Boat stereo help...

[PimpinD2]

Well now that ive re-wired everything im having a weird electrical issue, so im sure it must be something in my wiring. Ive had all 3 amps in the boat before and this never happened, so unless my Alt is starting to die and act funny Im pretty sure its in the wiring.

So here is the setup, 3 amps, 2 batteries, 100amp "Battery Doctor" Isolator.

Right now I have

Starting battery - 0/1 awg positive and negative from the engine block / start to crank the boat, along with the 4awg positive and negative from the dash (power bilge, dash, lights, and ballast.

From the starting battery a positive terminal a wire runs to the "Main" connector on the Battery Doctor isolator. From "Aux" terminal on the battery doctor it goes to a 150amp breaker and then to the positive terminal on the AUX battery. The positive terminal feeds a 135amp breaker, which then feeds a distribution block, and each amp connects to that.

From the starting battery negative terminal, a wire runs to the negative terminal on the AUX battery, which then feeds the negative distribution block, and the amp negatives are fed into the distribution block.

The battery doctor also has a negative wire which is connected to the AUX batteries negative terminal

It seems that after a bit of high volume playing, the isolator goes into Charging over current mode. According to the manual this mean:

Charing-Over Current: Excessive current flowing while in charging mode. Over current can be reset by pressing the override/reset button or will automatice reset when the starting battery is below 12.8v indicating that the engine has stopped

Im not sure what is triggering this issue, im going to follow all my grounds and make sure everyhing is grounded properly, but im pretty sure it is.

I noticed this because the stereo would start to cut out at around 22 on the volume when usually it can go up to 25-27.

I took reading on both batteries, and since the isolator has stopped charging the aux battery, it was reading about 8v, while the starting battery was readying about 14 with the engine running.

Any ideas?

[Gibster786]

Your isolator seems as it has bit the dust. I would honestly get a battery switch and wire it to your battery's. There are many ways you could hook your amps up to that. Me I would run a bat switch. I have a spare perko but you can get them off ebay for about $30. I would run each positive of the batteries 1 to each of the poles. Then the common of the switch put your engine positive cable and your amp positive cable. Then run all grounds to a common ground point. Some switches have a negative point that you can hook up your grounds to.

I am a certified car audio installer(12 years in the industry) and marine certified. I also have years experience of working on centurion wake boats. I am also a 2011 Axis A22 owner. If you need a diagram I can draw one up and email it to you that is easy to read. I as a installer hate using battery isolators. With high current applications I have never used one. I know this would not isolate the main battery from the other 3 or 4 in a car; however, in a boat a bat 1 or bat 2 switch will always allow you to start your boat if one was do die.

[PimpinD2]

The issue with not using an isolator is the load on the alt. Wont the alt be charging both batteries at the same time?

It turns out I was overloading the 100amp battery doctor so i switched over to a stinger 200amp one and havent had any issues.

[Gibster786]

The battery switch would have 4 positions. Off, battery 1. Battery 2. Both.

You would only use the both selection if your batteries were both low and the switch will allow you to parallel them to get you as close to 12.6 volts.

Your amp circuit would be hooked up to your common terminal with your boat main positive. So with which ever battery you choose 1 or 2, everything will work.

Whatever number the selector is on, this is what battery it is charging. You could run the switch on both and charge both IMO it will not overload your alt.

I only run my switch on position 1. This is because it is the way I always spin the switch. I occasionally start the boat with number 2 to make sure it still has load in it. I only ever have to use my second battery when I kill the first blasting my radio within the party cove. If you figure in battery parameters and amp hrs this does take a little while to do. So if that happens i would switch it to both or just battery number 2 and start. Although some same you can not move the selector switch while engine running, you can as long as you dont pass the off selection. Your dead battery will be at about 9.5 volts anyways so it is not dead dead. It will charge right back up.

I have always hated isolators. The only time we have ever used them is if a customer in a RV wants a battery bank to run equipment and a bonified starting battery that only the RV's essential parts would run off.

[PimpinD2]

Thats the reason im running the isolator. My boat sits in the water and i wanna make sure my bilge and starter are on there own separate battery from the amps.

So far this new isolator is working great.