Which battery should i use with my kohler 5k gen?

[Beerlust]

Not sure exactly how it works but the gen battery doesn't charge off shore power? I am to understand the only way to charge the gen bat is with the gen itself.

That being said, which replacement battery is the best for a generator. Pretty sure interstate battery in there now is fried and wont hold a charge.

 

[ziekman@cox.net]

Your gen battery, like you other batteries, should get charged, via your charger, when on shore power, and your charger is on.

 

[MonacoMike]

My generator battery was wired to the third leg of my AC charger for the boat and does charge with the other batteries. Mine is isolated from everything but the generator and I treat it as my third level of redundancy if the other 2 fail to get me home, so I want the same capacity and quality the main batteries have.

There has been discussion here in the past concerning if the 5k generator has a charging source on it when it runs other than the AC charger it would power, but I don't know.

MM

 

[MonacoMike]

Your gen battery, like you other batteries, should get charged, via your charger, when on shore power, and your charger is on.

Not all generator setups do this...

MM

 

[Beerlust]

Your gen battery, like you other batteries, should get charged, via your charger, when on shore power, and your charger is on.

When starting how many bats does the gen pull from, would you say? I have four.

This may not be helpful but when i hooked up a jump pack to the gen bat it fires up quickly. Otherwise nothing.

Also, should i check to see if charger is on or is that something permanently on?

 

[MonacoMike]

When starting how many bats does the gen pull from, would you say? I have four.

This may not be helpful but when i hooked up a jump pack to the gen bat it fires up quickly. Otherwise nothing.

Also, should i check to see if charger is on or is that something permanently on?

You need to follow your wires to be certain exactly what is connected to what. What battery is connected to your generator? Does a wire from your AC charger go to that battery? Your AC charger comes on when you are plugged into AC power and the breaker is on.

MM

 

[ziekman@cox.net]

Not all generator setups do this...

MM

Interesting, didn't know that!

 

[JimT]

Not all generator setups do this...

MM

yours is not a typical setup

 

[IanBat]

My Kohler runs an N70 battery, it is not connected to the other batteries, it does not charge on Shore Power, only charges when the generator is on.

It is an original Sea Ray fit.

One of those jobs on my to do list though, to hook up charge to it on Shore power


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[my DOG HOUSE]

Weird. I just had this problem before heading off to work for two weeks. Gen was shutting down with many strange codes. I was surprised to learn (Kohler tech) that my STBD (third) battery does not receive a charge from the battery charger. Only from the STBD engine and the 5ecd transformer battery charger. Was this really Sea Rays intention? Anyway, I had replaced all 3 batteries with Optima 31M's and apparently the generator charger overloads trying to charge the blue top. I put the old Interstate back in, all is well now.

 

[JimFromMD]

Beerlust, the link below will have everything you need. If your boat is wired in the original configuration, there is no dedicated "generator battery". Our boats have 4 batteries, wired up as 2 banks (acts like two big batteries). If I remember correctly from Bills posting, the generator and starboard engine, along with all dash electronics run off the starboard bank. To charge your batteries, you need to be on shore power with "ac converter" turned on as well as the shore power switch in the cabinet.

I had group 27 size batteries originally but changed them out for group 31 and upgraded my charger to a 40Amp over the original charger to get them charged a bit faster.

Give me a call if you want.

James


http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/458-300-Sundancer-questions?p=760278#post760278

 

[bajturner]

Not sure exactly how it works but the gen battery doesn't charge off shore power? I am to understand the only way to charge the gen bat is with the gen itself.

That being said, which replacement battery is the best for a generator. Pretty sure interstate battery in there now is fried and wont hold a charge.

If you have a normal / factory setup, it works roughly like this:
- You have two banks of batteries, port and starboard, with each bank having two batteries
- Each bank can be connected and disconnected from their respective loads via the two battery switches
- Some loads cannot be disconnected (unswitched)
- The batteries can be paralleled using the emergency start momentary switch at the helm
- Here is what I believe is the breakdown of what is controlled by each battery bank:



In short: the cabin, cockpit refrigerator and port engine is on the port bank, and everything else is on the starboard bank.

The main thing I don't like about this arrangement is it's possible, even easy, to run-down both banks of batteries while at anchor. A common practice it to be on the water and be using the cabin amenities and listening to the stereo/VHF. I would prefer the starboard bank to be divided into two via a 1/2/Both switch such that one battery could be dedicated to the starting the starboard engine and generator. While at anchor you would set the switch to 1 or 2 then switch to the other battery for starting if necessary. The 1/2/Both switch in this case also determines which battery the starboard alternator charges. The AC converter/charger would charge all three banks regardless.

There is a thread dedicated to this model which will provide a lot of useful information.

 

[bajturner]

Just read through the rest of the thread...should have done that first to avoid repeating what others had already said!

 

[JimFromMD]

Just read through the rest of the thread...should have done that first to avoid repeating what others had already said!

Bajturner,
Did you post that breakdown in the 300 Sundancer Questions thread? That's the first I've seen it, not that I haven't missed a post or two . Very nicely organized though.

I agree that it would be nice to isolate one battery for generator/starb engine. That said, I have yet to run down either bank to the point of not being able to start the engines/generator. Even with both refrigerators going, along with the stereo, head/water pump, anchor light, and some cabin light usage over the course of a day/overnight on anchor. I didn't have trouble with the group 27s, and the 31s are even larger capacity. As it goes now, I run the generator for a while (hour, maybe 2) to top off the batteries, and cool down the cabin before hitting the rack for the night. I don't let the generator run while we sleep, but do have 2 12v caframo fans that move an amazing amount of air. I also try to leave the pier with the batteries fully topped off if I can, and they get a fair additional charge while under way to the anchor spot / raft-up location for the night.

 

[bajturner]

Bajturner,
Did you post that breakdown in the 300 Sundancer Questions thread? That's the first I've seen it, not that I haven't missed a post or two . Very nicely organized though.

I agree that it would be nice to isolate one battery for generator/starb engine. That said, I have yet to run down either bank to the point of not being able to start the engines/generator. Even with both refrigerators going, along with the stereo, head/water pump, anchor light, and some cabin light usage over the course of a day/overnight on anchor. I didn't have trouble with the group 27s, and the 31s are even larger capacity. As it goes now, I run the generator for a while (hour, maybe 2) to top off the batteries, and cool down the cabin before hitting the rack for the night. I don't let the generator run while we sleep, but do have 2 12v caframo fans that move an amazing amount of air. I also try to leave the pier with the batteries fully topped off if I can, and they get a fair additional charge while under way to the anchor spot / raft-up location for the night.

I did post it over there, just before posting it here...wasn't sure if I should post it twice or reference the other post. Glad it is helpful. Let me know if you see any mistakes!

My experience is the same as yours, never having run down either bank, although I have gotten port bank below 12V after about 30 hours on the hook with pretty significant usage. I have never run the starboard bank below 12.4V, even with the stereo on all day. Even at 12V, the port engine fired-up with no hesitation. I guess for me it would just be a peace of mind thing. My emergency backup plan would be to use the emergency start switch to get the generator going...I guess you would need one person at the helm holding the switch while the other hit start from the cabin.

One other option is to use the PWC battery from my dingy. It should have enough power to start the generator at least.

 

[JimFromMD]

I did post it over there, just before posting it here...wasn't sure if I should post it twice or reference the other post. Glad it is helpful. Let me know if you see any mistakes!

My experience is the same as yours, never having run down either bank, although I have gotten port bank below 12V after about 30 hours on the hook with pretty significant usage. I have never run the starboard bank below 12.4V, even with the stereo on all day. Even at 12V, the port engine fired-up with no hesitation. I guess for me it would just be a peace of mind thing. My emergency backup plan would be to use the emergency start switch to get the generator going...I guess you would need one person at the helm holding the switch while the other hit start from the cabin.

One other option is to use the PWC battery from my dingy. It should have enough power to start the generator at least.

Do you install a battery monitor.... or were you using a multimeter to get those readings? Or perhaps checking the voltage through the port/starb smartcraft gauges somehow? I always have looked at the 12v gauge in the cabin cabinet, but assumed that was an overall reading vs one bank or another.

 

[bajturner]

Do you install a battery monitor.... or were you using a multimeter to get those readings? Or perhaps checking the voltage through the port/starb smartcraft gauges somehow? I always have looked at the 12v gauge in the cabin cabinet, but assumed that was an overall reading vs one bank or another.

I sometimes turn on the ignition for each engine to get the SmartCraft reading, or just look at the analogue meter in the electrical cabinet for port, and I can look at the chartplotter diagnostics screen for starboard. The needle is pretty close to the SmartCraft digital readout, and the plotter is always identical to the SmartCraft.

 

[tbirdvet]

Your gen battery, like you other batteries, should get charged, via your charger, when on shore power, and your charger is on.

Mine was dealer installed and not hooked to the on shore battery charger. Had to get charged by the gen. The battery was the same make/model as the other boat batteries.

 

[MonacoMike]

If your boat is wired in the original configuration, there is no dedicated "generator battery".

If you have a normal / factory setup, it works roughly like this:

Part of the confusion is some were installed by Sea Ray and others by the dealer while new and their owners may think they were SR installed and I'd be shocked if all through the various models and model years if SR installed all of them the same. So is there really an "original" or "normal" setup?

MM

 

[JimFromMD]

Part of the confusion is some were installed by Sea Ray and others by the dealer while new and their owners may think they were SR installed and I'd be shocked if all through the various models and model years if SR installed all of them the same. So is there really an "original" or "normal" setup?

MM

I didn't know that the dealers did some and SR did others. I can say that the four 2002-2006 300DAs I've been on, and 2 other owners I've talked to were installed the same, by whomever. Definitely not saying there aren't alternative configurations, but so far, my experience has been that they were fairly standard unless a prior owner changed the configuration. As always on here though, individual results may vary!

I always learn something when I come to this site too.