Battery charging circuit
Hello All
I have a 1994 Maxum SR2000 with the 4.3 mercruiser I/O. I seem to have a charging issue with the battery. I have almost no electronics on board, and use the battery only for starting the engine and keeping it running (if it even needs it to stay running?) It’s a carbureted engine, with a single battery. The dash volt meter shows about 12 v when the ignition switch is turned to accessory. While running the boat on the water, its around 11 volts, sometimes less. I had a brand new battery last season, and seems to have died in 1 year. I have a battery tender on it regularly but it never seems to get the “green light” indicating its fully charged.
Sometimes the volt meter would read at 13v while running (which I would expect in a healthy charging circuit) but recently has been running at 11 volts. I just replaced the battery and volt meter shows same 11v while running. When I turn on an electrical load (blower, nav lights, etc) the volt meter drops as expected so it seems like its working.
Any suggestion on common items to check or replace? The alternator seems tricky to “test” from what I can find but maybe its going bad and I should just replace it. Other solenoids or things that are common issues in this charging circuit?
Appreciate any help or guidance, as electrical troubleshooting is not my strong suit but an usually work it out with some direction.
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