Phantom/ Parasitic Voltage Drain 280DA

[KHARRIMAN]

I am in the process of tracking down a voltage drain and would like to hear if anyone has found or seen anything that might be helpful. The set up:
280 DA with (3) Optima blue tops D34M- 55AH divided into two groups
(1) Stbd battery that ONLY starts the Gen and Stbd engine which maintains charge.
(2) Port batteries wired in parallel- through a battery switch with the ability to toggle through one two or both for starting the port engine and running 12v "house" accessories
With everything turned off except the master keys and the battery switches there is a slow drain on the port side. It kills my batteries in about 4 days.

The boat is trailered, and ALWAYS stored plugged into shore power with the charger on.
Checked-
-Batts are BRAND new 3mos old.
-There is voltage supplied to each of the batts from the charger 13.6v
-Fully charged batts read 13.1/12.9/13.0
-No lights are on!- I DID CHECK!
-Smartcraft and instrument panel is on Strbd side.
-The ONLY thing I can see that is on is (1) little green LED for the automatic fire extinguisher by the helm foot rest.

Is that enough to drain two batteries in three days!? -I can't imagine!
Do you think keeping the ignition energized is enough?
Any thoughts or finding would be greatly appreciated!
--Kevin

 

[melida]

"With everything turned off except the master keys and the battery switches there is a slow drain on the port side. It kills my batteries in about 4 days. "

It could be possible.

My dad has 2004 360DA(395) twin Yanmar 315. The master keys are on the main distribution panel and engine start buttons on helm like 280DA.

We had a problem similar to your's. While docked and engines are stopped but master keys turned on engine hours are increasing like engines are running and also dropping the batteries. So we turned off the keys then engine hours not increased and battery levels remained.
Hope this gives you an idea since different boats different wirings different voltages but same Searay engineering.

 

[KHARRIMAN]

Thanks!-- I'm still in process
I charge 24 hrs- turn on one thing...
Charge....tun on something else...etc..
This may take a while..:grin:

 

[melida]

Shut down everthing take the keys leave only battery charger on. when charge is finished dissassamble shore power connection wait a few days and try to start engines geny. They must start.

 

[BonBini]

Just a thought here. I don't know what you have for tools. Perhaps a clamp on amp meter may help pinpoint that pesky drain a little more acuratly. Cycling those batteries is taking life out of them too. ...Ron

 

[FireIsland1]

here is how I would go about it. off the positive terminals to the batteries that are being drained. Connect a test light fron the positive of the batteries to the teminals you just removed. If you are draining the batteries the test light will light up bright. Now to find the drain. start by shutting off dc breakers one at a time . if the light goes out you found the circuit that has the drain. If the light does not go out you must go deeper int to dc electric wiring. Start by removing plug and positive feeds on the back of electronics{ they sometimes stay powered up even youn turned off, remember your radio ] If light still does not go out unplug harness to engines . bilge pumps are direct off the batteries so unplug them. Do everything possible to get the test light to go out . this might take some time but when the light is out the drain has stopped godd luck

 

[KHARRIMAN]

Thanks FIRE!
Great Idea w/ test light!

 

[Half Off]

Just curious, why you do you leave the master keys on?

 

[Henry Boyd]

A quick check of the 280 wiring diagram shows that the extinguisher led circuit and the port engine ignition switch are on the same circuit. If the LED remains on, then the ignition circuit is still being energized. The LED should not draw enough to harm batteries, but the ignition system definitely will cause problems.

Have you noticed an increase in port engine hours? Are they more than stbd? I seem to recall a discussion recently about Smartcraft knowing when engine is running and when ignition circuit only is on. I thought the outcome was that it took a diagnostic tool to note the difference, so you should see an hour difference between engines.

Henry

 

[KHARRIMAN]

HALF- HMMM....I just always leave them on....only because it's a PITA to remember to go back and switch them on and off and have a start-up sequence that starts at the transom especially in an emergency- I want everything at the helm. And as Henry pointed out the fire supressor system is linked to the master key in case the genny decides to start something......but if that's the drain then I'll definately start turning them off.

Henry- No- I dont think that the hour meter is still counting by just leaving the keys on but I will recheck and also; when the keys are on, they are both on so maybe they're both counting up!?!?
I'm working in the boat tomorrow- thanks for some replies-- will bring test light and do some detective work!
--Kevin

 

[Half Off]

I'm pretty sure when I leave my master keys on, not only do the smartcraft gages come on but their back lights are on too. That could drain the batteries if yours does the same. Good luck with your detective work!

 

[earthmover17]

Make sure one of the batteries doesn't have a bad cell. I had 2 8d's for my port side and voltage was good but they kept draining down. Turned out one battery had a dead cell.

Jack

 

[David Morgan]

A clamp ammeter is your best bet.

 

[CIC25]

The CO detecter runs around the Bat switch also the also the Mercathod system on the I O,s. Pull the fuses on those and see what happens

 

[2000SEARAY280SS]

Test light plus one this is a low cost and effective way to see small current draws. Use it between each positive lead coming off the battery in question. I use a clamp current probe to check alternator charging primarily.

 

[KHARRIMAN]

FOUND IT!!!
For the short version scroll to the "Tid-Bits" portion at the bottom. Otherwise I will outline my process in detail with some observations for those who are interested and- like me- really don't know all that much about specific electrical in my 280 da. After this though I knew quite a bit more.

Following the suggestions in this thread got what I think is the most inportant piece- a VERY INEXPENSIVE MULTIMETER.

Turning the multimeter to the 10 amp setting I placed it in "series" to one of the "house" batteries, and confirmed that there was indeed about 1.0 amp draw. Back when I first posted I said my batteries went dead in about 4 days. 1.0 amps x 24 hrs x 4= 99 amp/hrs. My two optima blue tops are rated for 55 a/h each or 110 total.

The story takes a turn here because:
1. Without me touching anything, the amps would fluctuate between a (.86 A) and (1.04 A) draw. This indcated somthing was cycling - powering up and down- consistently. IT HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS-
What ladies and gentlemen is onboard that we rely on to always be on and taking readings or---monitoring?-------

THE DAMN CO. monitor. (on the cover it decsribes two modes- ready and "warming")
Removing the cover and unplugging the CO monitor stopped the fluctuations and left me with a current draw of a constant =0.66 Amps.
Half the battle won I returned to the transom.

With the meter still hooked up I took a VERY SMALL allen wrench and turned off one DC breaker at a time- A great way of troubleshooting any of the DC problems by isolating where I had to look.
By doing this I isolated the forward EIM as the source of the draw.

Moving forward to the EIM I disconnected the negative lead and put the meter in "series" and confirmed a 0.66A draw. Six screws hold the cover on the EIM- I removed them.

*Learning point 1= I thought the EIM was going to be more complicated and sophisticated but it really isn't. Inside it is simply a motherboard with a series of breakers attached to it. The breakers are easily removed with a rocking motion as they are held in pace -and bridge- two "slip clips".
ALSO- I thought that when a breaker tripped, a light would shine (red maybe) through those translucent covers as seen on the outside. NOT THE CASE- The breakers will "pop" and send a white stick up through those translucent cylinders like a Thanksgiving Turkey timer-Push it in to reset.

Inside(and outside) there are labeled tags for what each of the breakers controls. The draw was isolated to the breaker labeled 12v RECEPT. -------MORE BRICKS!
The glomex antenna control is hidden away behind the stove and at the back of a conpartment- mine was on:smt021- draw now=
0.64 A.
When the 12v RECEPT breaker was out, the TV and DVD player in the forward berth wouldn't turn on.

*Learning point 2- There are (2) in-line fuses- one for the TV and one for the DVD- Remove the black wooden plate(4 screws) to gain access to the in-line dvd player fuse. Using the meter to bridge the gap in the in-line fuses(still in series) Confirmed the dvd player, even while off, is drawing 0.66A. Removing and ripping apart the dvd player revealed:

A short in the faceplate-hidden behing the black plastic cover- the faceplate wouldn't turn on and the unit wouldn't load discs but it would display out to the TV. Looks like I need a new one.

I also documented some power draws just to be aware of, and have compiled them below in answer to some quetions posted earlier.


*************TID BITS************
1. CO monitor-(0.50A) Always on when the batt switches are on, can't turn off- guess this is the cost of protection?.

2. Dvd Player w/short-(0.64)- maybe someone with a little time and a multimeter can see if their dvd player draws power while off.:huh:
~~~~~~~~~End phantom drain~~~~~~~
3. Keys-(.08A) on at the master Ignition in the transom with the batt switches. And Rocker ignitions OFF.

4. Master Keys + Rocker Switches in 1st/on position=(0.9A)

5.Arch lights (2)= (2.7A)

6. LEDS I switched in for the cockpit lights (2)= (0.1A)

Conclusion-

1. The master keys can be left on with a very small amount of power drain. DO NOT LEAVE THE ROCKER SWITCHES ON!

2. Turn off the Glomex!

3. Since the TV and DVD are always "hot"- maybe I can switch them to one of the unused ACC buttons on the EIM.

4. I don't think that the smartcraft is tallying up hours while the keys are on, I left them 3-4 hours with no change.

**Hope this helps everyone in their electrical quests! Thank you all for your suggestions!- Couldn't have done it without you.
--Kevin--:smt038

 

[Lazy Daze]

F
4. I don't think that the smartcraft is tallying up hours while the keys are on, I left them 3-4 hours with no change.

I think it won't count unless the tach reaches about 400RPM.

CO Monitor: For boats that we have on the lot with batteries in them, we just unplug them. Take the cover off and look for a little quick-disconnect. You could do the same thing while you're on the trailer (if you're charger isn't plugged in). MAKE YOURSELF A NOTE AND TAPE IT TO THE IGNITION ROCKER SWITCHES.

In case you missed that, don't forget to put a reminder note for yourself somewhere blatantly obvious.

In case you missed that, don't forget to tell someone else what you've done so hopefully they remember if you don't.



I went right to the tid-bits - I was very curious to see what the problem was. I'm going back, now, to read the rest as it looks like some good information! Thanks for taking the time to post all of that! :thumbsup::smt001 Glad you found it!

 

[2000SEARAY280SS]

Great detective work and good post. Glad you found your answer.

 

[Half Off]

Kevin, thanks for posting the process you went through to find your problem.