www.iFourWinns.com

Hoping for some guidance guys. I have 2009 358V. A few weeks ago I replaced my ship systems battery. Using the boat normally no problem. I come back to the boat a couple weeks later and noticed that none of my 12v systems were working. Like the battery was dead. No problem. Started up the generator (runs off of engine battery), turned on the charger and everything was fine. Used the boat all day no issues. Make a long story short. All my ship systems go dead unless I'm running the battery charger or running the engines. I thought the new battery was bad. Swapped it out for another battery. Same issue. I checked the breakers (the ones I know of), and all is ok. Anyone have an idea on what could be causing the problem? It's like the battery is completely disconnected from the boat. Could it be a bad isolator?

What is the battery voltage when you deem it to be "dead"?
Is there something that could be draining the battery in your absence?

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2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

0 volts at my panel! Completely dead unless the engines are running or the charger is on.

You forget to hook up a positive or ground? Sometimes it's easy to forget to hook on up.

Everything run off shore power okay? Maybe shore power not working? Breaker off?

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2006 Four Winns 278

Are your Refrigerators running on DC instead of AC/Shorepower (AC panel breaker switches off). Is your shore power on? Radios left on? Vacuflush cycling a lot (needing maintenance)? Bilge pump running dry somewhere? Why not leave the battery charger running while away?

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2004 Four Winns 328 Vista
1997 Larson Cabrio 290 - sold
1988 Rinker Fiesta Vee 248 - sold

If it was showing 0 volts, your battery is history & needs replacing (again).
I assume your battery isolator/s are off?
Might your hard wired components (bilge pumps) be open circuit, causing this current draw?

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2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

Your boat's electrical system is without doubt more complicated than that on my 2009 278. A time when redundancies for the workforce was a serious issue. There were severe errors in the wiring system on my boat; some by design mistakes, others from incorrectly wired modules probably bought in; like the forward bilge pump/ float switch. It could never have worked properly the way it was wired. A time of little or no QC.

The way it worked out on mine:

Forward bilge pump didn't work as it wasn't wired correctly.
Forward bilge filled with water.
Multi pin connector got soaked with shorted terminals.
Forward bilge pump and courtesy lights worked continually taking power from something else
New battery, new battery, new battery fitted by dealer etc
Eventually, the connectors in the multi pin connector corroded away.

You need to check voltage with a voltmeter at the battery.
Your saying the meter on your panel is not reading any voltage. But is your battery actually dead? Probably not.
Check your wiring at the battery.
Your charger will back feed the ships system and provide DC power (at least mine does).
Sounds like your battery is not connected properly. Or your main breaker or fuse has gone bad.

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The Dance II
2007 278 Vista
6.2L Mercruiser

The new battery was not dead. Just not feeding any of the ship systems. It was properly connected. Charger does power everything fine and so do the engine alternators when running. My best guess was a fuse or a breaker but I can't seem to find anything that's a problem. My next best guess would be the isolator is the problem but that's a wild guess. Need to go back to the boat with a volt meter and start trying to find the problem.

Boat is dry stored on a rack. The marina doesn't have an outlet to keep it plugged in. My boat has a ship systems switch that turns off everything that runs on 12v. I always leave it off. Regardless, nothing worked even with a brand new battery so it's not a voltage draw issue. It's some sort of connectivity/continuity problem.