Starting battery drain

[urbanstd]

I have a 2006 22 VE with dual batteries.
Over this past winter I noticed my 2 amp charger would take several days to recharge my start battery.
After charging, the battery would take about a week to drain back down < 10.0 volts.
I assumed that my battery was shot and started looking at replacement options.
On a whim I bought a battery load tester and pulled the battery from the boat. I charged the battery over night and then tested it.
It tests out fine with 800 CCA and 12.5 volts, at rest it is 13Volts.
I then put my digital meter in series between the positive cables and battery terminal.
I measured 3.7 amps draw on just the cable that goes to the starter solenoid.
I am now lost on where to go next. Is it my starter? The solenoid? Or something to do with the ignition switch?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I can and did turn off the master battery switch so problem is under control but, I would feel better actually fixing the draw.
Until this problem I had never used the battery switch.
Thanks in advance

[chpthril]

Start by pulling fuses and flipping breakers one at a time till the draw drops. 3.7 is a hefty draw - bilge, blower, nav lights, heater, ballast pump, etc.

[urbanstd]

Start by pulling fuses and flipping breakers one at a time till the draw drops. 3.7 is a hefty draw - bilge, blower, nav lights, heater, ballast pump, etc.

My draw is only on the start battery, my deep cycle stays charged.
Specifically only the positive cable that goes from the battery to the main switch and then to the start soleniod has the 3.7 draw.
I checked each positive cable 3 total all together than one at a time.
I did shut off the main feeds to the circuit breakers under the dash with no change shown on my digital multi meeter.
I am fairly confident in the 3.7 amp draw number.
I do know that the battery will drain down quickly in a few days so 3.7 sounds more accurate.
It may be a key switch problem but I am having a hard time figuring out how.

[chpthril]

Touch the starter/solenoid, if they are warm, then they are either shorted or the key switch is shorted. Check the bilge, I believe it's on the starting battery. Pull the main feed (a 10ga red wire) off the back of the key switch, see what happens.

[urbanstd]

Touch the starter/solenoid, if they are warm, then they are either shorted or the key switch is shorted. Check the bilge, I believe it's on the starting battery. Pull the main feed (a 10ga red wire) off the back of the key switch, see what happens.

I will give that a try in the morning. Will update if/when I find something.
Thanks

[dogbert]

If it's still the original battery, it may be time for a new battery. I've rarely had a boat battery last over 3 years.

[urbanstd]

It looks like the battery isolater is drawing .6 amps.
The battery has held a full charge with the main switch off for two weeks and delivered 800 cca at 12.4v a few minutes ago.
It is only when the switch is on that the battery discharges.
Simple fix is use the switch, but it bothers me knowing that something isn't right.
Does it bother me enough to start throwing $$$ at it?
Just to be on the safe side I will trade the deep cycle and start battery to see if the problem continues.

[urbanstd]

Something else to think about.
I changed out my deep cycle late last summer due to discharging while in storage.
Is it possible with one new and one old battery that the battery isolator is equalizing the batteries.
On my truck with dual batteries the owners manual recommends changing both batteries out if one fails do to the battery isolator and problems with batteries not playing well together.
I sent an email to Charles Industries (Isolator MFG.) will pass on what they tell me.

[chpthril]

It looks like the battery isolater is drawing .6 amps.
The battery has held a full charge with the main switch off for two weeks and delivered 800 cca at 12.4v a few minutes ago.
It is only when the switch is on that the battery discharges.
Simple fix is use the switch, but it bothers me knowing that something isn't right.
Does it bother me enough to start throwing $$$ at it?
Just to be on the safe side I will trade the deep cycle and start battery to see if the problem continues.

Your battery tester indicates the battery is good, so the draw will be there with a new battery. A battery can be bad and not take a full charge, but the current draw you are measuring on the DVOM, is not caused by the battery. The draw is caused by a load and the battery can not be the load, it's the storage device.

Something else to think about.
I changed out my deep cycle late last summer due to discharging while in storage.
Is it possible with one new and one old battery that the battery isolator is equalizing the batteries.
On my truck with dual batteries the owners manual recommends changing both batteries out if one fails do to the battery isolator and problems with batteries not playing well together.
I sent an email to Charles Industries (Isolator MFG.) will pass on what they tell me.

A bad diode can allow current to flow both directions but it's not caused by batteries of 2 different ages. If the batteries were equalizing due to a faulty Iso, I doubt it would result in a constant 3.7A draw.

Does you DVOM have a diode test setting on it? If so, test the Iso!

[urbanstd]

A late update, The yellow wire to the stereo is drawing .8 amps. If I measure voltage at the stereo it is 11.0v. I am at the point where I just shut the switch off after every outing.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

[ImaPigDog]

A late update, The yellow wire to the stereo is drawing .8 amps. If I measure voltage at the stereo it is 11.0v. I am at the point where I just shut the switch off after every outing.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

Shouldn't that be pulling from the deep cycle battery? Isn't that the reason for having the second battery to run the extra electronics without draining the starting battery?

[urbanstd]

Shouldn't that be pulling from the deep cycle battery? Isn't that the reason for having the second battery to run the extra electronics without draining the starting battery?

I believe that the yellow wire is supposed to be on the key switch with the hot wire from the starting battery (mine is). The purpose is to maintain pre sets in the stereo. .8 amps seems like a huge draw for radio memory. The yellow wire might have other purposes ? I know with it disconnected the stereo will not come on.

[ImaPigDog]

I believe that the yellow wire is supposed to be on the key switch with the hot wire from the starting battery (mine is). The purpose is to maintain pre sets in the stereo. .8 amps seems like a huge draw for radio memory. The yellow wire might have other purposes ? I know with it disconnected the stereo will not come on.

That does seem like a large draw for just presets. What source/head unit do you have? Is it a Clarion?

[urbanstd]

That does seem like a large draw for just presets. What source/head unit do you have? Is it a Clarion?

Yes it is the Clarion. With a test light placed in series with the fuse on the yellow wire you can see the current pulse. The test light will go dim then brighter almost like I was looking at a turn signal. I used jumper wires and tied the yellow wire into the red power wire and I can make the current draw go away, and the stereo will work normally. This is doing the same thing as shutting off the battery disconnect. I guess something internally in the stereo is at fault?

[chpthril]

A late update, The yellow wire to the stereo is drawing .8 amps. If I measure voltage at the stereo it is 11.0v. I am at the point where I just shut the switch off after every outing.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

I believe that the yellow wire is supposed to be on the key switch with the hot wire from the starting battery (mine is). The purpose is to maintain pre sets in the stereo. .8 amps seems like a huge draw for radio memory. The yellow wire might have other purposes ? I know with it disconnected the stereo will not come on.

In a basic sence, the radio has a relay in side for turn on. The yellow wire is the Power side of the relay, and the small red is the coil side of the relay. When you turn the key on, 12v is applied to the red wire wire, energizing the relay, the headunit now gets power from the yellow. The yellow supplies the power to run the head unit and also for the memory. .8V's sounds high for memory IMO, should be .0"X" volts IMO.

Oh, 11.0 at the head unit is eather a bad connection or a dead battery.