Battery Upgrade Question...

Morpheus

New Member
May 7, 2007
2,450
Odessa, FL
Boat Info
2006 SeaRay Sundeck 240
Engines
5.0MPI Mercruiser w/ Bravo III
In my 2006 240 Sundeck I have the 2 battery setup both are the same and were purchased from Westmarine last year. Both require me to put distilled water in them (They are called wet acid batteries right?)

Forgive my lack of battery knowlege but that's why I'm here for all of you experts to guide me in the right direction.

This week Westmaries flyer has the:

PRO MARINER ProSport 12, 2 Outputs, 12/24V, 12A Capacity on sale for about $100

Already exchanged emails with James Mitchell at Pro Mariner and he said this would be perfect and is what he uses in his families boat which is also a 240SD

Since I last replaced my batteries at the beginner of last year I ended up getting laid off and the new job I ended up at had my at a client site for 10+ months so no boating action for me.

My fear at this point is that I'll have to replace them again (which is one reason to get this charger).

My other question though is if I do have to replace them I'm thinking of going with AGM batteries so that I don't have to worry about the water level in them.

My only problem with that is what brand/size should I be looking at?
 
I swear by Optima AGM, if your current batteries are 24 series, use 34 series Optima. If you have the larger 27 series, use 31 Optima. Lots of power, great reserve & super durable. Jim Mitchell will advise you right, he is a real great guy & the most informed about their chargers. We went to the CI series with remote monitor / control what a difference it made in power.
 
As you probably don't have extended stays on the hook I would suggest dual purpose marine batteries. That's what I have in my 320 and I have no complaints. I found mine at Costco for $68 each. It doesn't make a lot of sense IMHO to overspend on batteries that are not needed for you boat. If you had an '04 390DA I would be singing a different tune!
 
You do not need AGM just so you don not have to add water. You can get marine maintenance free batteries (like Deka) for much less money.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. That's why I posted, I wasn't aware of the maintenance free marine batteries but that sounds like what I should be looking at.

I am guessing Deka is a brand. Yea I'm not like Chuck whom camps on his 240SD :) I might be gone all day but never over night. That will be for my next boat.
 
Sounds like your biggest issue is keeping them charged for extended periods of none use. A good smart charger will not boil your batteries dry, however you do still need to do proper maintainance which means checking the water level.

Your current batteries may still be ok, you should take them out and have them checked at an auto parts place and see. Then get a good charger that can be permanantly mounted in the engine compartment so all you need to do is plug it in when you get home. This must be a marine type approved for mounting in the engine compartment.

I had my old charger removed and a True Charge 20amp installed about 6 years ago, best money spent on the boat. That set of batteries lasted until the first of this season. I did have to check water levels a few times during the year but seldom had to add water until last year which which was an indication they where getting near the end of their usefull lives.

Good luck.
 
I also have a 240 Sundeck and after being on this site and listening to the CSR experts on several different threads over the past couple years - I have come to the conclusion to purchase Diehards (see below) for my next batteries. Just not sure which one (PM-1 or PM-2) is best physical fit.

This is "overkill" but I try to enjoy "hassle free" boating and if I can install these and not have to worry about them for four to five years I will be thrilled. I was going through batteries every two years although I am on my third year with two "acid" batteries.

I do not have charger or any unusual loads.

Good Luck! :smt001









DieHard Marine Battery, Platinum PM-2 - Group Size 34M (with exchange)

DieHard Marine Battery, Platinum PM-1 - Group Size 31M (with exchange)
 
As I said in my original post, I will be purchasing the PRO Mariner that is on sale at West Marine (as soon as I convince them to take my coupon they sent me) It's normally $139.99 but on sale 30% off right now. That with the coupon and the reward dollars I have it's definitly time to buy one.

The battery part is only if I need to replace them again and if I do I want something that's maintenance free. My time at the boat to check on the water level in the batteries is very hit and miss I can never tell you any given day when the next time I'll be at the boat, for example I was in MN for 10 months for work so that with just not having the time to drive down to where I keep the boat it's been about a year since I've had time to do any kind of maintenace.

So in the event I do need to replace the batteries I'd like to get something that will not require me to keep an eye on the water levels.

Thanks
 
I agree with RockRanch, the Optima line is superior with sprial cell technology. Recently replaced old wet cells with the D31M AGM. maintenance batteries are just that, another thing to do if you remember. there not cheap, but there installed in all our service vehicles and all my private.
with the right charger from pro mariner you will never replace them. the marine line is designed to withstand more vibration, hold a charge and reserve power if needed.
these are rated dual purpose even though they are deep cycle and the CCA's you need will always be there for starting. i spent over a thousand dollars, but i have four, and i can assure you that batteries are one thing that will not be on my mind for another 6-8 years. well worth the money if you plan to hold and enjoy the boat. another note is to install a automatic cutoff on a critical battery to maintain it's integrity. google "Priority Start" and get the marine version.
good luck
 
Ok you battery experts. So my boat (batteries) sat about a year with no use. I finally got a chance to get away from work to check them out and according to the battery charger they are both sulfated and have about 1.5v of charge on them. I replaced them last year before I had to go away for work and now I'll have to replace them again.

I did add water to both before trying to charge but they seem pretty dead.

So my question what battery should I go with that will be maint free and won't break the bank. Also will be getting a PRO Mariner charger so I can plug them in while gone in hopes they last more then a year this time.
 
Call me crazy, but my AC Delco voyager batteries lasted me seven years and still going strong in my old boat. It was a single 350 mag with dual batteries and a battery switch. No charger, just an alternator. I stored them properly in the off season. I sold the boat this year, but in the spring I had them load tested and they still came back over the rated power output. That boat had a pretty stout stereo that drew some pretty good power too. At about $70 a piece that will probably be one of the best bang for the buck deals.

Deka Marine Master will probably be the next best choice. At around $100 a piece for a group 24, they are a great choice.
 
You likely have Starting Batteries if they won't recharge. I really think regardless of which battery you finally buy, make sure you get Deep Cycle batteries rather than Starting batteries. Deep Cycle would probably recharge even at 1.5 volts and would still be useful. There are many things to understand about batteries and I found this web site very helpful in explaining that. http://www.marine-electronics.net/techarticle/battery_faq/b_faq.htm#4

Personally, after switching to Optima AGM batteries, I wouldn't use anything other than that in the future. I bought mine from this site. http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/
 
Last edited:
You likely have Starting Batteries if they won't recharge. I really think regardless of which battery you finally buy, make sure you get Deep Cycle batteries rather than Starting batteries. Deep Cycle would probably recharge even at 1.5 volts and would still be useful. There are many things to understand about batteries and I found this web site very helpful in explaining that. http://www.marine-electronics.net/techarticle/battery_faq/b_faq.htm#4

Personally, after switching to Optima AGM batteries, I wouldn't use anything other than that in the future. I bought mine from this site. http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/

I kinda thought I needed "Starter" batteries to start the engine. I'm actually not 100% sure what they are all I know for sure is they were marine and I got them at West Marine.

So far it seems AGM might be overkill for a 240 Sundeck but I do know I'd rather have something maint. free.
 
It's battery time for me and I'm already committed to the Optima batteries, but I've been thinking about upgrading from D27M's to D31M's.
Has anyone done this upgrade on a '00 380DA? The dimensions are close but not the same, so I'm wondering what else may need upgrading to use the larger batteries (brackets, cables, charger?)

Thanks...
 
Ok you battery experts. So my boat (batteries) sat about a year with no use. I finally got a chance to get away from work to check them out and according to the battery charger they are both sulfated and have about 1.5v of charge on them. I replaced them last year before I had to go away for work and now I'll have to replace them again.

I did add water to both before trying to charge but they seem pretty dead.

So my question what battery should I go with that will be maint free and won't break the bank. Also will be getting a PRO Mariner charger so I can plug them in while gone in hopes they last more then a year this time.

I could be missing something here, but something just doesn't add up for me. If you had 2 new batteries that went dead in a year something doesn't sound right. Did I understand this correctly, you didn't use and/or charged the batteries while the boat was sitting for a year? Were the batteries disconnected?

We (the folks in the northern states) store the batteries every winter. My batteries (I always had the old fashion wet cells) have no use for about 6 months and I never had issues for years of service. I've had different brands on different boats and for the most part all were fine. I never changed a battery more than once, meaning that I get over 4yrs on a battery. I bought batteries from WM, MM and local supplyer. All were good batteries. I use dual purpous batteries. But, different boats have different configuration and in some cases (if you have dedicated house battery) you might be better off with deep cycle.

The best trick I've learned is that to prolong the life of a battery is to maintain it's charge. So, this is what I try to do the most. While off season my batteries are stored in garage on wooden planks and get charged 2-3 times between the fall and the next spring. I think I spent about $70 for decent battery charger years ago and it was best investment to keep all of my batteries healthy.
 
This weekend I installed (3) D31M's in my 320SD. The boat still has the charger it came with when new, a Intellipower Marine Charge Model PD2030. Will this charger work with these batteries? My mechanic says they will but I want a second opinion.... Please let meknow,
Thanks
 
This weekend I installed (3) D31M's in my 320SD. The boat still has the charger it came with when new, a Intellipower Marine Charge Model PD2030. Will this charger work with these batteries? My mechanic says they will but I want a second opinion.... Please let meknow,
Thanks

Your charger will be fine.
 
On my 200 Sundeck, I installed two blue top Optium from Costco. They have worked great for three years.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,943
Messages
1,422,704
Members
60,927
Latest member
Jaguar65
Back
Top