www.iFourWinns.com

I noticed that when we were on the hook for 10 hours on the night of the fireworks, my generator was not charging the batteries so I had to crank up my engines to charge them up again. Is this normal (I would think not) and if not, how do I correct this? Thanks.

_________________

Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Your battery charger should get 120 volt power from the generator and charge your batteries. Does your battery charger work on shore power? Your charger has a circuit breaker for the 120 volt input and a circuit breaker for each output, are they all on?

Your motors charge your batteries using an alternator, like a car. That's a seperate circuit from the battery charger.

_________________
2008 V358 Two-tone Blue V/P Dual Prop 320 HP
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

Normal practice for us when leaving the dock is to shut off all AC powered items that were running
on shore power. We do not, nor ever did have a generator, so not sure if this is what you do.
If you do, then possibly the charger breaker was shut off when leaving the dock, and thus no charge
was getting to the battery charger from the genset.

Just a thought.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

When I saw your post I thought it was an old one of mine. I've been trouble shooting the same problem off and on. I can now verify that my charger shows that it is charging the batteries when the generator is running but I did have the same situation you spoke of happen to me last year. I have not had time to replicate the problem and see if mine are now charging or not. I would have to run the battery down then run the generator for several hours to duplicate that situation. I get on the lake and doing all that takes a back seat to having fun. I'll keep you posted if I find out anything further. Like Cap'n said it could have been as simple as having the breaker off. Let's hope so.

_________________

2008 Vista 278 Volvo Penta 8.1 Gi 375 hp
1999 Horizon 220 5.7 GSi

I have shore power hook up but I don't think it has ever worked so I have always used a trickle charger. Where are these circuit breakers that you are talking about? Thanks.

_________________

Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

That is a very good idea about cutting off the AC powered items because I have not been. Where is the charger breaker? Thanks.

_________________

Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Are you serious ?? Look for the AC/DC Breaker panel in your cabin. It looks similar to this one on
a 268 Vista, but with more breakers. One of them has to be labeled "Charger"

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I just flip the main shore power breaker at the top of the panel and that should shut off all AC. My panel has a slide between the shore power and generator breakers so you can only have one or the other on. Flip the main gen breaker to on and then power the items you need with the individual breakers.

_________________

2008 Vista 278 Volvo Penta 8.1 Gi 375 hp
1999 Horizon 220 5.7 GSi

Good point. Our 268 did not have a main breaker, our Monterey does, and that is what we do now. I am not
sure how a 10 year old 298 Vista's breaker panel is set up, but I'm guessing it is like your 278 is set up.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Shoot. I was hoping you were talking about another breaker somewhere else as it is turned on in the main breaker box. Could the breaker be bad? Is there any way to tell? Thanks.

_________________

Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

I think it could be as simple as the Shorepower/Generator slider not being in the right spot.

_________________
2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

I wish. That was a pic from today and we are currently on shore power. This whole thing could be related to the fact that my shore power charger does not work. Time to call in the boat tech I guess.

_________________

Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

I take it your on board battery charger is working?

_________________
2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Yes, the trickle charger works fine. I am running around 13 AMPS (if that is what you call them). I just bought a new house battery too.

_________________

Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Just food for thought. A good freind of mine had this problem on his house boat. He did a lot of troubleshooting and didn't have much luck. He is in Pa., I am in FL. when I went to PA. on vacation we checked the speed on his generator. Speed was low, I checked one of his 120 VAC outlets with my meter measuring hertz, it was around 54hz. Tweaked the carburator till we saw 60 hz. Problem solved.

9BALL

_________________
2005 V268