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Old 06-30-2014, 11:12 AM   #12
Van
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Quincy
Posts: 4,145
Quote:
Originally Posted by nightfighter View Post
Just about lost my sanity yesterday....
Got gauge installed, boat loaded and fueled, then launched on 1300 high tide. Started right up on battery one, and headed out at 5 mph. Going through all systems, but no water to live well/washdown. Got my head down under to find both in and out hoses to pump disconnected. Quick fix after wrestling hoses back into position.
Ran out to troll up some macs, and notice the remaining Yamaha digital tach and trim gauge is not working, or showing jibberish... So now both gauges are junk??? What has changed, other than to replace the (other) fuel gauge? Still thinking on that...
So now on both batteries to run around for half hour. Switch to one as I drift macs along shore (tight) with a surge. Occasionally start up to pull away from the rocks. Running GPS and livewell. After a couple fish, I go to start up again, and no go. Check switch, and change to other battery. Not enough juice. Tide has started to turn, but I am tight.... Too tight to get an anchor to bite with any scope. I throw it as far as I can anyway and grab a needle plug, because it had the largest trebles I saw on first glance. After half a dozen casts I was lucky enough to "catch" a lobster buoy and gently pull my way 50 yards further out.
In the end, I got one of my nephews to pick up a battery pack from his club and he brought it out to me. (Had Seatow on the phone, and they were two hours out) Got it going by jumping battery one, AND squeezing the fuel ball, which was softer than I would like (another issue to look into and probably replace).
So it appears this will be my season of getting the gremlins out. The better half had already gone to PepBoys and replaced my Westmarine battery pack with Duralast 900 amp pack.

So, after I get my 4-5 year old batteries' cells tested, what batteries are people using these days.....
That is a scary situation. I had that once when my shift cable broke and i could not get the engine into gear. I was really close to rocks, but got the hook to bite good and waited for seatow.

Maybe all the problems with the gauges has just been low power (amperage). Electronics are sooo finicky.. Replace both batteries and see what the gauges do. As for batteries, I just get nice big lead acids ones. Not a fan of the AGMs heard too many gripes. I am getting 6-7 years on my batteries, I keep them charged with an onboard charger and check them often.

I guess you have to be sure your engine is charging correctly too. I have a readout of voltage on my Furuno FF. It read close to 14vdc when the engine is running, around 12 with the engine off. (which like I said I rarely do, especially if I am close to shore, rocks etc.....

~..~..~.. ><((((º>
Things done at the last possible minute are done with the greatest possible information. Procrastination is, therefore, the most efficient means of doing things.
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