Battery Keeps Dying

[Bohdiez]

No easy way to put it other than WTF. I’m sitting here on my dock trying to rack my brain and doesn’t my brothers boat automatically start to bilge itself which tells me that there battery is on.
If I turn my switch to off it completely kills everything in the boat. What’s annoying is everytime go for boat ride I have to lift up the seat and turn dial to off. Now I only have two options. On and Off. If I leave the switch on and turn the ignition off, key in my pocket, things remain on. Like my Bluetooth stays on, if I flick the blower switch it turns on. Something is drawing the battery to point of going dead.
Any thoughts fellas as to what might be or is this it. Go for ride and when done turn the dial to off.
Thanks…
Sorry for my bad grammar, Glare on my phone from sun and no reading glasses. Tough life I know boys. Lol

 

[Julian]

Is your boat sitting in the water? With the switch off? Does that disable the bilge pump?

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Well, with the master switch ON, your various devices SHOULD indeed work. The bilge pump, IF wired "normally" is supposed to be connected directly to the battery regardless of the master switch. The idea being that you'd rather have a dead battery than a sunken boat.

So having the bilge turn on while the master switch is off IS normal. Are you taking on water and the bilge is running and hence killing your battery?

If it's something else drawing power, you'll need to figure out what. Not always easy to figure that out without monitoring current on various circuits. Another, slower option, is to pull one fuse at a time of any suspicious device on board. Then monitor the battery.

Obviously killing the battery over and over isn't good for the battery.

 

[Bohdiez]

Is your boat sitting in the water? With the switch off? Does that disable the bilge pump?

No my boat is sitting high and dry in a lift. Our lake the water drops pretty fast to feed the Trent Severn. My only concern is the down pour of water we have gotten. The bow of my boat seems to collect water like a hot tub lol.

 

[Bohdiez]

Well, with the master switch ON, your various devices SHOULD indeed work. The bilge pump, IF wired "normally" is supposed to be connected directly to the battery regardless of the master switch. The idea being that you'd rather have a dead battery than a sunken boat.

So having the bilge turn on while the master switch is off IS normal. Are you taking on water and the bilge is running and hence killing your battery?

If it's something else drawing power, you'll need to figure out what. Not always easy to figure that out without monitoring current on various circuits. Another, slower option, is to pull one fuse at a time of any suspicious device on board. Then monitor the battery.

Obviously killing the battery over and over isn't good for the battery.

Ya it’s just one of those things I would like to know and fig out. Other boats I have had they had a reserve switch that would only draw from the pump. That boat floated. This boat sitting out of water. I guess in the end it’s a first world prob and I just get annoyed lifting seat to turn on the switch. Lol.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Oh, definitely worth investigating. It shouldn't be draining your battery. Something is up. Mine sits in the water for weeks at a time without anybody there. Doesn't drain my battery at all.

 

[blthlt]

I have found that with my battery switch set to "1" ( i have dual battery setup with dvsr so i have "1" and "combined") I can turn on the radio from the back swim platform area without the key in the accessory position. I like this because I can keep the screen off while at the sandbar and save unnecessary wear and tear.

 

[Bohdiez]

Ya I only have one battery but was thinking I would of gotten two with this boat. So many bells and whistles one seems little weak. When I take in for service I will ask them at the shop. I’m sure I will get the run around answers. Fingers crossed can fig it out.

 

[ScarabMike]

Your bilge pump should be wired to work with the master switch to off as a safety. If the bilge fills with water while it's stored it will kill your battery.

You can bypass this (I dont recommend) behind the battery switch. Just relocate the positive for the bilge with the rest of the electrical wires. Or, just install a nice solar trickle charger.