Getting more than 2-3 years out of a battery

[MichaelD]

I've got a 2007 216(DD) Nautique, and I seem to be replacing the battery every 2-3 years. My auto battery seems to last in the 5-6 year range, but seems like I should be able to get more useage out of the boat battery.
The cost of batteries seems to go up every time I have to buy a new one.

Are other Nautique owners getting more than 2-3 years out of their battery? If so, what brand are you buying?
While nothing about owning a boat is cheap, looking for ways to save a little money if I can buy one brand over the other, etc.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

Michael

[ffmedic74]

I use DEKA gel batteries and get 5yrs. I also put them on the charger monthly in the winter too.

[core-rider]

I've had great service out if Interstate batteries. My first set lasted 7 years before one gave up so I replaced both. I'm now running 3 total (2 house, 1 starting) and installed an on-board charger so I hope to get the same life from these as well.

How are you using your batteries? Do you have a battery charger/maintainer? What brand and type are you using? Many different variables go into keeping long lasting batteries in a boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rogue14]

My boat is not nearby at the moment so I don't know what brand the battery is but it is the original in my 2007 SV211. I have just one and all it does is start the boat--no audio at all for me. I don't use a battery tender. Some years, but not all, I will charge it at the beginning of the season before I put it in the lake where it will stay until the end of the season. The last few years I've been mindful that it may not last but when it fires right up without a charge after sitting all winter, I figure it's got to be good to go for the season especially if I give it a charge before putting it in for the season. My battery is lightly used: season is only May/June until Sept. and I only average about 25 hrs/year. I don't know if that is good or bad for battery life but that's how mine gets used and it should be good to go this year for another season.

[scottb7]

Kind of curious how you know when they need replacing? What are the symptoms you are going by?

[pe4me]

Interstate-
Many times I will notice the starter will not spin the motor over quite as fast (or any other voltage drop). After charging (see if it will take a charge) and if it doesn't hold or take a charge - junk.
Never seems to be any rhyme or reason, but I know I go to a "better" brand when I need the dependability of the boat or work vehicle.

[MichaelD]

I only have 1 battery (currently an Interstate), so it is used for starting & playing tunes and running pumps when changing out skiers & riders. I don't park the boat for hours & let the boat radio run --- I generally return to the dock & run the music on a 120VAC receiver & speakers mounted to the dock.
When I winterize around Halloween, I pull the battery & store in garage on wood bench. In the winter, every other month or so, I'll put the battery on a charger for a few hours.
As far as symptoms, during the summer I'll notice weak cranks on the battery's last year of service. As of why I think I have a dead battery --- from mid-March to April 12, it dropped to 10.3V. From April 12 to April 17, it dropped to 11.0V. It won't charge above 12.0V. The boat hasn't been dropped in the water yet this year (will winter ever end), so no parasite load issues (battery in garage / boat outside) at the moment.

The boat is used almost every weekend during the summer, and sits on a covered boat lift, so I'm not running the bilge pump, etc.
I've never used a battery tender on the boat --- somewhere I read you're supposed to pull boat batteries & charge them on shore (but I have no clue why), so I don't charge the battery mid-week during the summer b/c of the hassle of pulling the battery. Maybe a battery tender for the winter months might extend the life of the battery by a year?

[DanielC]

I have a 1997 Ski Nautique, 2511 hours. It is on it's second battery, but I think it might be time to replace it this season.
Keeping the terminals, and clamps really clean will help battery life. If there is a slight resistance at the cable connections, it causes a voltage drop to the starter. It seems counterintuitive, but that causes the starter to demand more current, and that is harder on the battery. It also causes a voltage drop when the alternator is charging the battery, and the alternator, (and regulator) think the battery is fully charged, and it is not.

[scottb7]

MichaelD, that is somewhat strange. I have similar routine. I pull battery in winter mos and charge about once a month. I have never seen numbers that low either in winter or during the season. I wonder if maybe your regulator in the boats alternator is frying the batteries. Smarter people then me on this forum should be able to help more. But generally batteries should last way longer than that.

Mine generally last longer then I want them. I wish one of mine would go out so i had an excuse to replace it with one a bit higher length for more cca.

anyway, you can charge the batteries while they are in the boat hooked up (or isolated with the switch). charger will put out less amps then alternator so safe to charge in boat while hooked up.

I would also say that after having a boat with two batteries I would never go back to having just one. I am too nervous of a guy to just have one.

Also, more charging in the winter is not going to help - at least to what i read. the colder it is the less you have to charge. so since my garage is not too too cold i charge about once a month.

[ski4evr]

The key to battery life is to maintain proper electrolyte levels (use distilled water only) and to maintain proper standby voltage on the battery. A small automatic battery tender will keep the batteries fully charged and extend life. I typically get 5-7 years. At start of each season, I put a load tester on the batteries, and if one drops lower than expected, it is replaced. I run two batteries on a perko, and only use one at a time, alternating daily to the opposite battery. I have run one until the stereo died, and just switched over to backup to start, and ran both in parallel while driving and charged the dead battery back up. Also, excessive water consumption is indicative of a battery nearing end of life. I have been using the Zone duralast gold for a decade in all vehicles and have had great success.

[scottb7]

Honestly, I have not used distilled water in about 15 years. I just use tap water. Although my tap water is softened so minerals are pretty much removed.

[SkiTower]

My boat is not nearby at the moment so I don't know what brand the battery is but it is the original in my 2007 SV211. I have just one and all it does is start the boat--no audio at all for me. I don't use a battery tender. Some years, but not all, I will charge it at the beginning of the season before I put it in the lake where it will stay until the end of the season. The last few years I've been mindful that it may not last but when it fires right up without a charge after sitting all winter, I figure it's got to be good to go for the season especially if I give it a charge before putting it in for the season. My battery is lightly used: season is only May/June until Sept. and I only average about 25 hrs/year. I don't know if that is good or bad for battery life but that's how mine gets used and it should be good to go this year for another season.

almost creepy how much this describes my situation (right down to the boat). Only difference I put it on a trickle charger every couple of months during the winter.



2007 SV211 SE

[Rogue14]

Hhmmm?? Even creepier--I also tow with a (white) SuperCrew F150 (2010).

[sodbuster88]

Battery University

Tons of information out on batteries, how they work, what causes them to fail and how to keep them up. This link is pretty good.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a...teries_to_fail