Battery Electrical

[harddock]

I noticed when I hooked up my battery last week a small spark when the second cable (-)was attached. This usually indicates a draw. My ignition switch on the breaker panel was off, key out, stereo only works on on or acc. What could be the draw? Is there something hot always? Would the bige pump do it even if the auto switch wasn't activated?

1998 Ski Nautique

[Rick]

RE: Battery Electrical

Bilge pump or blower. Also maybe Perfect pass if it waqsn't setup on acc.

[DanielC]

RE: Battery Electrical

There is a breaker labeled "IGN". The light by this breaker lights only when this breaker is on, and the key is on.
I have a 1998 Ski that I am also recommissioning. I will see what it does.
On my 1997 Ski Nautique, if I leave this breaker on with everything else off, the battery seems to drain down quicker than if I turn this breaker off.
I never did check to find out why, I just made a practice of switching this breaker off when I put the boat on the trailer.

[harddock]

RE: Battery Electrical

as mentioned above the ign on the breaker panel was off. ( as were all the switches) and there is no electronic speedo/ As for the light on the ign at the breaker I wish this illuminated whenever that switch was on = key or no key. That way at the end of the day you hit the switch, light goes out and you know everything is off.

[Chexi]

RE: Battery Electrical

I would swear I've gotten some small arcs when hooking up the positive on my batteries when there was nothing on, no breakers, no switches, and the battery switch was in the off position.

[harddock]

Re: RE: Battery Electrical

I would swear I've gotten some small arcs when hooking up the positive on my batteries when there was nothing on, no breakers, no switches, and the battery switch was in the off position.

Boat is new to me and I don't want to put it at the dock if something is going to kill the battery.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: Re: RE: Battery Electrical

I think Chexi is right. I think this is a non-issue. I have sparked batteries a bunch of times connecting the cables. I always do + first, then - last.

[Chexi]

RE: Re: RE: Battery Electrical

I think you want to hook the negatives up first and the positives last. Otherwise you may accidentally ground your battery to something you don't want to and fry it. Pretty sure I read that somewhere. I'm always extra careful at any rate (after I arced a battery once with a metal wrench screwing in the binding posts and got the pants scared of me).

[DavidF]

RE: Re: RE: Battery Electrical

I have always hooked up batteries positive first (both batteries if getting a jump), then negative on source battery (not applicable with charger), then negative on dead battery somewhere as far away from battery as possible. This way, less chance of spark igniting hydrogen gas and causing an explosion.

[Chexi]

RE: Re: RE: Battery Electrical

Hmm... that is also how the instructions read for jumping a battery. Maybe I have been doing it wrong.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: Re: RE: Battery Electrical

it is defintely POS first, GRD second.

[Chexi]

RE: Re: RE: Battery Electrical

Good thing I did not kill myself!

[DanielC]

RE: Re: RE: Battery Electrical

You disconnect the negative battery terminal first, and reconnect it last to reduce the possibility of shorting the battery to ground.
This is a lot more critical in a car with grounded metal all around the battery than it is in a boat, where the battery is usually surrounded with fiberglass.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: Re: RE: Battery Electrical

Just a good practice no matter what.
I have an old Allis Chalmers D-17 tractor that is a positive ground. That thing freaks me out a little. I really don't get it it at all. Any time I mess with electrical on it, I put up a bomb shield, duck out of the way, and disconnect it blind, and fast.

[gride300]

RE: Re: RE: Battery Electrical

look at any jump box or battery maintainer and it clearly states to connect pos. first and neg. last, and to unhook neg. first and pos. last.