1988 Santego 3867 Power issue

[buster53]

QR_BBPOST There wasnt any wires, just an empty secured battery box. Ill start checking for corrosion after i swap the batteries.

The two main things i notice are the lights dim or go out when flushing the toilet, and the radio barely works if it works at all.ill start checking those areas for corrosion as well.

Yes, your batteries may be the problem, but before going to a big expense and swapping, tell us what batteries you have, size and type and LOAD TEST them. As the old saying goes, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. There may well be other issues.

[fredricksoncr]

So what im going to do this week is pull two of the batteries and swap them with the brand new lifepo4 deep cycle marine batts i already had that were going to another project before i sold that boat (was doing off shore power in a santego 2767).

If that solves the issue then i know the batts were the issue, if it doesnt then i can load test the batteries out of the boat and see if they have any issues before putting them back.

Also something to note. Radio worked great this weekend on shore power, but not so well off of that.

[buster53]

QR_BBPOST So what im going to do this week is pull two of the batteries and swap them with the brand new lifepo4 deep cycle marine batts i already had that were going to another project before i sold that boat (was doing off shore power in a santego 2767).

If that solves the issue then i know the batts were the issue, if it doesnt then i can load test the batteries out of the boat and see if they have any issues before putting them back.

Also something to note. Radio worked great this weekend on shore power, but not so well off of that.

Again, what size are the batteries you have in the boat now? What size are the batteries you are going to swap with?

[buster53]

Also, do you have your battery switch, switched to BOTH?

[buster53]

Back to your genset…any possibility its battery is completely dead? Might want to test it as well.
Also, regarding connections..,there is tight and then there is battery tight. You need battery tight, that’s why I suggested getting a wrench and snugging them down. Often, just tight won’t get the job done.
FWIW, my genset has its own battery on-off switch in the engine room. Any chance you have one as well and it is simply turned off?

[km1125]

QR_BBPOST ... Also, regarding connections..,there is tight and then there is battery tight. You need battery tight, that’s why I suggested getting a wrench and snugging them down. ...

Also, they need to be CLEAN connections. As long as you're getting in there and checking connections, you should take them off one at a time and clean the connector and the post. Then you can tighten them down appropriately.

[km1125]

QR_BBPOST So what im going to do this week is pull two of the batteries and swap them with the brand new lifepo4 deep cycle marine batts i already had that were going to another project before i sold that boat (was doing off shore power in a santego 2767)....

I'll repost this in case you missed it earlier...

"Before using them you need to confirm that they could actually handle the starting current for your boat"

LiFePO4 batteries almost always have internal battery management circuits. If you exceed the current rating of that circuit, it will cut off the battery to prevent damage. Starting a small block or big block engine could easily exceed the current rating of the battery unless it was specifically intended to be used as a starting battery.

[buster53]

QR_BBPOST So what im going to do this week is pull two of the batteries and swap them with the brand new lifepo4 deep cycle marine batts i already had that were going to another project before i sold that boat (was doing off shore power in a santego 2767).

If that solves the issue then i know the batts were the issue, if it doesnt then i can load test the batteries out of the boat and see if they have any issues before putting them back.

Also something to note. Radio worked great this weekend on shore power, but not so well off of that.

Any status updates?