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Dual battery left to on position (for both batteries), will I be ok for a week?


WhiteWaterWeb

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Hi all, new Bu owner here; with all the excitement getting the boat to the cottage and taking her for a spin on our lake, I left the cottage without turning off the dual battery. Will I be ok if I am back up there in a week - what should I get in the habit of doing as a weekend warrior right now? It is a 2018 21 VLX.

Thanks!

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You should definitely get in habit of turning battery switch off each time you leave boat. Why are you running in dual/combine at all? I am under impression that you only want to do that if your starter battery gets drained somehow and you require the 2nd battery to help start the boat...otherwise they can both drain and leave you with no way to start boat.

I also always put trickle charger on them (always make sure battery switch is turned to OFF before plugging up charger) since batteries will last a lot longer if they are kept topped off (if of course you have access to power where you keep boat). With brand new boat, I would think you will be fine for a week tho. Gotta assume they were sent to you with full charge. Just as precaution, you may want to have a backup way to jump start the boat or charge the batteries just in case something weird does happen.

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As I said I am brand new to the boat and the fella who helped me launch it quickly went over the battery ‘dial’ to me. I never had to worry about anything with our old 2011 SeaRay, but the VLX is a new beast.

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Gotcha. Your batteries are separated, basically 1 battery is to start boat and the 2nd battery runs all your accessories. Its like that so as long as you have the switch in position #1...if you were to run your stereo in the cove for many hours and deplete your accessory batter, boat will still start and get your home. however if you have the switch is the position where it "combines both batteries, it will draw power from both at same time. Will run your stereo longer but may not have the juice to start your boat when the time comes. Other reason for combine option is If for some reason you went to start the boat and the starter battery does not have enough juice to turn it over, then you can put switch position to combine...which allows both batteries to give you the power needed to start boat (long as the other one is not also depleted)

Highly suggest if possible that you keep batteries on marine trickle charger when boat is not in use (you want a battery tender that is smart so it does not overcharge system) you can buy duel bank chargers that mount in boat and will charge both batteries at same time and you just plug in 1 cord, not only will this keep batteries working much longer by keeping them topped off (could double their life), but you will likely never have to worry about running out of juice. Its also important on boats cause electronics are notorious for getting glitchy when batteries are low which can cause other issues. Just so you know, even if battery switch is turned to off, your automatic bilge switch is direct wired and will still work if boat were to get water in it due to rain or something else. But it will still draw off accessory batter so your starter battery stays isolated so boat will start when you need it too.

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Ok, thanks. So when running your boat you typically turn it to setting 1, go for a rip, and then dock and turn everything off?

Cheers.

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That is exactly what I do. I actually don't think I have ever had to use combine on my boat, but I am pretty OCD about keep batteries topped off and every Spring I check water level and top off if needed (distilled water only). I actually added a 2nd ACC battery as well last year, so I have 3 batteries total.

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Mine is always left on, but I have an ACR so can't kill both batteries...plus an on board charger it is plugged into constantly.  

ACR would be a good upgrade to do.  Doubt I will ever have a boat without one. 

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I run my batteries on 1 + 2 100% of the time and shut them off when not using. I have 600+ hours in 5 years and I'm on my 3rd set of Walmart batteries (new set this year) and have no onboard charger and have a decent size stereo. I have never had a problem with the boat starting. I know when my batteries are weak because my electronics act up a bit. 

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2 hours ago, WhiteWaterWeb said:

Hi all, new Bu owner here; with all the excitement getting the boat to the cottage and taking her for a spin on our lake, I left the cottage without turning off the dual battery. Will I be ok if I am back up there in a week - what should I get in the habit of doing as a weekend warrior right now? It is a 2018 21 VLX.

Thanks!

I turn mine on in the spring and off in the fall.  Not saying it is the best way to do it, but even after multiple weeks I have not had an issue.  Never even had to hook a charger up in spring just fired right up.  I think you will be ok but it depends on your boat I suppose.

  • Like 2
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Sorry OP, i missed part of your question. I have left my switch on a couple times for weeks and it was fine. As long as you turned off power, you should be fine. If anything was left turned on so there was a constant draw, you may have some drained batteries.  My guess is  be fine. 

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I don’t believe a battery charger is necessary, just run in the on position and don’t run the stereo for hours without the engine and everything will be good. 

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Everybody will state something different and you can do as you like as well... 

I run Battery 1 on one day and Battery 2 on the next day...

  • If a cell goes out one battery I have a backup
  • If a battery is drained due to running electronics with engine off... well I have a backup

The purpose is for you to have a backup if you drain one and not leave you stranded... You can simply keep it on 1&2 and just not have a backup when something goes wrong.

Just 2 weeks ago lent a friend one of my batteries... he died on water (boat was running, surfer went down, turned boat off... boat did not restart... had battery in 1&2. Battery one had a bad cell (fine in the morning.. worked all day.. then went out which in turned drained battery 2... @isellacuras this boat was brand new.. last than one year old and less than 25 hours)

 

 

Edited by kerpluxal
  • Like 1
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I have always run 1&2 and run a trickle charger that is installed in the boat.  I have been getting around 6 years with my Optima batteries.  I have a large stereo as well.  Been a Malibu owners since 1997, 10+ boats later have always run dual batteries. In the early 2000 when I ordered a boat had to have option for large alternator to keep up with stereo. Today Alternators are much bigger (not in size, some SmartA!#!@# will correct me) that come stock with the boat.  If you are going to be sitting in a cove with ignition off blasting away, a good insurance policies is to switch to a single battery.

 

Edited by roonedoggie
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19 hours ago, WhiteWaterWeb said:

As I said I am brand new to the boat and the fella who helped me launch it quickly went over the battery ‘dial’ to me. I never had to worry about anything with our old 2011 SeaRay, but the VLX is a new beast.

What style of switch does your boat have? OFF/1/BOTH/2 or OFF/ON/COMBINE?

Makes a HUGE difference in how its used. 

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18 hours ago, isellacuras said:

I run my batteries on 1 + 2 100% of the time and shut them off when not using. I have 600+ hours in 5 years and I'm on my 3rd set of Walmart batteries (new set this year) and have no onboard charger and have a decent size stereo. I have never had a problem with the boat starting. I know when my batteries are weak because my electronics act up a bit. 

I would bet that you could get 5 years on 1 set of batteries if you used an onboard charger.   I believe that the charger pays for itself if you keep the boat a few years.  

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Seriously people, all these battery stratigies.  Just get an ACR and never worry about it.  Both will always be charged, no worry about the boat not starting. 

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4 hours ago, WhiteWaterWeb said:

Thanks @67King - wouldn't starting it on level 2 do the same thing though (start plus charge both batteries while running the engine)? 

Yeah, I just want to primarily use one for starting, and the other for running accessories when the boat is not running.

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Hi all - in terms of what battery switch we have @MLA it is the newest one, with positions off, 1 or 2. Does that help? We will soon have power down to the new dock but not yet - I assume that is when we can consider the use of an ACR, correct @Nitrousbird?

Here is a pic of the new beast:

HrPXg

HeHS

 

Edited by WhiteWaterWeb
missed a word
  • Like 2
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If the switch has OFF at 12 oclock, ON at 3 oclock and COMBINE at 4 oclock, this switch likely already has an ACR and its use differs GREATLY from the suggestion given. Or, does it have OFF at 12 oclock, 1 at 3, 1+2 or BOTH at 6, 2 at 9. 

Sounds as if you have the Dual Circuit Plus OFF, 1, BOTH switch

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From what I remember, the switch is off at 12 oclock, on at 3 oclock (one battery) and on at 6 oclock (two batteries).

Cheers.

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10 hours ago, TallRedRider said:

I would bet that you could get 5 years on 1 set of batteries if you used an onboard charger.   I believe that the charger pays for itself if you keep the boat a few years.  

Id love to install a charger but my storage situation isn't ideal for running power. I keep it at home in a carport but it's 100 feet from the nearest power. When i factor in what it would cost to run power plus the charger, it's just not practical. $150 for batteries every other year is not all that expensive in the grand scheme. 

  • Like 1
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