Echelon Dual Battery Wiring Help

[nickgatchell]

Wanting to install a dual battery system but need some guidance. Boat currently has single battery. The following are running to the battery: Thick positive and negative cables, very small positive and negative cables, and the positive and negative cables for the amps. 

I am confused about this. On the two sets of cables that aren’t the ones going to the amps, what is the “house load” using and what is the “starting load” using? How are things like the bilge, blower, lights, and gauge cluster powered as compared to the head unit? Is the small set of wires just the head unit and everything else thru the large cables? 

And with the the install of a dual battery how do I separate these things and what exactly do I separate? 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[MLA]

Step 1, decide on the type of dual bank setup you are going with, then you can begin to make a wiring scheme for your setup. 

On your 93, I do not know what each of the smaller cables supply, but you can find out. Carefully remove one at a time and see what no longer works, then label the cable.  

[Michigan boarder]

7 hours ago, nickgatchell said:

Wanting to install a dual battery system but need some guidance. Boat currently has single battery. The following are running to the battery: Thick positive and negative cables, very small positive and negative cables, and the positive and negative cables for the amps. 

I am confused about this. On the two sets of cables that aren’t the ones going to the amps, what is the “house load” using and what is the “starting load” using? How are things like the bilge, blower, lights, and gauge cluster powered as compared to the head unit? Is the small set of wires just the head unit and everything else thru the large cables? 

And with the the install of a dual battery how do I separate these things and what exactly do I separate? 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

My guess is that the thick cables go to the engine compartment and are both your house load and starting load.  The small positive and negative cables probably go to the helm and power just the head unit.  Amp cables are obvious.

Bilge, blower, lights, and guage cluster were all originally designed to be powered along with the starting load and are probably still the case, unless someone has rewired it.

What is your objective with the dual battery?  Do you want to isolate the radio only?  Or do you want to isolate the starter and keep all else on a separate battery?

[minnmarker]

9 hours ago, nickgatchell said:

Wanting to install a dual battery system but need some guidance.

This is not so complicated but given your questions it seems you have no knowledge of vehicle electrics.  Find a local friend who knows something or get pro help.  While not a complicated system, doing the wrong thing can be dangerous or leave you stranded somewhere.

[nickgatchell]

34 minutes ago, minnmarker said:

This is not so complicated but given your questions it seems you have no knowledge of vehicle electrics.  Find a local friend who knows something or get pro help.  While not a complicated system, doing the wrong thing can be dangerous or leave you stranded somewhere.

I am learning as I go. Hence the questions...

[nickgatchell]

3 hours ago, MLA said:

Step 1, decide on the type of dual bank setup you are going with, then you can begin to make a wiring scheme for your setup. 

On your 93, I do not know what each of the smaller cables supply, but you can find out. Carefully remove one at a time and see what no longer works, then label the cable.  

I hooked just the small leads up and absolutely nothing kicked on. I attempted to follow the wires back. They tie into the harnes and disappear. Once their in the harness I cannot locate them. 

Thinking the best bet is to just set up a dual battery set up where it’s either one or the other. Use one to run the engine and another for the sandbar. Then put the tender on it when I get home. 

[Brodie]

24 minutes ago, nickgatchell said:

 

Thinking the best bet is to just set up a dual battery set up where it’s either one or the other. Use one to run the engine and another for the sandbar. Then put the tender on it when I get home. 

Yep.  Just get a perko switch that allows for 1, 2, 1+2, and off.  Then run the big cables to 1 and all else to 2.  Make sure the head unit is wired to 2 as well and not the house load.

[minnmarker]

37 minutes ago, nickgatchell said:

I am learning as I go. Hence the questions...

Great idea.  I was just trying to say that learning is better with a teacher by your side, not solely on a forum like this - and someone can check your work, important work.  We've all been in the same situation to different degrees on different subjects.

[MLA]

38 minutes ago, nickgatchell said:

I hooked just the small leads up and absolutely nothing kicked on. I attempted to follow the wires back. They tie into the harnes and disappear. Once their in the harness I cannot locate them. 

Thinking the best bet is to just set up a dual battery set up where it’s either one or the other. Use one to run the engine and another for the sandbar. Then put the tender on it when I get home. 

You will need the all the grounds connected and I would leave the main starter POS connected. Taking one smaller POS off at a time and then try turning stuff on. 

Its hard to be beat the simplicity and functionality of a traditional 1/2/BOTH switch. Nothing needs to be separated out.