as needed. If you need an emergency start, you select "2", and if enough charge present, get the emergency start. If not enough charge on the on the one TM batt, and cranking batt dead, I'm stuck. Right?When do you use 1+2 setting? Or is that setting used for the emergency start?If the "aux" charge circuit is hooked up from the motor, then does that charges the second TM battery? Any reason I would not want to have that operable?Last question, on an iPilot SP, two years old, what should I expect the daily usage to be, assuming full charge from the charger.Many, many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyB Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 If you are charging one of the trolling motor 24 volt pack, you are likely charging both of those batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilemaker Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 A couple of comments. Batteries will equalize with each other when placed in parallel but not in series. So if you have a strong battery and a weak battery and put them in parallel with no charger the weaker battery will drain the stronger battery until they are equal. Therefore if your cranking battery is low #1 you should go to #2 to start the engine and not #1+2 as if you do #1 immediately starts to weaken #2 and cranking power is diminished. When charging from the motor you must realize that it has a maximum output (70 amps for you) so if you do use the accessory hookup you will be giving some to the cranking battery and some to the one trolling battery not greater than a total of 70. When running some people will go to #1+2 thinking the are charging both but don't realize that they are weakining the stronger battery first before they both get stronger.The best way to charge is with an isolator that will let current flow to #2 but only if #1 is at the specified charge . If you want to charge the trolling batteries efficiently you will need an on the go system like stealth or yandina. Most here like the stealth system but I prefer Yandina for several reasons, but that is a different conversation. Your thought on #2 being an emergency battery is only reliable if it is not used during the day. I politely differ with honeyb If in parallel yes series no. That is why a 24 volt system uses seperate banks to charge each battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 The basic of it is, yes #2 is a backup if you don't drain it with the TM. Putting the switch to #2 basically gives you power of the weakest battery, Smilemaker covers that in a more technical aspect. The easy thing to do is wire the aux the charging circuit to the #2 post of the battery switch. This way both batts will get charged with the switch in #1. The 3rd batt will never get charged by the motor, unless you install one of the systems Smilemaker mentioned. But always keep in mind no matter how it gets charged, the #2 batt/backup may not be there if you have run it down with the TM. If you're making long runs out in the Gulf and using the TM to anchor, might consider adding a 4th batt and making it #2 on the switch. Or carry a backup jumpstart unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodWorks Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 My 2 cents.... Leave your battery switch on 1 all the time, except in an emergency. Instead, rotate the position of your 3 batteries every 6 months. Move cranking to trolling motor, etc. This assumes your using all 3 deep cycle/cranking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROZEN Posted March 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 1 hour ago, RodWorks said: My 2 cents.... Leave your battery switch on 1 all the time, except in an emergency. Instead, rotate the position of your 3 batteries every 6 months. Move cranking to trolling motor, etc. This assumes your using all 3 deep cycle/cranking. Good advice. Unfortunately, I have two different group sizes between cranking and TM batts. Next year, I'll replace all and will try to go with common group sizes if possible. I barely have room in my smaller TE console for three across the wide part, but will research. Right now, I'm going with a lithium jump pack and will redo the battery connections with a combiner relay at the next service milestone. Thanks for your time...good advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamaskeet Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 I think your problem could be that your batteries are too small. I sometimes run my 24V trolling motor hard and I still have plenty of capacity left at the end of the day. i use Sams Club AGM group 31 for both cranking and trolling motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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