I have had my boat for 3 years now. It has two marine batteries, you can turn them on one at a time or both at the same time. You can start the engine or run the house on both or either one. Even when the batteries were brand new if you left them on and left the boat for a few weeks they would drain dead. I don't know why they did that because nothing was running, not even the bilge pump. If you turn them off they don't run dead. My concern is, if I leave the boat at its mooring with the batteries off, then if I develop a leak the bilge pump won't kick on. If I leave them on they go dead. Why do they go dead if nothing is running? If I got a trickle charger from a solar panel would that be enough to keep one or both of the batteries charged up? Any advice appreciated. Thanks
batteries
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I have had my boat for 3 years now. It has two marine batteries, you can turn them on one at a time or both at the same time. You can start the engine or run the house on both or either one. Even when the batteries were brand new if you left them on and left the boat for a few weeks they would drain dead. I don't know why they did that because nothing was running, not even the bilge pump. If you turn them off they don't run dead. My concern is, if I leave the boat at its mooring with the batteries off, then if I develop a leak the bilge pump won't kick on. If I leave them on they go dead. Why do they go dead if nothing is running? If I got a trickle charger from a solar panel would that be enough to keep one or both of the batteries charged up? Any advice appreciated. Thanks
You need to find out why
they are discharging only when the switch is left on. There's something that is using current. Most people wire their bilge pumps to the house bank (or one of the two equal banks) so that they can turn the switch off. A solar panel is a good idea for a mooring, but it certainly doesn't answer your initial and most important question.
they are discharging only when the switch is left on. There's something that is using current. Most people wire their bilge pumps to the house bank (or one of the two equal banks) so that they can turn the switch off. A solar panel is a good idea for a mooring, but it certainly doesn't answer your initial and most important question.
You need to find out why
they are discharging only when the switch is left on. There's something that is using current. Most people wire their bilge pumps to the house bank (or one of the two equal banks) so that they can turn the switch off. A solar panel is a good idea for a mooring, but it certainly doesn't answer your initial and most important question.
they are discharging only when the switch is left on. There's something that is using current. Most people wire their bilge pumps to the house bank (or one of the two equal banks) so that they can turn the switch off. A solar panel is a good idea for a mooring, but it certainly doesn't answer your initial and most important question.
Hard wire...
the bilge to the dedicated house battery. Turn selector switch to both off. Solar panel might help. Close all seacocks when you leave. But that doesn't solve the battery drain issue.
the bilge to the dedicated house battery. Turn selector switch to both off. Solar panel might help. Close all seacocks when you leave. But that doesn't solve the battery drain issue.
Hard wire...
the bilge to the dedicated house battery. Turn selector switch to both off. Solar panel might help. Close all seacocks when you leave. But that doesn't solve the battery drain issue.
the bilge to the dedicated house battery. Turn selector switch to both off. Solar panel might help. Close all seacocks when you leave. But that doesn't solve the battery drain issue.
Try this
Buy your self a "GOOD" 12v test lamp every one needs one anyway , the kind they sell at auto parts stores with the ice pick looking end on it. Disconect your positive lead conmming from your battrie going to your switch,( both of them if running 2 banks) With your swich in the on position place the test lamp between the cable you just disconected and the positive battrie post forming a closed cercuit once again. The test lamp will light if there is a current draw. Now start turrning off breakers at you pannel as soon as the lamp goes out you have located the circuit your problum is in. You may have several things running off that circit to chase down but now you know where to look anyway. If its a really ,really small drain you may have to use a volt meter instead of the lamp as there wont be enough current flowing to light the lamp. It helps to have aligater clips if using a volt meter if your by your self. PS: Make sure your brand new test lamp works, first testing across one of your battries, do this every time you use your lamp, I have boughten some that did not fuction well right out of the package. Nothings more frustrating then finding out 20 min into your testing your lamp dosent work! This is why I said a Good test lamp the $15 kind not the $4 kind.
Buy your self a "GOOD" 12v test lamp every one needs one anyway , the kind they sell at auto parts stores with the ice pick looking end on it. Disconect your positive lead conmming from your battrie going to your switch,( both of them if running 2 banks) With your swich in the on position place the test lamp between the cable you just disconected and the positive battrie post forming a closed cercuit once again. The test lamp will light if there is a current draw. Now start turrning off breakers at you pannel as soon as the lamp goes out you have located the circuit your problum is in. You may have several things running off that circit to chase down but now you know where to look anyway. If its a really ,really small drain you may have to use a volt meter instead of the lamp as there wont be enough current flowing to light the lamp. It helps to have aligater clips if using a volt meter if your by your self. PS: Make sure your brand new test lamp works, first testing across one of your battries, do this every time you use your lamp, I have boughten some that did not fuction well right out of the package. Nothings more frustrating then finding out 20 min into your testing your lamp dosent work! This is why I said a Good test lamp the $15 kind not the $4 kind.
Try this
Buy your self a "GOOD" 12v test lamp every one needs one anyway , the kind they sell at auto parts stores with the ice pick looking end on it. Disconect your positive lead conmming from your battrie going to your switch,( both of them if running 2 banks) With your swich in the on position place the test lamp between the cable you just disconected and the positive battrie post forming a closed cercuit once again. The test lamp will light if there is a current draw. Now start turrning off breakers at you pannel as soon as the lamp goes out you have located the circuit your problum is in. You may have several things running off that circit to chase down but now you know where to look anyway. If its a really ,really small drain you may have to use a volt meter instead of the lamp as there wont be enough current flowing to light the lamp. It helps to have aligater clips if using a volt meter if your by your self. PS: Make sure your brand new test lamp works, first testing across one of your battries, do this every time you use your lamp, I have boughten some that did not fuction well right out of the package. Nothings more frustrating then finding out 20 min into your testing your lamp dosent work! This is why I said a Good test lamp the $15 kind not the $4 kind.
Buy your self a "GOOD" 12v test lamp every one needs one anyway , the kind they sell at auto parts stores with the ice pick looking end on it. Disconect your positive lead conmming from your battrie going to your switch,( both of them if running 2 banks) With your swich in the on position place the test lamp between the cable you just disconected and the positive battrie post forming a closed cercuit once again. The test lamp will light if there is a current draw. Now start turrning off breakers at you pannel as soon as the lamp goes out you have located the circuit your problum is in. You may have several things running off that circit to chase down but now you know where to look anyway. If its a really ,really small drain you may have to use a volt meter instead of the lamp as there wont be enough current flowing to light the lamp. It helps to have aligater clips if using a volt meter if your by your self. PS: Make sure your brand new test lamp works, first testing across one of your battries, do this every time you use your lamp, I have boughten some that did not fuction well right out of the package. Nothings more frustrating then finding out 20 min into your testing your lamp dosent work! This is why I said a Good test lamp the $15 kind not the $4 kind.
Agreement with previous posts
All marine batteries will gradually lose their charge if disconnected from a charging source for some time. The fact that yours seem to quickly discharge indicates that they might be old enough or worn down enough that replacing them is not a bad idea or maybe you need to put some more distilled water into the cells (if it is a wet cell) and then charge. As Stu suggested you may have some kind of short or drain to your electrical system which would also explain the batts wearing down quickly. It was also suggested that the bilge pump be hard wired (as your vhf should also be) to your battery (house 'bank'). StillRaining gave you some tips on how to find out if there is a 'leak' in your electrical system. The only other possible free insight I can offer is that maybe there is also a slow leak of water into your boat which causes your bilge pump to cycle on pretty frequently which would also tend to drain any battery over time. The only time (in 5 years of ownership) that I had a bilge pump and sensor hard wired to my battery was when I had a leaky stuffing box that nearly sank the boat and destroyed 1 battery (and nearly the engine as well). Having a working sensor and bilge pump running while you are not there probably helps but having a boat that is mostly dry inside and not leaking: priceless. We had to re-pack the stuffing box and I removed the hard wired pump. Now I rarely worry about how much water there is in the bilge as there is rarely much to pump out. Your mileage will vary.
All marine batteries will gradually lose their charge if disconnected from a charging source for some time. The fact that yours seem to quickly discharge indicates that they might be old enough or worn down enough that replacing them is not a bad idea or maybe you need to put some more distilled water into the cells (if it is a wet cell) and then charge. As Stu suggested you may have some kind of short or drain to your electrical system which would also explain the batts wearing down quickly. It was also suggested that the bilge pump be hard wired (as your vhf should also be) to your battery (house 'bank'). StillRaining gave you some tips on how to find out if there is a 'leak' in your electrical system. The only other possible free insight I can offer is that maybe there is also a slow leak of water into your boat which causes your bilge pump to cycle on pretty frequently which would also tend to drain any battery over time. The only time (in 5 years of ownership) that I had a bilge pump and sensor hard wired to my battery was when I had a leaky stuffing box that nearly sank the boat and destroyed 1 battery (and nearly the engine as well). Having a working sensor and bilge pump running while you are not there probably helps but having a boat that is mostly dry inside and not leaking: priceless. We had to re-pack the stuffing box and I removed the hard wired pump. Now I rarely worry about how much water there is in the bilge as there is rarely much to pump out. Your mileage will vary.
Agreement with previous posts
All marine batteries will gradually lose their charge if disconnected from a charging source for some time. The fact that yours seem to quickly discharge indicates that they might be old enough or worn down enough that replacing them is not a bad idea or maybe you need to put some more distilled water into the cells (if it is a wet cell) and then charge. As Stu suggested you may have some kind of short or drain to your electrical system which would also explain the batts wearing down quickly. It was also suggested that the bilge pump be hard wired (as your vhf should also be) to your battery (house 'bank'). StillRaining gave you some tips on how to find out if there is a 'leak' in your electrical system. The only other possible free insight I can offer is that maybe there is also a slow leak of water into your boat which causes your bilge pump to cycle on pretty frequently which would also tend to drain any battery over time. The only time (in 5 years of ownership) that I had a bilge pump and sensor hard wired to my battery was when I had a leaky stuffing box that nearly sank the boat and destroyed 1 battery (and nearly the engine as well). Having a working sensor and bilge pump running while you are not there probably helps but having a boat that is mostly dry inside and not leaking: priceless. We had to re-pack the stuffing box and I removed the hard wired pump. Now I rarely worry about how much water there is in the bilge as there is rarely much to pump out. Your mileage will vary.
All marine batteries will gradually lose their charge if disconnected from a charging source for some time. The fact that yours seem to quickly discharge indicates that they might be old enough or worn down enough that replacing them is not a bad idea or maybe you need to put some more distilled water into the cells (if it is a wet cell) and then charge. As Stu suggested you may have some kind of short or drain to your electrical system which would also explain the batts wearing down quickly. It was also suggested that the bilge pump be hard wired (as your vhf should also be) to your battery (house 'bank'). StillRaining gave you some tips on how to find out if there is a 'leak' in your electrical system. The only other possible free insight I can offer is that maybe there is also a slow leak of water into your boat which causes your bilge pump to cycle on pretty frequently which would also tend to drain any battery over time. The only time (in 5 years of ownership) that I had a bilge pump and sensor hard wired to my battery was when I had a leaky stuffing box that nearly sank the boat and destroyed 1 battery (and nearly the engine as well). Having a working sensor and bilge pump running while you are not there probably helps but having a boat that is mostly dry inside and not leaking: priceless. We had to re-pack the stuffing box and I removed the hard wired pump. Now I rarely worry about how much water there is in the bilge as there is rarely much to pump out. Your mileage will vary.
Edit to add: you should also consider a solar charger
We added a Sunsei 1' x 1' solar panel to our stern rail for while at our mooring and move it from 1 battery to the other to help keep the amp hours in the bank. Seems to work pretty well. We also keep our batteries hooked up to a trickle charger in my boat partner's garage all winter. The replacement cost of these fooking marine deep cycle batteries is high enough to justify the actual fooking pampering they get. I know that someone will say to go oot and get yourself a nice Interstate automobile battery and have a beer instead but there are others, the boys with all their chartplotter, stereo and autopilot toys, that rely on 6V high amp hour Golf Cart batteries for their battery banks for good reason. Without a battery you are just a bigger sailboat. With a battery (bank) you are a sailboat with auxilliary power as backup.
We added a Sunsei 1' x 1' solar panel to our stern rail for while at our mooring and move it from 1 battery to the other to help keep the amp hours in the bank. Seems to work pretty well. We also keep our batteries hooked up to a trickle charger in my boat partner's garage all winter. The replacement cost of these fooking marine deep cycle batteries is high enough to justify the actual fooking pampering they get. I know that someone will say to go oot and get yourself a nice Interstate automobile battery and have a beer instead but there are others, the boys with all their chartplotter, stereo and autopilot toys, that rely on 6V high amp hour Golf Cart batteries for their battery banks for good reason. Without a battery you are just a bigger sailboat. With a battery (bank) you are a sailboat with auxilliary power as backup.
Edit to add: you should also consider a solar charger
We added a Sunsei 1' x 1' solar panel to our stern rail for while at our mooring and move it from 1 battery to the other to help keep the amp hours in the bank. Seems to work pretty well. We also keep our batteries hooked up to a trickle charger in my boat partner's garage all winter. The replacement cost of these fooking marine deep cycle batteries is high enough to justify the actual fooking pampering they get. I know that someone will say to go oot and get yourself a nice Interstate automobile battery and have a beer instead but there are others, the boys with all their chartplotter, stereo and autopilot toys, that rely on 6V high amp hour Golf Cart batteries for their battery banks for good reason. Without a battery you are just a bigger sailboat. With a battery (bank) you are a sailboat with auxilliary power as backup.
We added a Sunsei 1' x 1' solar panel to our stern rail for while at our mooring and move it from 1 battery to the other to help keep the amp hours in the bank. Seems to work pretty well. We also keep our batteries hooked up to a trickle charger in my boat partner's garage all winter. The replacement cost of these fooking marine deep cycle batteries is high enough to justify the actual fooking pampering they get. I know that someone will say to go oot and get yourself a nice Interstate automobile battery and have a beer instead but there are others, the boys with all their chartplotter, stereo and autopilot toys, that rely on 6V high amp hour Golf Cart batteries for their battery banks for good reason. Without a battery you are just a bigger sailboat. With a battery (bank) you are a sailboat with auxilliary power as backup.
You have an electrical draw. It could be a short
your water pressure pump or most likely the bilge pump. It is true the bilge pump should be fused and hardwired directly to the batteries to allow the shutting off of the battery switch. This will prevent any other circuits from placing a draw on the batteries. Had a similar situation years ago and it turned out to be the bilge pump which was excesively cycling as a result of water backflow. There was a leak allowing rain water into the bilge which would cause the water level to go up and activate the float switch and turn the pump on. When the level went down the pump would shutoff but the water left in the outlet line would flow back into the bilge activating the pump again in a viscious circle which would run the batteries down. The problem was corrected with the installation of a backflow valve which would let water out but not back in. I have since gone to floatless automatic switches in our current boat but do remember the unreliability of them foot float switches. I'm not saying this is your problem but may be worth a look. There is an electronic counter that if attached will record the times your bilge pump turns on and may shed some light on its power consumption. With the battery switch on, you may be looking at the pressure water pump, cabin lights, navigation lights or electrical instrumentation causing the draw. Some lights like the compass light may not be able to be seen during the day. Get a test light and remove the positive cable connector from the terminal of one of the batteries and connect the test light between the cable connector and the battery terminal; if the light goes on you have a short or a closed circuit. If you have no draws the light will not come on. If your batteries continue to run down something is activating after the test. Could be a water pressure pump or the bilge pump. Some PO may have equiped the boat with a photoelectric switch to turn anchor light or cockpit light on so if in doubt conduct the test during the day and repeat after dark. Fill the bilge with water and observe the operation of the floats switch and pump cycling while monitoring the test light. These simple tests should provide the answer to your problem. Good luck.
your water pressure pump or most likely the bilge pump. It is true the bilge pump should be fused and hardwired directly to the batteries to allow the shutting off of the battery switch. This will prevent any other circuits from placing a draw on the batteries. Had a similar situation years ago and it turned out to be the bilge pump which was excesively cycling as a result of water backflow. There was a leak allowing rain water into the bilge which would cause the water level to go up and activate the float switch and turn the pump on. When the level went down the pump would shutoff but the water left in the outlet line would flow back into the bilge activating the pump again in a viscious circle which would run the batteries down. The problem was corrected with the installation of a backflow valve which would let water out but not back in. I have since gone to floatless automatic switches in our current boat but do remember the unreliability of them foot float switches. I'm not saying this is your problem but may be worth a look. There is an electronic counter that if attached will record the times your bilge pump turns on and may shed some light on its power consumption. With the battery switch on, you may be looking at the pressure water pump, cabin lights, navigation lights or electrical instrumentation causing the draw. Some lights like the compass light may not be able to be seen during the day. Get a test light and remove the positive cable connector from the terminal of one of the batteries and connect the test light between the cable connector and the battery terminal; if the light goes on you have a short or a closed circuit. If you have no draws the light will not come on. If your batteries continue to run down something is activating after the test. Could be a water pressure pump or the bilge pump. Some PO may have equiped the boat with a photoelectric switch to turn anchor light or cockpit light on so if in doubt conduct the test during the day and repeat after dark. Fill the bilge with water and observe the operation of the floats switch and pump cycling while monitoring the test light. These simple tests should provide the answer to your problem. Good luck.
You have an electrical draw. It could be a short
your water pressure pump or most likely the bilge pump. It is true the bilge pump should be fused and hardwired directly to the batteries to allow the shutting off of the battery switch. This will prevent any other circuits from placing a draw on the batteries. Had a similar situation years ago and it turned out to be the bilge pump which was excesively cycling as a result of water backflow. There was a leak allowing rain water into the bilge which would cause the water level to go up and activate the float switch and turn the pump on. When the level went down the pump would shutoff but the water left in the outlet line would flow back into the bilge activating the pump again in a viscious circle which would run the batteries down. The problem was corrected with the installation of a backflow valve which would let water out but not back in. I have since gone to floatless automatic switches in our current boat but do remember the unreliability of them foot float switches. I'm not saying this is your problem but may be worth a look. There is an electronic counter that if attached will record the times your bilge pump turns on and may shed some light on its power consumption. With the battery switch on, you may be looking at the pressure water pump, cabin lights, navigation lights or electrical instrumentation causing the draw. Some lights like the compass light may not be able to be seen during the day. Get a test light and remove the positive cable connector from the terminal of one of the batteries and connect the test light between the cable connector and the battery terminal; if the light goes on you have a short or a closed circuit. If you have no draws the light will not come on. If your batteries continue to run down something is activating after the test. Could be a water pressure pump or the bilge pump. Some PO may have equiped the boat with a photoelectric switch to turn anchor light or cockpit light on so if in doubt conduct the test during the day and repeat after dark. Fill the bilge with water and observe the operation of the floats switch and pump cycling while monitoring the test light. These simple tests should provide the answer to your problem. Good luck.
your water pressure pump or most likely the bilge pump. It is true the bilge pump should be fused and hardwired directly to the batteries to allow the shutting off of the battery switch. This will prevent any other circuits from placing a draw on the batteries. Had a similar situation years ago and it turned out to be the bilge pump which was excesively cycling as a result of water backflow. There was a leak allowing rain water into the bilge which would cause the water level to go up and activate the float switch and turn the pump on. When the level went down the pump would shutoff but the water left in the outlet line would flow back into the bilge activating the pump again in a viscious circle which would run the batteries down. The problem was corrected with the installation of a backflow valve which would let water out but not back in. I have since gone to floatless automatic switches in our current boat but do remember the unreliability of them foot float switches. I'm not saying this is your problem but may be worth a look. There is an electronic counter that if attached will record the times your bilge pump turns on and may shed some light on its power consumption. With the battery switch on, you may be looking at the pressure water pump, cabin lights, navigation lights or electrical instrumentation causing the draw. Some lights like the compass light may not be able to be seen during the day. Get a test light and remove the positive cable connector from the terminal of one of the batteries and connect the test light between the cable connector and the battery terminal; if the light goes on you have a short or a closed circuit. If you have no draws the light will not come on. If your batteries continue to run down something is activating after the test. Could be a water pressure pump or the bilge pump. Some PO may have equiped the boat with a photoelectric switch to turn anchor light or cockpit light on so if in doubt conduct the test during the day and repeat after dark. Fill the bilge with water and observe the operation of the floats switch and pump cycling while monitoring the test light. These simple tests should provide the answer to your problem. Good luck.
Dead Battery
Mike, The most commonly overlooked draw is your stereo. Even when turned off it draws 12v to maintain memory and clock time. My present Interstate deep cycle batteries are 3 years old. I occasionaly leave my boat for 3-4 weeks during the winter months and forget to turn off batteries but have always turned all breakers off. Have never had a dead battery. A previous boat had am/fm cd player installed by PO and wired directly. It took quite a while before I figured out what was draining the batteries. After I rewired through the breakers I didn't have any more problems. Check it out. Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
Mike, The most commonly overlooked draw is your stereo. Even when turned off it draws 12v to maintain memory and clock time. My present Interstate deep cycle batteries are 3 years old. I occasionaly leave my boat for 3-4 weeks during the winter months and forget to turn off batteries but have always turned all breakers off. Have never had a dead battery. A previous boat had am/fm cd player installed by PO and wired directly. It took quite a while before I figured out what was draining the batteries. After I rewired through the breakers I didn't have any more problems. Check it out. Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
Dead Battery
Mike, The most commonly overlooked draw is your stereo. Even when turned off it draws 12v to maintain memory and clock time. My present Interstate deep cycle batteries are 3 years old. I occasionaly leave my boat for 3-4 weeks during the winter months and forget to turn off batteries but have always turned all breakers off. Have never had a dead battery. A previous boat had am/fm cd player installed by PO and wired directly. It took quite a while before I figured out what was draining the batteries. After I rewired through the breakers I didn't have any more problems. Check it out. Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
Mike, The most commonly overlooked draw is your stereo. Even when turned off it draws 12v to maintain memory and clock time. My present Interstate deep cycle batteries are 3 years old. I occasionaly leave my boat for 3-4 weeks during the winter months and forget to turn off batteries but have always turned all breakers off. Have never had a dead battery. A previous boat had am/fm cd player installed by PO and wired directly. It took quite a while before I figured out what was draining the batteries. After I rewired through the breakers I didn't have any more problems. Check it out. Dennis W. S/V FullSailed
thanks for the advice
Thank you so much for the great advice and quick response. I will use the test lamp and see if I have a current drain/draw. I will test the breakers at the panel also (but I always have them off when I leave). I will make sure my bilge pump is hard wired to the house battery. I will also hook up a solar panel to charge the house battery and then I can turn that battery off when gone. Just a note my batteries would take about two weeks to run down and the bilge is shallow and always dry, so I dont think the bilge pump was running when gone. I really appreciate the help, such good advice, so quick and from all over the country. Wow!
Thank you so much for the great advice and quick response. I will use the test lamp and see if I have a current drain/draw. I will test the breakers at the panel also (but I always have them off when I leave). I will make sure my bilge pump is hard wired to the house battery. I will also hook up a solar panel to charge the house battery and then I can turn that battery off when gone. Just a note my batteries would take about two weeks to run down and the bilge is shallow and always dry, so I dont think the bilge pump was running when gone. I really appreciate the help, such good advice, so quick and from all over the country. Wow!
thanks for the advice
Thank you so much for the great advice and quick response. I will use the test lamp and see if I have a current drain/draw. I will test the breakers at the panel also (but I always have them off when I leave). I will make sure my bilge pump is hard wired to the house battery. I will also hook up a solar panel to charge the house battery and then I can turn that battery off when gone. Just a note my batteries would take about two weeks to run down and the bilge is shallow and always dry, so I dont think the bilge pump was running when gone. I really appreciate the help, such good advice, so quick and from all over the country. Wow!
Thank you so much for the great advice and quick response. I will use the test lamp and see if I have a current drain/draw. I will test the breakers at the panel also (but I always have them off when I leave). I will make sure my bilge pump is hard wired to the house battery. I will also hook up a solar panel to charge the house battery and then I can turn that battery off when gone. Just a note my batteries would take about two weeks to run down and the bilge is shallow and always dry, so I dont think the bilge pump was running when gone. I really appreciate the help, such good advice, so quick and from all over the country. Wow!
I agree with Dennis...
The stereo is a likely suspect. The one in my pontoon can kill a healthy battery in a couple weeks if I don't use the boat. I unplug it completely when I leave the lake and then reprogram the time and stations when I get back. As for troubleshooting this sort of problem, I'm an electrical engineer by trade and I have access to some really good test equipment but I want to recommend the Harbor Freight DVM #90899. It goes on sale for $2.99 often and works very well. I always keep one on the sailboat.
The stereo is a likely suspect. The one in my pontoon can kill a healthy battery in a couple weeks if I don't use the boat. I unplug it completely when I leave the lake and then reprogram the time and stations when I get back. As for troubleshooting this sort of problem, I'm an electrical engineer by trade and I have access to some really good test equipment but I want to recommend the Harbor Freight DVM #90899. It goes on sale for $2.99 often and works very well. I always keep one on the sailboat.
I agree with Dennis...
The stereo is a likely suspect. The one in my pontoon can kill a healthy battery in a couple weeks if I don't use the boat. I unplug it completely when I leave the lake and then reprogram the time and stations when I get back. As for troubleshooting this sort of problem, I'm an electrical engineer by trade and I have access to some really good test equipment but I want to recommend the Harbor Freight DVM #90899. It goes on sale for $2.99 often and works very well. I always keep one on the sailboat.
The stereo is a likely suspect. The one in my pontoon can kill a healthy battery in a couple weeks if I don't use the boat. I unplug it completely when I leave the lake and then reprogram the time and stations when I get back. As for troubleshooting this sort of problem, I'm an electrical engineer by trade and I have access to some really good test equipment but I want to recommend the Harbor Freight DVM #90899. It goes on sale for $2.99 often and works very well. I always keep one on the sailboat.
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