BATTERIERS ARE DROWNING!

mromero · December 28, 2015, 09:16:01 PM

We recently had lots of rain and when I pulled my cover off my boat there was 3-4 inches of water in my back battery storage, gas tank compartment. ( 180FS Nitro Tracker 1995) I pulled the plug and drained it all out. I pulled the batteries and have been trying to charge them on my 2 amp trickle charger, but it is not charging. The power light on the charger is not on. I'm guessing it's just the charger? It is 5-6 years old. Any suggestions??? I also had to put water in all 3 batteries I have for my boat.

cojab · December 28, 2015, 09:46:46 PM

Glad to hear your area got some rain.
If your charger is not lighting up I would check it to see if it is working first off.
Do you have any kind of multi meter? If so next thing I would check is the voltage on the batteries. Should be around 12.3 volts or so. If low I would charge them up. Then I would load test them. Since they are out you should be able to take them to an auto parts store and they should be able to do it. Should also be able to take them to a shop and they would probably do it very cheap.
When adding water to your batteries make sure it is distilled water. Again its very inexpensive.
How old are these batteries also. It seems I was reading another thread of yours and I wasn't sure about how long your boat had sat. Might just be time to replace but lets see where the voltage and load test get you first.

Princeton_Man · December 29, 2015, 01:30:17 PM

Wow! You must have a gremlin in the hull messing with you. Were the batteries completely submerged? What about the cable connections or master switch if you have one. Depending on how long the batteries or connections were submerged, the batteries could be completely discharged due to the limited conductivity of the water. That's not good because batteries can discharge to a point that they will no longer charge. You may want to get a cheap (floating balls) battery tester from the auto parts store and test each cell of the batteries. That would be my first action.

blkfalc4 · December 29, 2015, 07:46:52 PM

5-6yrs old? For me that means time to replace, especially if they are causing charging issues.
No questions asked on that. Would really go up my a$$ if they give out when it's the best day on the lake. And that's how Murphy works. LOL

cojab · December 29, 2015, 08:13:13 PM

I took it that the charger was 5-6 years old. I would agree on the batteries, if they're that old its time to replace.

Princeton_Man · December 30, 2015, 04:57:28 AM

If the batteries are 5 or 6 years old they need to be replaced. Even if you are able to get them to charge, they will most likely let you down hard and at a bad time.

hughesjasonk · December 30, 2015, 10:38:21 AM

You were talking about that much water did you check the electrolyte level and potency?

mromero · January 01, 2016, 07:25:06 PM

Thanks Hughesjasonk. How do I check the electrolyte level and potency? In the water or in the batteries?

Princeton_Man · January 01, 2016, 08:18:34 PM

Use a battery hydrometer. Very inexpensive and available at most auto parts stores. -J

Kris · January 17, 2016, 06:47:52 PM

First off, I always store my boat with the plug out for exactly that kind of reason. As the cover ages it will still allow water in and many times the well in front of the motor stays kinda open maybe allowing water into the hull.
You had said that the power light on the charger did not light up. Was the charger in water at all? If so, you might have a DOA charger. You can try to dry out the charger and see if it will work again but if water has gotten in there I would be skeptical.
I agree with many of the others, start at the batteries. Check the fluid levels and condition of the electrolyte with a hydrometer. There are some available that are small and inexpensive. If that tests ok then start moving on to a voltage test of each battery. I would start with a low amp charge on the batteries, I use 2 amp setting, and make sure they come up to good. If you can get someone to load test them you can feel a lot safer on the water.
Good luck. Kris

Quote from: mromero on December 28, 2015, 09:16:01 PM

We recently had lots of rain and when I pulled my cover off my boat there was 3-4 inches of water in my back battery storage, gas tank compartment. ( 180FS Nitro Tracker 1995) I pulled the plug and drained it all out. I pulled the batteries and have been trying to charge them on my 2 amp trickle charger, but it is not charging. The power light on the charger is not on. I'm guessing it's just the charger? It is 5-6 years old. Any suggestions??? I also had to put water in all 3 batteries I have for my boat.