On-Board Charger Problem UPDATED WITH DIAGRAM

[Basskicker]

Last week I bought two new optima dual purpose batteries and the 2 Bank 10/10 Bass pro charger ONLY for my trolling motor. So I installed the charger and batteries in the back of my boat.....plugged it in and it topped off both batteries.....green light came on (fully charged/float). Good to go.

 

So off I went fishing this weekend....came home plugged in the charger and the green light (fully charged/float) came on....uh?? Impossible...I used my trolling motor for several hours...how can it still show as being fully charged/float?

 

So off I went to my neighbor and he came over with a Nautilus charger and when we hooked up the battery that was used (only 1) it shows 35% on his charger.....I don't understand.......

 

Why does it show as being fully charged on my new on-board charger.....it originally worked fine..charged both batteries fully. Weird..... any ideas or suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

Jason

 

 

Sorry I took so long to get back to you guys.....thanks for all the help. I was busy all night packing for my trip up North on thursday. Unfortunately I had to remove all my batteries from boat (taking my buddies boat) so what ever we figure out...will have to wait until I get back from my trip.

 

If I purchased JUMPER cables to connect both batteries will it work?

And YES the plan was to manually switch over the trolling battery cables once the first battery was completed drained.

Thanks for all your help.

Jason

Edited May 21, 2008 by Basskicker

[Terry]

well you didn't give enough info but

 

is your batteries in series or parallel and 12v or 24v trolling motor

[Basskicker]

It is a 12V Minn Kota Maximum. Not sure if it in series or parallel, but it is a 2 bank charger. One set of cables goes directly to only one battery (positive/negative) terminals. And the other set of cables goes directly to the other battery (positive/negative) terminals. The batteries are separate from one another...not connected to each other in any way.....I hope that made sense. I should have paid more attention in science class!!!

[Terry]

yup I figured

 

most two bank chargers can't charge to batteries in parallel

try disconnecting one lead to the second battery and you will be able to use the charger or only hook up one at a time

the both charger banks are seeing both batteries to the current from the second bank tells the first bank the battery has lots of juice

 

hope I said it in a way that makes sense...

[Basskicker]

Thanks....for the info...I think I know what you mean.

 

Jason

[misfish]

Yep what Terry said.

Two bank will work if you were to run the 12,s seperate.

Or you were wired up for a 24 volt troller.

[sonny]

I think he's got it right guys,,,i'v just installed mine a couple weeks ago and thats exactly how ya hook it up except for one small detail,,on mine you have to hook up (and it clearly states) one of the leads to the cranking battery,,,,so one of the leads goes to the cranking battery and one goes to the trolling motor battery!,,,hope this helps

[Fisherman]

yup I figured

 

most two bank chargers can't charge to batteries in parallel

try disconnecting one lead to the second battery and you will be able to use the charger or only hook up one at a time

the both charger banks are seeing both batteries to the current from the second bank tells the first bank the battery has lots of juice

 

hope I said it in a way that makes sense...

Terry, this does not make sense, if he has the batteries separate, not connected in any way other than with the 2 bank charger, why is the charger on bank one seeing both batteries. Each bank should charge separately for the needs of each battery. Makes no sense you have to disconnect one battery and charge one at a time, defeats the purpose of having a 2 bank charger.

[Terry]

ok, maybe I read it wrong

 

but where did he say he disconnected everything

an on board charger is made so you don't have to disconnect anything

 

my answers were based on everything being connected and in parallel, so one wire need to be removed for the charger to work

 

now if he did say he removed all wires from the batteries then you are correct

[misfish]

If he is running 2 12,s for a 12 volt motor, then you would think he is running them parrell.That is what I read aswell.

[HTHM]

Darn it! we need Irishfield!

[Fisherman]

Okay, maybe I've read something wrong in his second post where he says " One set of cables goes directly to only one battery (positive/negative) terminals. And the other set of cables goes directly to the other battery (positive/negative) terminals. The batteries are separate from one another...not connected to each other in any way.....I hope that made sense. I should have paid more attention in science class!!!" So I would "assume" that he uses one battery for a while and then physically switches the alligator clips on the trolling motor to the second battery. Maybe a bad assumption.

[Fisherman]

ok, maybe I read it wrong

my answers were based on everything being connected and in parallel, so one wire need to be removed for the charger to work

/quote]

If his batteries indeed were in parallel then both batteries would have been depleted equally.

[Terry]

the batteries are only for the 12v trolling motor

 

for that to work they must be in parallel

but you are right his second post does imply that they are in no way connected, but they must be, he is wrong in some of his explanations

 

he needs to explain more

[Fisherman]

Stay tuned for more...

[Jigatollah]

It doesn't matter if the batteries are connected in series or parallel as long as one set of charger leads connect to one battery and the other set of leads connect to the other battery. You're putting a charge into the batteries. When connected they will let the combined voltage out. Clean all connections and try re installing them to see if it still does the same. If it does, take a volt meter and when pugged in to charge, check the output to see if there is power being supplied.

[Terry]

I dissagree

I have seen many times if you have 2 chargers both charging the same batteries , they shut each other off because the current is enough to make each charger think the battery is fully charged.

[Fisherman]

So off I went to my neighbor and he came over with a Nautilus charger and when we hooked up the battery that was used (only 1) it shows 35% on his charger.....I don't understand.......

Thanks

Jason

Well he did say he only used one battery, therefore they were not used in parallel or series.

[Guest lundboy]

The Minn Kota on-boards will charge in parallel or series, and does work I've used it on both hookups. Part of the problem maybe that that Optima batteries are Orbital AGMs which have some specific charging requirements which most battery chargers can't deliver. If the battery charger has a switch mode for AGM you should use this setting. It will change the charging pattern which is best suited to an AGM battery's requirements.

 

I have a pair of Exide Orbital's and they work great. I have a Minn Kota Dual bank charger with AGM setting, and I also have a CT Nautilus portable Inteligent charger which also has the AGM setting.

 

Other than that when I got these batteries, I called Exide and the tech there specifically recommended charging these batteries in 2 amp mode if there is no AGM setting on the charger, and never charge using more than 10 amps at a time or over charge them or they will be permanently damaged.

 

Here is a link with AGM charging specifics:

http://www.bitwrangler.com/wt/lv-ab-agm.html

 

To keep your warranty, I would call Optima and find out what they say about charging.

Edited May 21, 2008 by lundboy

[Basskicker]

Now updated.....weird stuff....yet probably so simple . I'm going to call Bass Pro this morning to ask as well.

Thanks

Jason

[legacey]

I had this same problem 2 weeks ago, with a BPS 3 bank charger. I had a local marine company install it for me along wtih a new trolling motor. I'm pretty much stupid with these things but now realize, so was the marine company.

 

For 2 weekends in a row, when charging, only the lights that you indicated displayed.

 

The problem, as you've all indicated, is that the battery it was getting it's load read (charge) wasn't being used by the trolling motor so would always indicate it was ready or "go fish".

 

Once it was reconnected, I finally got the "charge" light to display.

 

I'm sorry I can't tell you what is incorrect but BPS will more than likely say the same.

 

Good luck.

[Basskicker]

I had this same problem 2 weeks ago, with a BPS 3 bank charger. I had a local marine company install it for me along wtih a new trolling motor. I'm pretty much stupid with these things but now realize, so was the marine company.

 

For 2 weekends in a row, when charging, only the lights that you indicated displayed.

 

The problem, as you've all indicated, is that the battery it was getting it's load read (charge) wasn't being used by the trolling motor so would always indicate it was ready or "go fish".

 

Once it was reconnected, I finally got the "charge" light to display.

 

I'm sorry I can't tell you what is incorrect but BPS will more than likely say the same.

 

Good luck.

 

Sorry for my ignorance....but what exactly do you mean by "Once it was reconnected, I finally got the "charge" light to display"

Thanks Jason

 

That's is exactly the same situation that I am facing.

Edited May 21, 2008 by Basskicker

[bucktail]

The Minn Kota on-boards will charge in parallel or series, and does work I've used it on both hookups. Part of the problem maybe that that Optima batteries are Orbital AGMs which have some specific charging requirements which most battery chargers can't deliver. If the battery charger has a switch mode for AGM you should use this setting. It will change the charging pattern which is best suited to an AGM battery's requirements.

 

"I have a pair of Exide Orbital's and they work great. I have a Minn Kota Dual bank charger with AGM setting, and I also have a CT Nautilus portable Inteligent charger which also has the AGM setting.

 

Other than that when I got these batteries, I called Exide and the tech there specifically recommended charging these batteries in 2 amp mode if there is no AGM setting on the charger, and never charge using more than 10 amps at a time or over charge them or they will be permanently damaged.

 

Here is a link with AGM charging specifics:

http://www.bitwrangler.com/wt/lv-ab-agm.html

 

To keep your warranty, I would call Optima and find out what they say about charging."

 

 

 

 

LUnd boy!! T

 

Thanks a million for the info, i just got 2 optima's and got less than a days fishng out of them because I used my minnkota onboard.

 

I was worried that something was wrong, I will use my other charger on them till I get a new onboard.

 

This explains alot!

 

 

Tjhanks

 

 

darren

Edited May 21, 2008 by bucktail

[legacey]

Sorry Bass Kicker.

 

I had a friend drop by and when he looked at it, the only battery that was being read was the main battery; not at all the 2 aux batteries. It took him less than 5 minutes to re-connect everything that the marine place tried to charge me $75 to do.

 

A wire was not connected so the charge never did work on the other 2 and my main batter was fully charged. Otherwise, only the power, float and go fish indicator displayed. The only time too, I would see the charge light go on was when I was starting up the motor (main) and only for a brief second, when the charger was connected to charge the batteries. Far shot I'm sure but maybe try to over-turn the main motor quickly and see if yours too will display the charge light. Maybe not a good suggestion and I'm sure someone else here can tell you if that's a bad idea.

 

Once the wires were re-connected properly, the charge light indicator would go on and finally make the charge.

 

I'd suspect that with yours too, it's reading only 1 battery and the one that's not being used by the trolling motor.

 

I sure wish I could tell you how but as I said, I'm stupid with such things but would bet it's the same problem.

 

Maybe take all the connectors off and start new?

 

Cheers

[legacey]

I just had another thought too......are they all the same battery type?

 

By chance, you don't have 1 deep cycle, 1 regular or 1 acid and 1 gel?

 

Cheers