3000 SCR Battery wiring - Maxum Boat Owners Club

Kevlar7r · 10-06-2014, 03:38 PM

I have read several threads recently on battery switches, and what setting you should use... Not of it really made sense, so crawled in, took apart my panels, and traced out all the wires. The attached diagram is drawn on a paper plate, all I had around.

I have 2 switches, engine and house, 2 batteries, and 2 engines. There are 3 terminals on the back of each switch, battery 1, battery 2, and load. The starboard battery goes to the battery 1 position of the eng. Switch. The port(ish) battery goes to battery 1 on the house switch. No batteries are connected to the battery 2 terminals. They are just jumpered together.

The windless comes off load on top switch, and house loads seem to be tied to the port engine. The port engine comes from load on the bottom switch, starboard engine line comes from load on the top switch.

So, both switches need to be in position 1 all the time. Putting a switch in position 2 does nothing unless the other switch is in Both. You cannot uncouple house loads from port battery or engine.

This makes no sense to me why you would wire this way. Is this factory? Or did a previous owner mess with it? For what its worth, it did not look like anyone had opened these panels before since installed.

Okay, pictures don't seem to want to attach today. I'll keep trying.

Kevlar7r · 10-06-2014, 04:10 PM

Pictures of the back of the switches. The red wire closest to the camera in the first pic is the windlass wire. Also the top wire in the second pic. Second pic shows the jumper between battery 2 positions.

biggerseagar · 10-06-2014, 06:17 PM

Yes mine is the same way...isolaters on both and so it goes. I just never have wanted to put in the time and effort to get one battery for start both engines and then the other as a house battery like it should be. I don't know what idiot from maxum came up with this harebrain idea but they did....

Roger

Kevlar7r · 10-06-2014, 11:46 PM

That's what I was afraid of, lol.

To rewire it like I think it would be, could all be done behind the switch panel.

Would need another 4'0 jumper, move second battery to battery 2 position, add jumper between position 1 on both switches, and move engine cables to engine switch.

But, then there is the problem of house loads. I think they connect at the port starter terminal, would have to run more 4'0 up to the switch.

Started typing before I thought that all out! Lol.

biggerseagar · 10-07-2014, 01:24 AM

I have two 29 deep cycle batteries with a rating of 190 ah's each. So the only thing running on 12v is my frig when on the hook and so far it works just fine with this setup. My battery charger is a three bank so if I needed a third battery for house use at least I can charge it.

Roger

Kevlar7r · 10-07-2014, 02:56 PM

The third bank on my charger is the generator battery. Which is fine when you have shore power, but seems like you should be able to charge the generator battery with an engine as well. Maybe I need to get in there and add isolators and such....

Or just live with it and enjoy my boat! 😊