X20 Battery Question

[Mstone9942]

Ok so Im trying to avoid my batterys draining once one the lake. As of now the way its hooked up is the following:
First all I have the circular switch battery 1 both battery 2 then off at bottom. On battery 1 I have a black wire thats running to the fuse box for the amp/speaker/radio, red wire is ran to the circular battery switch. Battery 2 I have black wire running to engine it looks like along with big red wire that also runs to engine. The odd thing is there is also a red wire running from battery 2 to the fuse amp/speaker/radio.

I would think the red wire running to fuse amp/speaker/radio on battery 2 would actually need to be ran to battery 1 since the black wire that goes to amp/speaker/radio is on battery 1. However, the radio will only come on when the red is also on battery 2 with the main red wire that goes to engine. Needless to say I dont think these are connected right and dont want to get on lake and batterys go dead

I was told when driving the boat always run them on both. When stopped run just one of the batterys for your radio so you always have another battery ready to pull from when set back to both when you are ready to drive again.

Please help! Any info would be great. I want to avoid my last trip last time I took it out and batterys died. I had to jump it off with power battery pack but even then after going down river for 20 minutes or so it would only go about half throttle around 25 mph. Trying to prepare myself for this weekend so bad stuff I can avoid doesnt happen. Thanks in advance

 

[cycleguy88]

you should have each battery going to their respective post on the switch, and then from the switch "common" post you'll have a wire that goes to the fuses/radio/amps/ect...

The only wires going to your batteries should be the cable going to the switch and the wires that run the bilge pump. So, battery one: 2 guage to post "1" on switch. Battery 2: 2 gauge to post "2" on switch. Ground wire from battery 1 to battery 2 ground (jumper wire). 2/4/8 gauge wire from "common" post on switch to everything else. This will keep you from running them both at once unless you have the switch set to "all". Make sense?

 

[Mstone9942]

this post doesnt make sense now rereading it so ha. Thanks

 

[Mstone9942]

Let me try this again. I just looked at another post from a forum. It shows a red wire from switch 1 and 2 going to battery 1 and 2. It then shows the main big red wire from the engine running to the 'both". The black ground wire from the engine goes to battery 1. Then you connect another blk wire to same post on battery 1 and run it to battery 2 (jumper).

That makes perfect sense. Now I just need more clarification on the radio amp wires. If I have it set up that way shouldnt I just run the radio wires blk and red to one of the batterys? That way the radio pulls from just one battery?

 

[cycleguy88]

No. You want the radio/ amps wired to the common post on the switch. That way you'll be in control of what battery is running. What if you're running the boat on 1 with the stereo pulling from 2. Then you stop the engine and switch to 2 only. Now 2 is already been used while running.

 

[Coastiejoe]

This link provides various ways to hook up the switch based on two engines, one engine, ect ect,,,,

http://marinemechanic.com/site/page21.html

 

[RFoster130]

No. You want the radio/ amps wired to the common post on the switch. That way you'll be in control of what battery is running. What if you're running the boat on 1 with the stereo pulling from 2. Then you stop the engine and switch to 2 only. Now 2 is already been used while running.

He is totally correct. You should have anything you wanted powered, hooked to that common post on the switch. That way you control how it is powered. If you hook stuff straight to the battery, that switch is useless.

 

[RFoster130]

See if my little drawing makes sense to ya. LOL

 

[Mstone9942]

Got it! Last few questions.... Say I get everything just like diagram above. Now I assume I always run the boat on the "BOTH" switch. Now what about when Im shored up just listening to music? Wouldnt I just want to pull from one of the batterys to make sure I dont drain both of them? Last thing will my radio still work with the key out and on off? I would think leaving it turned to on would drain the battery that much more.

Sorry for the questions guys. Thanks for being patient just want to make sure I got everything straight before ruining a day on the water

Thanks for the picture haha! Leaves no doubt. I think I need the book boating for dummies

 

[cycleguy88]

You'd just run the boat on battery one and switch to battery 2 while parked. That way you're always charging battery one and you just plug it in and charge battery two at home. These charging systems won't charge two batteries at once, they aren't that strong. Key out and off will turn off your stereo since they are wired to the ignition. Turn the motor off and leave the key turned to acc, like in a car. No worries bout the questions. That's what the forum is for.

 

[Mstone9942]

Thanks man! Much appreciated. Im not sure how battery 1 charges without running but you know better than me. So your saying I really dont need to ever have it turned to the "BOTH" position right? Battery 1 for running it and Battery 2 for parked with radio

 

[RFoster130]

It will chhrge whichever battery the switch is set to. So if you have it on battery 1, that is whats charging. Set it to 2 and thats what is charging. On both, they both charge. What i normally do is start it and run it on battery 1. Then when I am going to sit anchored for a while i switch to battery 2. Then it is only draining battery 2....leaving battery 1 fully charged. When it is time to go, switch it back to battery 1. Once the boat is up and running, i switch it to both, and then it charges both. I used my other boat 4 years like that and never had a problem.

 

[RFoster130]

Also, i run another wire from the common post directly to power the head unit. That way i never have to leave the lanyard on the post. Im not sure about the newer 4 stroke boats, but im pretty sure on the older 2 stroke, as long a the lanyard was on the post, the boat was accumulating hours of use. No need to rack up hours when in reality the motor isnt even running.

Of course, i know nothing about the mercury powered boats, so results may very.

 

[Mstone9942]

Yeah the x20 doesn't have a hour display so no worries there. Thanks for all the info man. Just hope I can sort out the wires etc. Hopefully I can figure out how to take off face of switch to see which wires are what. May have to take some snap shots along the way if I get confused so hang tight haha! Thanks again

 

[RFoster130]

Yeah the x20 doesn't have a hour display so no worries there. Thanks for all the info man. Just hope I can sort out the wires etc. Hopefully I can figure out how to take off face of switch to see which wires are what. May have to take some snap shots along the way if I get confused so hang tight haha! Thanks again

My 98 and 04 don't have the display either. Just because there isnt a display, doesn't meant its not counting. A simple hookup to a computer or buds scanner gives you the readout. Low hours helps a lot on resale in my opinion.

 

[cycleguy88]

Mine doesn't rack up hours if the motor isn't running.

 

[Mstone9942]

Ok so much more to it like I figured. Ok so i got the "Both" connected straight to the engine. There is two blk ground wires running from another place on the engine to each of the batteries. I am assuming since the diagram says all goes to "both" from engine that I run one of them to back of the "both" switch along with the main power red wire and the red wire from the amp/radio.

 

[Mstone9942]

Here is main red wire ran to engine and you can see these two black ones I have hand on.

 

[Mstone9942]

Ok here is one other thing. This wire has been spliced into the main red wire running to switch 2. The other picture of small black wire is the other end and was connected to the battery as well serving as another ground maybe?? The only other thing beside the spliced in part are all those connectors with end caps on them hanging. Not sure what purpose they serve

 

[RFoster130]

Ok so much more to it like I figured. Ok so i got the "Both" connected straight to the engine. There is two blk ground wires running from another place on the engine to each of the batteries. I am assuming since the diagram says all goes to "both" from engine that I run one of them to back of the "both" switch along with the main power red wire and the red wire from the amp/radio.

Part of the problem here is you need to get your terminology correct and truely understand the point of all the components. The common post on the battery switch is what i think you keep referring to as "both". It has nothing to do with running both batteries together. That post is just the common post.......everything you want to get power when the switch is on, needs to go there. Then the 1 and 2 post on the switch should not have anything except the wire from the battery. Im not sure about the other wires you are talking about....sounds like someone has already done a hack job. Typicall anything black should go to a ground, unless some hack job mechanic worked on it.

 

[cycleguy88]

If you're sure they are not ground wires, then put them to the common post. The only wires you want to the positive side of the batteries is the wire going to the switch and the bilge pump.

 

[Mstone9942]

Yes hack job is what came to my mind as well. My terminology "Both" has been used because that's what the switch says. Your saying when the switch is in that position it isn't running both battery's? I understand the diagram from last page. I understand that all power needs to go to the "Both" "Common" switch. The diagram however doesn't mention a ground going to the engine only a red power wire. Hence the issue.

 

[Mstone9942]

If you're sure they are not ground wires, then put them to the common post. The only wires you want to the positive side of the batteries is the wire going to the switch and the bilge pump.

The two black wires in the picture from last page is/was used as ground wires. One to each battery then another small black wire that is spliced into the red power wire going into battery 2 switch.

I assume the small pump on bottom flooring below engine is my bilge pump? Maybe that's what's been spliced in. I honestly don't know what it could be Got confused because from the diagram it shows only two grounds. One running from the radio/amp fuse to battery 1 and the other used as the jumper to battery 2.

I'm sorry for the confusion. I feel like this is a cluster @&$@& job and now I'm having to deal with it.

A more simple question would be. Where else do I need a ground wire? Does the red power wire from engine not also need a ground? Guys I'm sorry for any frustration. I do appreciate everything

 

[cycleguy88]

There's a few grounds but I'm not sure where they all come from. The "both" does run both batteries but the post on the back is referred to as "common". The diagram only shows power wires cause that's all the switch deals with. No ground go to the switch.

 

[cycleguy88]

You're making it harder then it needs to be. If it is a power wire, other than the bilge, then it runs to the common post. All grounds go to the negative battery terminals.