Michael and Jeanne V2
Member
We purchased a '98 400 DB this winter... a boat that has been well maintained and cared for. The boat is still on the hard and I have had the AC converter on constantly. The starboard battery bank and the generator battery are being maintained by the charger. Not so the port battery bank.
For starter I determined that the isolator bar terminal for the port bank had failed (unusual but OK). I replaced it
Upon closer inspection I noticed that there is no wire running from the isolator bar directly to the port batteries. There is ,however, a #8 red wire that goes from the bar into the bilge (I can't determine for sure were it goes but it looks like it ties into a wiring harness) and another #8 wire comes out of the bilge that connects to the port batteries. There is no continuity between the two wires.
If I place a jumper between the isolator bar and the port batteries bank, it charges fine. This seem to be the fix.
Refering to the wiring diagram for the boat offers no clue to what the wires into the bilge connect too or their purpose.
Before I permanently connect a new wire between the isolator and batteries, I'd like to know why the wires go into the bilge. What is their purpose and why it is not on the wiring diagram. It appears to be a factory installation.
The only thing I can think of is that the wire running from the bar into the bilge provides 12V directly from the charger to emergency equipment (bilge pumps) the wire from the port bank into the bilge provides battey power to the same emergency system. I am only guessing. Why is there not an original wire allowing the port batteries to take a charge from the converter? Sailor alt, missed step during construction?
If that is the case adding another wire to charge the batteries from the converter should be OK.
I hope this discription makes sense. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and ideas.
For starter I determined that the isolator bar terminal for the port bank had failed (unusual but OK). I replaced it
Upon closer inspection I noticed that there is no wire running from the isolator bar directly to the port batteries. There is ,however, a #8 red wire that goes from the bar into the bilge (I can't determine for sure were it goes but it looks like it ties into a wiring harness) and another #8 wire comes out of the bilge that connects to the port batteries. There is no continuity between the two wires.
If I place a jumper between the isolator bar and the port batteries bank, it charges fine. This seem to be the fix.
Refering to the wiring diagram for the boat offers no clue to what the wires into the bilge connect too or their purpose.
Before I permanently connect a new wire between the isolator and batteries, I'd like to know why the wires go into the bilge. What is their purpose and why it is not on the wiring diagram. It appears to be a factory installation.
The only thing I can think of is that the wire running from the bar into the bilge provides 12V directly from the charger to emergency equipment (bilge pumps) the wire from the port bank into the bilge provides battey power to the same emergency system. I am only guessing. Why is there not an original wire allowing the port batteries to take a charge from the converter? Sailor alt, missed step during construction?
If that is the case adding another wire to charge the batteries from the converter should be OK.
I hope this discription makes sense. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and ideas.
