Battery switches

[Miamisigns]

Got my 2017 FSH 3 months ago. 1st time out I get a "engine communication error". Leave the boat at the dealer. They said they took it for an hours test drive and no error. Before I take the boat I turned it on in front of them and I get the error. After messing with it for awhile the mechanic says I did not have the parallel switch on. Well the error did go away but I am reading in many forums it isn't necessary for the parallel switch to be on.

I have taken out the boat 4 times for a total of 6 hours. I recently installed a Garmin 9in GPS Combo and CB Radio. After driving and stopping for a few hours by House battery is dead.

Could having the parallel switch on drain my battery faster?

 

[Julian]

You only want the parellel switch on when you need to combine the batteries because one is dead. Sounds to me like one of your batteries is bad. I'd take them in and get them tested.

 

[Alan Crawford]

I had the same problem with mine. I was told not to turn the parallel switch on from the dealer. After a few times running this way, the aux battery was dead, indicated by the death tone. Since then, I always run with the parallel on and have had no issues, and after testing the batteries, both are charged. If you want to check this, you can check the draw on the alternator from the engine monitor. Anyway, I feel like without the parallel turned on, the alternator was unable to charge the aux battery. My 2 pennies.

 

[highanddryinco]

You only want the parellel switch on when you need to combine the batteries because one is dead. Sounds to me like one of your batteries is bad. I'd take them in and get them tested.

Agree with Julian, parallel switch should not be needed. Only for a dead or weak starting battery situation.
First though, check to make sure that the little wire that has a label on it that reads something like, "This wire must be connected to the common negative post" is actually connected. Mine was not. I found it right away so I don't know if I would have had a problem or not but that wire goes to the voltage sensing relay which is what charges the house battery once the starting battery is at the proper voltage.

 

[3thrty]

Had this issue until about 15 hours, never messed with the parallel and the issue magically disappeared. I am at 60 hours now and have had no issues. It was very frustrating to listen to the alarm but you can silence it with the menu toggle buttons. After the boat is warm it stops. May be a break-in period on the alternator that is kicking the error message.

 

[props2you]

 

[Tonkatoy]

View attachment 62593
Got my 2017 FSH 3 months ago. 1st time out I get a "engine communication error". Leave the boat at the dealer. They said they took it for an hours test drive and no error. Before I take the boat I turned it on in front of them and I get the error. After messing with it for awhile the mechanic says I did not have the parallel switch on. Well the error did go away but I am reading in many forums it isn't necessary for the parallel switch to be on.

I have taken out the boat 4 times for a total of 6 hours. I recently installed a Garmin 9in GPS Combo and CB Radio. After driving and stopping for a few hours by House battery is dead.

Could having the parallel switch on drain my battery faster?

Hey I'm jealous, my parallel switch is red, not yellow. 3 red switches.
I always turn it on by accident...

 

[Blindduck]

When I'm running and want to charge my aux battery after being on the water all day I turn it on. Without it being on it's not getting charged and it runs my radio.. bilge...and electronics so I like not taking a risk and getting caught off guard like last night.

 

[Julian]

Agree with Julian, parallel switch should not be needed. Only for a dead or weak starting battery situation.
First though, check to make sure that the little wire that has a label on it that reads something like, "This wire must be connected to the common negative post" is actually connected. Mine was not. I found it right away so I don't know if I would have had a problem or not but that wire goes to the voltage sensing relay which is what charges the house battery once the starting battery is at the proper voltage.

I agree with Highanddry....you should not have to parallel the batteries in order to get both to charge. The fact that a dealer says you need to do this is really bad! Your boat has a VSR (voltage sensing relay). The purpose of this is to switch the charging from the starter battery to the house battery, once the starting battery is fully charged. If a dealer told you that you needed it in parellel to accomplish this, they are idiots (sorry). Next time ask them what the VSR is supposed to do. It is clear that some dealers are clueless on how these basic electronics work, and in turn, fail to explain and teach new owners how it works.

I'll bet highanddry is correct and there is a small black wire laying in your battery compartment that has yet to be connected.

@3thrty your boat might have not had the black DVSR wire connected, and then a service guy connected it, or perhaps over the winter it was reconnected properly in the spring?

All of that said, if you use the heck out of your house battery (via a trolling motor, stereo etc), then you will want to charge it with a shore power charger or battery tender when back on land. One engine (or even two), cannot keep up with a huge draw on the house battery.

 

[kthrash]

When I'm running and want to charge my aux battery after being on the water all day I turn it on. Without it being on it's not getting charged and it runs my radio.. bilge...and electronics so I like not taking a risk and getting caught off guard like last night.

actaully that is wrong, when the starting battery is full the ACR switches charging power to the auxilary battery..

 

[Blindduck]

Glad to hear this..

actaully that is wrong, when the starting battery is full the ACR switches charging power to the auxilary battery..

 

[Alan Crawford]

Welp, while preparing to go out this weekend, I decided to look in the battery compartment for this little wire you speak of. Wouldnt ya know it, it was rolled nicely and tucked behind the switch assembly. It clearly had a label stating "connect to common ground". I hooked it up, so we shall see!!

 

[highanddryinco]

Yep, seems pretty common. "Common" get it?
I need to dig up a VSR wiring diagram (not how to wire it but how it's wired internally) and see if that little wire actually does anything other than complete the circuit to light up the little, "Start battery full--now charging house battery indicator light."

 

[Alan Crawford]

Guarantee that is what it does....

 

[Bill D]

The little black wire is the common for the relay inside the DVSR. The relay is what switches from charging the start battery to charging the house battery. With out the black wire connected, the relay never switches.

 

[highanddryinco]

Thanks, that was what I was thinking but wasn't sure without a schematic. Obviously, lights the indicator light as well.

 

[Yahmahaboy]

Should you use the parallel switch to start boat then turn off. How do u use switches correctly

 

[Elliott]

You only use the parallel connection if your Start battery is too weak to crank the boat. If you do use the parallel connection, you would want to return to normal mode after cranking. Doing so allows the alternator to send all of it charge to the Start battery first (until it is charged); otherwise, the charge will be split between the batteries - helping neither quickly.