www.iFourWinns.com

For the 2nd weekend in a row I get to the boat and as soon as I turn on the ships Systems switch, the CO detectors start chirping indicating a dead house battery. I am hoping it is just a bad battery (3rd season on a PowerMaster(?) battery), but I fear I may be "leaking" power somehow somewhere. I am far from an expert but have heard people referring to this problem. I pulled the battery today and will charge it and then wait a day or 2 on land and check to see but was wondering if anyone has has similar problems. Also, I thought it may be the bilge pump running during the week, but my understanding was that was not solely based on the 1 battery. Any advice would be great. All that aside, another great weekend on Long Island. Hope everyone enjoyed theirs.

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2005 Vista 268 "ALTEAN"

When you hook it back up, put your amp meter between the positive post and the cable. If you are pulling amps with everything off you have a drain. You can start pulling fuses until you find the circuit causing the drain then trace that circuit. Bilge pumps are famous for shorting inside and causing a drain.

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2000 268 Vista "Reely Nauti"
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rivercruiser

There are a couple of threads in VIsta on this issue. One thread addresses the problem as being a bad charger that needs replacing and the other thread's reasoning is that since the cockpit refridgerator/ice maker is where the charger gets it's power from, you have to keep the breaker in the on position all the time. I had the same problem in my 298, but since I have new batteries I haven't been able to see if Theory II is the solution.

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

How can I be pulling power if the ship systems switch is off? Doesn't that cut all power to the rest? I pulled the battery and charged it and and now am letting it sit for a few days and will read the voltage to see. Part of me is hoping for a bad battery since that would be the easiest fix.

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2005 Vista 268 "ALTEAN"

It may be worse than I thought! I removed the battery and fully charged it. Let it sit for 2 days and it was still reading about 12.9. I brought it to the boat and connected the cables, flip the ships systems switch and the damn CO detecters start chirping. Check the radio, dead, turn on the blower and hear it putter out. I connect the meter to the battery and it is still reading 12.9! I then pull the whole battery switch panel out and touch the positive to the positive connection of the meter to the back of the ships system switch and it only reads about 6. Somewhere I am losing half of the power? I did the pull every fuse test with the tester and saw no change in the draw on the meter. I am at a loss. I hope one of you guys has some advice. Thanks in advance!

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2005 Vista 268 "ALTEAN"

my first thought is "are you on the correct battery?" if so, then the only thing i can think of is a bad connection on the crimp on one end of the other of the battery cable itself.

OK, as i am typing, it could also be the ground cable on either end, with a bad connection.

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

Ok, so my problem wasn't actually solved I just bought a Honda and ignored it for the rest of last season! I am now troubleshooting again and am (again!) looking for any advice. I did a bunch of research before posting and here is what I am left with: I used a meter to go negative cable to post and determined that I was drawing power w/ everything off. It first reads-.50 and then lowers to -.12 where it basically stays. I pulled all fused and found nothing. Went for the breakers and found the culprit to be the aft bilge wiring. Here is where it gets me. I disconnected the bilge pump from the harness at the end and it still draws. I figure it may be something in the harness but tracing it is real tough since there ain't much room in the engine compartment for a guy who is 6'4"/240. Before I go ahead and possibly injure myself trying, I figured I would see if there may be a more obvious and easy to fix solution. Thanks for listening!

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2005 Vista 268 "ALTEAN"

Check your voltage both sides of the isolator. The isolator will cause a voltage drop but if it's really screwed up it could be causing a huge drop. Check your grounds, bad grounds are 90% of all 12V power problems.

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2000 268 Vista "Reely Nauti"
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rivercruiser

I believe that the same circuit also feeds the high level alarm switch (adjacent to the water heater) as well as the dash bilge pump switch. You might try isolating each of those.

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Martin
04 268 Vista - Knot Again
08 Boston Whaler 130 Sport - Double Good
Previous Boat:
97 278 Vista - Buoy Howdy

So I narrowed it down to the aft bilge pump (sort of ) and am once again stuck! If I lift the float it kicks on BUT the switch doesn't work anymore. It lights up but the pump doesn't go. The forward bilge pump work both ways. I pulled the wires from the back of the switch and jumped them together and still nothing. I found 2 ground wires connected to inlets and disconnected and sanded and reconnected. I can't see any other ground connections but like I said, I am a large man working in a tight space! I have a call into the guys who take care of my winterization/summerization to see if they have knowledge to troubleshoot. I just want to exhaust all options before having to bend over and take it from a mobile marine electronics guy.

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2005 Vista 268 "ALTEAN"

Still leaning toward a bad ground or a bad isolator. If you have a pair of jumper cables put one end on the battery ground and one on the engine. Also check the isolator if the diodes have gone keel up they could be causing a really large voltage drop.

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2000 268 Vista "Reely Nauti"
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rivercruiser

Thanks for the help. I connected jumper cables negative post to engine and put the meter in between the positive post and cable and still see the same drop. Snows -.51 then lowers to -.10 and holds. I am not exactly sure about how to check the isolator. I see 3 red cables connected to the bottom but not sure if there is a way to see if that is the problem other than buying a new one and trying? Any ideas would be helpful and greatly appreciated.

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2005 Vista 268 "ALTEAN"

Also consider that wires are made up of strands and can corrode inside the jacket. More often than not it's a bad connection somewhere, unless a cable has outward signs of damage or has been excessively twisted or turned too tightly around an obstacle. Electrical gremlins are a bitch to debug.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Use the testing for the chevy wiring
http://www.surepower.com/pdf/180012n.pdf

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2000 268 Vista "Reely Nauti"
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rivercruiser

Any update on your soluton?

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2000 268 Vista "Reely Nauti"
http://www.facebook.com/#!/rivercruiser