Battery Went Dead

[Mike Page]

fished last Fri. Ran to first spot fished for bout an hour, ran to another creek fished bout 2 hours, ran to another creek fished for about 5 hours, running depth finders, live wells, radio, went to start big motor battery nothing, tried jumping from trolling motor batteries nothing, hooked up one of the trolling motor batteries and jumper cables from other trolling motor- nothing. called a buddy he came over and tried jump starting from his boat- nothing. The boat is a 2010 Z-9, shouldn't carry a charge better than that?? I had to call a tow boat to tow it in at a price of $450, BPS picked up from the house on Sat. Called today and said they were going to check altenator, and suggested that I could put a spare battery in with a battery switch. Do you all think this is a good move or not??? :wacko:

 

[Marty Klein]

Yes, you could do that, but why? A half-assed solution to the wrong problem? That thing is designed to operate without a spare battery and a switch. That would save you in a crisis, but it isn't the way it should be. Make them fix it the way it ought to be; then, you can decide if you want to add that fail safe course of action.

 

[Chris F.]

Not sure but I think a bad cell in a battery will keep it from cranking over. Chris F

 

[Mad Kayaker]

Did they ever get it started? Sounds like it could be that you hit the kill switch by accident. That's the first thing I usually check and then go from there ... Bill, the MadKayaker

 

[Lamar Gilbert]

By it not starting with other batteries jumpered to it, it don't sound like a battery problem. More like a bad cable connection or a starter solenoid. Probably the solenoid. I lost one on my 75 a coupe of years ago. It could also be a wiring problem that is preventing voltage from activating the solenoid.



Did you by chance check the kill switch?



Good luck



Lamar

 

[Mike Page]

 

[Mike Page]

The kill switch was the first thing checked. Battery was replaced supposedly when it was in shop last time in March, I complained then that the motor did not seem to be cranking fast enough, but it would start. BPS said they were going to check the alt. to see if its putting out enough to charge the battery..Sure hope they get it taken care of since starting Thurs. I have 9 days off.



Mike

 

[Jim B]

If it is the battery and everything else checks out ok be very picky about what battery you replace it with. The opti's require a lot of cranking amps to turn over and start. Check the link i put below that is a good source of into on batteries from a well regarded Merc guy on the BBC



My Z7 is a 2008 and the factory interstate only lasted one season before it started to give me issues like you are seeing. I also have a 3 bank charger and one bank is for the start battery to i know at the begining of the day it was always charged yet after running electronics for a few hours it would die. I replaced it with a group 27 cabelas advanced angler battery and so far its been great, going on my third year with it.
http://www.bbcboards.net/mercury-3-...t-requirement"-reserve-capacity-monsters.html

 

[Mike Page]

That is exactly what I had told BPS the said that is what the rig their boats with, I wll definetly upgrade to a better battery. Thanks

 

[Dennis D]

I had this problem with my Targa 18 and a 150 Opti, turns out the switch that

limits how high your motor can trim was shorting out, replaced it and now everything

is fine.

 

[Herndonpro]

When you tried other batteries did you jump from one to the other or did you ever hook one of the other batteries directly to your wiring? I had an instance with a bad battery where you couldn't jump through it, but I hooked a borrowed battery straight to the wiring and the engine fired right up.



HP