Clean up battery connections <# of wires>

[Sacamano]

I want to clean up my battery connections. I am planning on putting in a common bus bar for all my negative connections. And two positive junction posts, one for my house battery and one for start. Then I will run four cables to my batteries, a negative to each and a positive to each.

Can I connect my on board dual bank battery charger negative leads to the common bus and the positive leads to each respective battery junction? Electrically it should not matter. I am wondering if there is any safety reason I should not do this.

 

[Bruce]

That is fine. You could run a cable between the two batteries negative posts then run all negative to either of the batteries. This avoids the need for the negative bus.

Does your on board charger have multiple negative leads? My dual bank Guest 2610A only has a single negative lead and two positives.

 

[Sacamano]

Thanks Bruce. My ProMariner has two leads, one for each battery and both of them Y into positive and negative leads.

Chad

 

[Julian]

I put in a negative bus bar this summer....much neater and only one cable per battery. Only one positive connection from the battery switches right now.

 

[Sacamano]

That is my plan too. Did you cover the connections on the bus? Or is it not equipped since it is negative.

 

[chess]

I put in a negative bus bar this summer....much neater and only one cable per battery. Only one positive connection from the battery switches right now.

Any photos of this ?

 

[Julian]

That is my plan too. Did you cover the connections on the bus? Or is it not equipped since it is negative.

Yes, the bus bar came with a cover.

Any photos of this ?

I have not taken a photo of this yet as I'm not quite done with it. It is about the most simple thing one can do though. Bought a big 150amp (I think) bus bar on Amazon. Pulled all the negative connections off the batteries and connected them to the bus bar, then run one line to to each battery. So now I have one connection line to each post of each battery, that I will label 1+, 1-, 2+, 2-. So in the spring, 4 cables to connect with almost no posibility of error.

 

[Julian]

OK, I do have one photo I took before I cleaned up the amp + connections that go directly to the battery....since then I've added another temporary switch to isolate the batteries completely. I need plan to remove that at some point and wire the amps to the normal battery switch (not sure why Yamaha didn't do this).

As you can see below...just one negative connection to each battery once I put in the bus bar.

 

[Julian]

I added <# of wires> to the title as when I first read this I thought it was about cleaning the connections.

 

[Sacamano]

I did not take a before picture, but here is my after. Three wires to the batteries and a negative jumper between them.

 

[Sacamano]

Two questions:
1. I have a small gauge factory wire labeled to connect to my house battery hot, so it bypasses the switch. I think I used to know what it was connected to, anyone know offhand? FYI - I also added a float switch bilge pump that bypasses the house switch.
2. I want to make it easier to connect my battery cables and strap them down in a box and slide them back into the narrow opening next to the engine. I remember seeing someone make such a thing but could not find it in a search, anyone else remember seeing this?

Thanks,
Chad

 

[Julian]

@Sacamano That small guage wire is for your ACR relay.

I recall seeing that battery slide mod....will see if I can find it for ya!

 

[Julian]

https://jetboaters.net/threads/optimas-on-sliding-tray-tucked-away.3286/

 

[Sacamano]

@Julian tanks for both answers. Incredible customer service.

 

[Sacamano]

I finally finished the sliding battery tray. Works great, so much easier to install the batteries.

 

[BBottoms]

I just cleaned up my wiring last week. I used a SafetyHub 150 which gives me fused connections for any add ons (4ga to Amp, Lighting and Connext Voltage Fix wire so far). I've got 1/0 gauge running from the house battery positive to the House switch. I bought premade cables a little short so I still need a get another piece of 1/0 to connect the switch to the SafetyHub. It also has a built in negative bus bar so I've also got a 1/0 jumper between the negatives anda single 1/0 running to the negative bus. Charger leads still go directly to the battery posts so I've got no more than 2 wires per post.

I still want to rewire the factory House accessory lead to run off the SafetyHub instead of the switch (just need to splice in a 10ga jumper) and then tuck the batteries further back, either on a sliding tray or just be relocating the factory trays. I'll also need to make a new, longer, 4ga battery to switch lead for the starting circuit when I do.

SafetyHub 150 Install

• BBottoms
• May 22, 2017

 

[Julian]

I took my photos before I had put the terminal covers on....please don't replicate that...you want terminal covers on your posts. If you go for a USCG Safety check without covers you will fail....but you can (as a short term measure) just put electrical tape on them to pass the test (or you could with the inspector I had years ago).