battery selector issue 3100SCR - Maxum Boat Owners Club

cjc357 · 08-31-2015, 06:51 PM

2002 3100SCR

I have 2 batteries runing in parallel in battery position #2 and a single battery in battery #1 position.

I have 2 battery selector switches. House (1,2,both,off) and Engines (1,2,both,off)

I removed battery # 1 today for replacement. With battery # 1 unhooked/removed, I found that my house electronics still worked no matter what position the house selector switch was in, with the exception of "off"

--Shore power was unhooked..

Anyone have any similar findings on their boats?

shrew · 09-01-2015, 01:52 PM

It depends on how the Starting side is wired. I suspect it is to a single pole (either Batt#1 or Batt#2) and is acting as a simple ON/OFF isolator. You can run pole #2 on the house bank to Pole #2 on the Starter. This way when both are at #2 you're actually starting the engine with the house bank.

House Switch: Batt #1 to the Batt #1 position. Batt #2 to the Batt #2 position.

Start: Batt#1 to the Batt# pos.

remove the switch and look at the back of the switch to see which positive leads are connected to which poles.

cjc357 · 09-02-2015, 02:41 AM

Thank you for the reply.. I didnt have a chance to take it apart yet but I did do some further testing.. The battery selector switch for the engines (1 switch controls both engines) does work properly.. Battery #1 disconnected, and switch to #1, I get no beep/tone or engine start.. Switch to #2 and I get tone/start..

So the engine switch is wired correctly, just the house switch is not. Ill explore further..

cjc357 · 05-01-2016, 09:46 PM

Any one else experiencing this. The wires are really hard to trace back.. The boat came with two 27 size batteries run in parallel as battery #2, and one 24 size as battery #1.. Which is considered or should I be using as my starter battery?

mmwjr · 05-01-2016, 10:11 PM

The single battery is the starting battery while the two in parallel are house power.

cjc357 · 05-01-2016, 10:31 PM

Thank you for the response.. Thats what I have thought, but I have also been told the opposite. I would think that the two 27s run in parallel would be for the extra amperage for house stuff.

mmwjr · 05-02-2016, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjc357

Thank you for the response.. Thats what I have thought, but I have also been told the opposite. I would think that the two 27s run in parallel would be for the extra amperage for house stuff.

Exactly

Oscar Tango · 04-04-2017, 12:48 AM

I think I have the same problem, and am extremely frustrated when anchored and the house kills all the batteries and I'm be dead in the water. I can't even start the generator (do you have one)? How did you end up wiring to fix the problem?

mmwjr · 04-04-2017, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oscar Tango

I think I have the same problem, and am extremely frustrated when anchored and the house kills all the batteries and I'm be dead in the water. I can't even start the generator (do you have one)? How did you end up wiring to fix the problem?

When at anchor have you tried switching the starting battery off to prevent it from being run down? If this works a isolator should help. Are your house batteries in a separate switch and if so what position is it in?

cjc357 · 04-04-2017, 01:16 PM

Hi guys, no I never really looked into this further. To recap, my boat has two battery selector switches and three batteries. Two 27 size run in parallel and one single 24.

The two selector switches, one is for starting/engines, and you can select the 24, or the (2) 27's or both.. Then I have a "house" switch which offers the same selections.

Problem I have is no matter what you change the "house" switch to, all batteries are being used. I have tested this by removing the (2) 27 batteries and setting the house switch to any setting (but off) and I still have house power..

I was told it could be a bad switch, but never really investigated further. Any thoughts.

shrew · 04-04-2017, 01:39 PM

Your Group 24 should be for the generator. The group 27's are for starting and house. Each group 27 should start an individual Engine. You should absolutely be isolating your generator battery. The idea is, even if both group 27's are dead, you should be able to start your generator and recharge, or push the battery charger with enough to start the engines.

Personally, I don't like this set-up. Id' prefer a completely separate house battery, like a large Group 31 for the house. You should never be in a situation where all batteries are dead.

Also, look at amperage draw. turn down the fridge, regulate stereo usage, etc. Finally, how old are the batteries? Old batteries don't charge fully, and total amperage discharged is the symptom.

cjc357 · 04-04-2017, 02:01 PM

Thanks for the reply shrew . This is not accurate for my setup as I do not have a generator, and the (2) 27s are run in parallel hence they can not be isolated from each other.

Basically think of it like this.. I have (1) 24 battery and (1) 27 battery.. Really there is (2) 27, but since run in parallel its really 1 battery just double the amperage.

I have two switches. One for house and one for engines.. I should be able to set the engines to either the 24, 27 or both or off.. And same for the house switch.

The engine switch properly isolates and properly selects between the 24 or the 27.. The house switch for whatever reason, no matter what you set it to, draws from all.

This is a STOCK maxum setup for this boat when a gen. was not included from the factory. I have seen my year 2002 boat twice before and the setup was the same as well as it is shown this way in my manuals.

mmwjr · 04-04-2017, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjc357

Hi guys, no I never really looked into this further. To recap, my boat has two battery selector switches and three batteries. Two 27 size run in parallel and one single 24.

The two selector switches, one is for starting/engines, and you can select the 24, or the (2) 27's or both.. Then I have a "house" switch which offers the same selections.

Problem I have is no matter what you change the "house" switch to, all batteries are being used. I have tested this by removing the (2) 27 batteries and setting the house switch to any setting (but off) and I still have house power..

I was told it could be a bad switch, but never really investigated further. Any thoughts.

With both switches in the off position do you still have power? If so then I would suspect a bad switch.

cjc357 · 04-04-2017, 05:19 PM

I think with both to off, everything is off.. The problem I have is if house is to 1,2, or both.. Both batteries are being used no matter which setting.. Both meaning the (1) 24 and 27s

Oscar Tango · 04-04-2017, 06:23 PM

I do have the generator, but am also having the same problem as cjc357. The engine battery switch has to be on both for both engines to crank. And no matter what position the house battery switch is on, the house always has power. The only thing that works correctly is when both engine and house battery switches are off, nothing has power.

The maxum manual is confusing, for normal operation it recommends the house battery switch set to #1, and the engine battery switch set to #2. But in the wiring diagram it refers to a port engine battery and a starboard engine battery.

I am more so confused how three batteries are supposed to tie into two battery switches, and even more so confused that there are only two red cables (there should be four if each switch has four positions).

Surprisingly google offers no help, I'm hoping to eventually find someone with a 3100scr that can take a photo of their batteries...

cjc357 · 04-04-2017, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oscar Tango

I am more so confused how three batteries are supposed to tie into two battery switches, and even more so confused that there are only two red cables (there should be four if each switch has four positions).

If two of your batteries are set up line my 2 27's.. Consider them 1 battery with double the amperage. When you run two batteries in parallel, its like you are making one bigger battery in theory. So technically yes I have 3 batteries, but as far as my switching only have position 1 and 2 (or both) that is to be expected, again as the 2 27s run in parallel are really just one big battery.

I personally think the wiring is screwed up from the factory. due to the position of the switches, its a lot of work to run it down and try to figure it out.

Oscar Tango · 04-04-2017, 09:11 PM

Yes I understand what you are saying for the two batteries wired together. That aside - I only have two red cables, one going to each of the batteries; assuming one is for the house switch, and the other is the engine switch. So how can the switch work correctly with the three positions (1,2,both) if there's only one cable going to one battery?

cjc357 · 04-04-2017, 09:48 PM

I understand what you are saying. Mine is the same way. and that is correct. each battery (keep in mind what I explained earlier about the 2 27s) has one red hot lead coming off it. It feeds one switch. That switch has "outputs" to the engines. Then that switch just jumpers the hot leads off the batteries to the house switch, which feeds the house.

So really, the two hot leads off the batteries are feeding both switches, they are just jumpered.

mmwjr · 04-05-2017, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjc357

I think with both to off, everything is off.. The problem I have is if house is to 1,2, or both.. Both batteries are being used no matter which setting.. Both meaning the (1) 24 and 27s

And what position the the starting battery switch set too.

shrew · 04-05-2017, 04:45 PM

OK, this is why hijacking threads is frowned upon. We have two guys with two setups. a reply to one becomes confused.

Oscar Tango, please start your own thread.