Engine trim with batteries off?

[232Grady]

I can't tell you how many times I have climbed up into my boat to turn on/off battery switches. The end result, when the batteries are off "EVERYTHING" is dissconnected from power.
To say, "that is not how Grady or my last one was wired,? I prefer, "thats what works for me! Safety and intuitive! Grady in my opinion did/does some weired wiring, not very "cruising'" friendly. Electronics need a seperate on/off switch, isolaters need to be in place, etc. Blue Seas website is your friend, for schematics and parts.

To ask is this right, what do you want? I agree the wiring job is a mess, it's not about the "direct to the batteries". Just because "that's the way we always wire them", does not make it alright. The installer was concerned about hooking up your NEW motors, not about your "whole boat".

New motors=new batteries, start and house! Don't need problems, you have to trace to old equipment. Secondary charging cables for the house & isolators, battery switch (electronics on house).

Best thing to do is make a schematic on paper for your boat, something you will understand (in emergency) and protects/isolates each individual item in the chain. Then put it in place! What makes sense to all of us depends on how WE use our boats.

Good luck, nice upgrade!

 

[Fishtales]

That's going to be a fun job. Who wires these boats?

 

[family affair]

That's going to be a fun job. Who wires these boats?

Found him!

 

[family affair]

I now need a chiropractor, but at least my bilg is more tidy and my battery switches actually turn the batteries off. Turns out my old charger was junk. In with the new.

 

[luckydude]

Nice clean bilge! I have the same brand charger, you'll be happy with Noco.

 

[family affair]

Nice clean bilge! I have the same brand charger, you'll be happy with Noco.

Thanks.
I hope the Noco works out for the long haul. Many on THT seem to have issues. I looked into the other brands recommended as being superior to the Nocos, but their ratings were worse than the Nocos - on Amazon at least. I'm hoping it was just some COVID related manufacturing issues. Time will tell. So far, so good.

 

[Peter A]

In the event of a fire I want to be able to turn everything off (except a hard-wired bilge pump).

 

[Coastboater]

Thanks.
I hope the Noco works out for the long haul. Many on THT seem to have issues. I looked into the other brands recommended as being superior to the Nocos, but their ratings were worse than the Nocos - on Amazon at least. I'm hoping it was just some COVID related manufacturing issues. Time will tell. So far, so good.

I installed a Noco Genius 5X2 on my current boat due to great performance on two previous boats. I got 5 years out of a pair of Interstate lead/acid batteries using a Noco charger and only swapped them out when I felt I was on borrowed time.

 

[family affair]

I'm in the process of "repairing" 2 of the 3 batteries. They were down on water and weren't holding a charge well. I'll be curious to see how much more life I get out of them after running "repair mode." Around these parts it isn't uncommon to get 8 or so years out of a well maintained battery. These just passed 5. #3 is brand new.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

On my new, 2023 Grady the trim does not work with the batteries turned off. Nothing works except the auto bilge.

 

[family affair]

On my new, 2023 Grady the trim does not work with the batteries turned off. Nothing works except the auto bilge.

It's all back to the way GW had it wired from the factory. Off is now off. The dealer had their reasons for not wiring it as it was. The lousy part was that they didn't have any intention of telling me that they changed it.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

It's all back to the way GW had it wired from the factory. Off is now off. The dealer had their reasons for not wiring it as it was. The lousy part was that they didn't have any intention of telling me that they changed it.

Weird....sounds like the dealership screwed it up on install, then tried to play it off like they intended to do that. By dealership, do you mean GW or the Suzuki shop? I assume with Zukes that means you have repowered your boat recently.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

View attachment 32163
I now need a chiropractor, but at least my bilg is more tidy and my battery switches actually turn the batteries off. Turns out my old charger was junk. In with the new.

I dread the day I have to pull a battery out. On my 235 the compartment is behind a tiny door on the transom. Not sure why they did that. Not a great design. Small door inconveniently placed.

 

[Sardinia306Bimini]

View attachment 32163
I now need a chiropractor, but at least my bilg is more tidy and my battery switches actually turn the batteries off. Turns out my old charger was junk. In with the new.

Frankly,
the cable mess your dealer did is absolutely horrible and i would not accept that from a Suzuki (or whatever brand) dealer, and you made it much better.
I rigged a lot of outboards, mine and client ones and i would be ashame to deliver such a mess, optically and particularly safety wise.

Not sure what you changed back, the Suzuki White Wire must go directly to the battery, the bilge pumps too, or to a direct connected always hot bus bar.
What i don't understand is why only the trim worked, except the engine cable went directly to the battery without battery switch inbetween.
I can rise the trim/tilt with key off or pulled as long battery switch is in on position and in off position the engine must be without power, except the white cable what powers the ECU. There are some lazy mechanics who connect the white cable under the cowling to the starter what can work but often create troubles as the voltage spikes when cranking let the ECU go nuts. To be honest, i had both white cables form my twin DF300AP on the out connection on the battery switch so it got power only if the battery switch was in ON position and it worked well. But if someone eperience wired error messages on the displays then the first thing to do is to hook up the white wire directly on the battery.

Good that you sorted it out and good work cleaning up the mess!

Chris

 

[family affair]

The white wire connected directly to the battery was correct from the getgo. All else needed some work, but is good now.