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Battery draw - even with a battery selector (off)


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I have a 2008 LSV with just about everything. It has 2 batteries, a perko selector switch (off, 1, combine), and a VSR (voltage sensitive relay). All of this from the factory. After installing a new battery - 2 weeks go by and and the new battery is dead (about 2 volts). I start the boat using combine and can see that the alternator is working (13 volt reading). I put the boat up - check the voltage (about 11 volts - didn't run long enough to really charge.) The next day the voltage is down to 9 volts - so I suspect some sort of draw.

The battery closest to the front of the boat - which is battery 1 on the switch seems to have a continous draw. I checked this today with a test light (pulled the negative from this battery, ran the test light between the cable and the negative) and it lit up. I moved the selector between 0 and 1 and there did not appear to be any difference in the brightness of the light. I could run this same test with the 2nd battery - and it would not show a draw until the selector was on combine.

How is it possible that I have draw with the selector in the off position? I have had the boat for over a year and this issue seems to have just started. Any ideas?

Thanks!

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The VSR may be sticking.

Are any of the MUX switches staying on ( they are on a timer ). This was my problem a few months ago.

Possibly bad starter relay, solenoid. Poor wiring connection from relay/solenoid & starter.

FYI

11volts is considered fully flat.

12.68v . . . . . . . . . . 100%

12.45v . . . . . . . . . . 75%

12.24v . . . . . . . . . . 50%

12.06v . . . . . . . . . . 25%

11.89v . . . . . . . . . . 0%

I have a 2008 LSV with just about everything. It has 2 batteries, a perko selector switch (off, 1, combine), and a VSR (voltage sensitive relay). All of this from the factory. After installing a new battery - 2 weeks go by and and the new battery is dead (about 2 volts). I start the boat using combine and can see that the alternator is working (13 volt reading). I put the boat up - check the voltage (about 11 volts - didn't run long enough to really charge.) The next day the voltage is down to 9 volts - so I suspect some sort of draw.

The battery closest to the front of the boat - which is battery 1 on the switch seems to have a continous draw. I checked this today with a test light (pulled the negative from this battery, ran the test light between the cable and the negative) and it lit up. I moved the selector between 0 and 1 and there did not appear to be any difference in the brightness of the light. I could run this same test with the 2nd battery - and it would not show a draw until the selector was on combine.

How is it possible that I have draw with the selector in the off position? I have had the boat for over a year and this issue seems to have just started. Any ideas?

Thanks!

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So if the VSR is stuck - could the battery still draw even with the selector in the off position? I thought the reasoning for having a selector is so you could disconnect the battery...In any case - any way to test the VSR?

Thanks!

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So if the VSR is stuck - could the battery still draw even with the selector in the off position? I thought the reasoning for having a selector is so you could disconnect the battery...In any case - any way to test the VSR?

Thanks!

The battery that's being drawn on... is there only one wire hooked to the positive terminal and that wire goes to the switch? Or is there another wire coming off of the battery too?

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You may have a distribution block somewhere you can't see going to the positive side of the battery so shutting the main power off doesn't necessarily mean you have cut all the power from the battery.

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The battery being drawn does have 2 positive where the 2nd battery just has one. So where would the second cable go (remember that the boat is all factory)? This is hard to figure because with the battery switch in the off position, all the MUX switches are off so it is difficult to know if anything has power. I did notice that the CD changer appeared to have power with the switch in the off position, but the powerlights on the 3 amps were not on. How exactly would I check for draw, could I use a multi-meter and and measure DC current between the negative battery terminal and the negative cable?

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The battery being drawn does have 2 positive where the 2nd battery just has one. So where would the second cable go (remember that the boat is all factory)? This is hard to figure because with the battery switch in the off position, all the MUX switches are off so it is difficult to know if anything has power. I did notice that the CD changer appeared to have power with the switch in the off position, but the powerlights on the 3 amps were not on. How exactly would I check for draw, could I use a multi-meter and and measure DC current between the negative battery terminal and the negative cable?

I would check your breakers and switches to see which ones have power and then trace from there, it could be so much as a small short which would cause more resistance/power drain than an LED light from the stereo/ect. You could also use a test light or volt meter.

Edited by 68Slalom
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I would check your breakers and switches to see which ones have power and then trace from there, it could be so much as a small short which would cause more resistance/power drain than an LED light from the stereo/ect. You could also use a test light or volt meter.

yeah, you could do that. Or you could just go lazy-man style and put another switch in, on that second wire off of the battery, like this:

632085060060.jpg

The problem with just finding out what's causing the draw is that once you do and once you fix it, you still have hot power outside of your switch which doesn't get turned off when you turn your switch to off. I'm not saying don't figure out what's causing the draw, you should. But once you do, you still won't have a switch that actually turns everything off.

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  • 4 months later...

yeah, you could do that. Or you could just go lazy-man style and put another switch in, on that second wire off of the battery, like this:

632085060060.jpg

The problem with just finding out what's causing the draw is that once you do and once you fix it, you still have hot power outside of your switch which doesn't get turned off when you turn your switch to off. I'm not saying don't figure out what's causing the draw, you should. But once you do, you still won't have a switch that actually turns everything off.

I had a problem like this on my 1999 Sunsetter LX with the Monsoon engine and Engine Control Computer. Found out after talking to [email protected] that the computer was causing it. I was out of warranty when I found it, and had to pay $275 for the new one. Have had no problems with battery drain since then.

Singingskier

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The test light is only going to check continuity. To check for draw, you need to use an ammeter in place of the test light.

Wrong,,, Test light does not check Continuity>Test light reads voltage ( potential) Disconect the neg and hook up your light (Meter is beter for small draws). if you get a dull light or reading on the meter you have a draw. start removing fuses until the light or meter reads (0). that curcit has the draw. work from there.

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Your perko switch should be shutting all power off to everything if its not you need to check the wiring and fix it. The switch could have been installed wrong. If the switch doesn’t get wired correctly you will always have some draw from your radio and ECM that will kill a battery over the winter. Not that batteries should sit all winter without at least a trickle charge but they are capable of it if there is zero draw.

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I agree with shawndogy. When I flip my Blue Sea switch to off - I want everything single electrical thing in the boat turned off.

The only expection in my opinion would be the bilge pump. Some boaters will hard wire their bilge pumps to battery so that even when the switch if off - the bilge can turn on if it detects to much water in the hull of the boat.

If you were storing your boat in the water or keeping it in the water - this is a "must have" feature so that you will not sink your boat.

If I were you, I would take the second wire going to the battery at put a new terminal on in that would allow it to be run thru the switch and then create another short wire that would go from the switch to the battery. So that when you turn the switch off - everything gets turned off.

btw...check you bilge pump to see if it is hard wired to the battery. Those little floater valves can easily get stuck and run the bilge when it is not needed.

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I agree with shawndogy. When I flip my Blue Sea switch to off - I want everything single electrical thing in the boat turned off.

The only expection in my opinion would be the bilge pump. Some boaters will hard wire their bilge pumps to battery so that even when the switch if off - the bilge can turn on if it detects to much water in the hull of the boat.

If you were storing your boat in the water or keeping it in the water - this is a "must have" feature so that you will not sink your boat.

If I were you, I would take the second wire going to the battery at put a new terminal on in that would allow it to be run thru the switch and then create another short wire that would go from the switch to the battery. So that when you turn the switch off - everything gets turned off.

btw...check you bilge pump to see if it is hard wired to the battery. Those little floater valves can easily get stuck and run the bilge when it is not needed.

I believe Malibu started hard wiring the bilge pump recently.

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