Battery location on 330

[Rocklobster]

On my electrical panel, I'm showing my Port battery running low. I think it's time to replace it. It doesn't hold a charge.

I have two batteries on my port side, down inside the engine compartment near the hot water heater.

For reference, I have another 2 batteries which are on the starboard side behind the helm. They are accessable from the topsides.

Does the panel measure both batteries together or does it measure only one of the two? Should I change both of them on the port side?

Also, do the starboard batteries run the engine hatch since you would have a hard time lifting the hatch is they used the batteries in the engine compartment?

 

[mrsrobinson]

I would replaced both, that is what we did. If one is bad and one is good and you replace the bad one, the good one will always be a tad 'weaker' and may draw on the good one.

On our 330 it's the house battery and the port engine starting battery on the port side by the water heater. On our boat the engine hatch left is wired to these 2 batteries. My guess is everything is. When ours went bad we lost power to everything, even the bilge pumps.

 

[Stromeister]

Check the water level on all batteries especially the house batteries as we had a simular problem with our 330 when we purchased it.

 

[osd9]

If memory serves me right, and lately that's less frequently the case, the two batteries in the engine compartment are for the port engine and are also the house batteries: ie, they would run your engine hatch lift. They are wired in parallel, and as such, your volt meter is measuring the voltage of both batteries. If the voltage reading is going low, AFTER you have checked the water and the connections, I would suggest that you replace both batteries at the same time.

The configuratiohn of the two batteries that you mention behing the helm seat depends....depends on wether or not you have the generator option and/ or the dual starboard battery option. Since you don't mention the details of your boat :huh: it is hard to provide further assistance.

 

[Rocklobster]

Engine hatch should be wired to the starboard batteries!

Thanks for the feedback folks.

I can't take the engine compartment batteries out for the winter because I won't be able to open/close the hatch!

I guess I'll put in 2 new ones before winter sets in so I know they won't freeze.

I hate to subject two new batteries to an extra new england winter but I don't see any other options.

They should have wired the engine hatch to the starboard batteries so you can access them from the top sides. The way they have it right now doesn't make a lot of sense.

.....Joe

 

[jrcinnh]

On my boat the starboard battery opens the hatch.

Both my Searays can with a gizmo to open the hatch when the batteries were dead or disconnected. Basically one end has a cigarette lighter plug and the other end has two wires. Connect the wires to a battery or one of those portable jump start devices and then plug the other end in cigarette ligher outlet under the dash. The hatch should work.

 

[Tim]

Not sure of your particular situation, but you could also pull the pin on the underside of the hatch where it connects it to the arm/pole that raises it. That way you can manually lift it up. (There is also an access hole on the hatch so you can easily do this at any time.). If you leave a line wrapped around the hatch it helps for leverage to pull it up as well.

Alternate:Can you leave the batteries in and then hook up shore power to re-charge them in the spring?

 

[mrsrobinson]

The hatch is designed to be lifted manually so if you lose your batttery you are not stuck.

 

[rondds]

wouldnt it be better to buy the new batteries in the spring? you'll run off several months of the warranty without even using them. kinda doesnt make sense. :smt017

it is my understanding that when batteries are connected in parallel, they should be replaced in pairs. if you replace only one, and the other one is weaker, it could "confuse" the converter. ie: it will continually try to charge the weaker one and overcharge the new one.

 

[Alex D]

Not sure of your particular situation, but you could also pull the pin on the underside of the hatch where it connects it to the arm/pole that raises it. That way you can manually lift it up. (There is also an access hole on the hatch so you can easily do this at any time.). If you leave a line wrapped around the hatch it helps for leverage to pull it up as well.

Alternate:Can you leave the batteries in and then hook up shore power to re-charge them in the spring?

Correct .. that is one other reason for the deck plate in the hatch. Open it and you can pull the pin. It's of course also useable as a fire port.

 

[Rocklobster]

I confirmed that my hatch lift is wired to my port bilge batteries.

I didn't want to leave two dead port batteries in the bilge for a CT winter for fear that they would freeze in burst. I also didn't feel like putting two new ones down there to sit in a extra CT winter!

What I ended up doing is pulling the two out of the bilge and connected a 10' jumper cables to the wire lugs and fished the jumper cables up to the starboard batteries. Because I can reach the starboard batteries from the top side, all I need to do is connect them to one of the staboard batteries and lift the hatch.

So far this works ok. I leave the starboard battery switch OFF when I connect the jumpers. I only connected them for the moment and do not leave the jumpers connected.

........Joe