HELP! - electric draw?

[jdevoid]

2001 225 Explorer- Recently installed 2 new batteries b/c it seemed a draw had finished the batt off.  
Fast Forward 4 weeks-  (I have been giving the batt a quick charge once a week.)  
For a few days before my friday day/night trip I checked all my lights and charged the batt.  
Go to Ocean Beach, Long Island during late afternoon.
Dock the boat and hang out for a few hours(turned off battery switch)
Get back on boat starts right up but my Nav Lights quickly cut out- along with all of the panel controls. GPS, VHF and FF die out as well. BUT The Yamaha panel controls work and my volts read 12.2- 3/4 fuel etc
After  five minutes of running all panel functions return- but as we near a tricky channel section i decide to plug in the search light and Bam- panel is out again.
After 10 minutes of running slow under the almost full moon- the  Panel returns

I am at a loss as to what is up. Tonite I went on board- everything works fine- but I didn't have the search light to do a full exam

BTW- after installing the new batt- I checked every connection- like the perko batt switch and tightened and applied diaelectric grease. That includes every connection under the engine cowl.  Yesterday while heading out during the day my GPS kept turning off!!!

[bumpster]

12.2 is battery voltage NOT charging voltage. First thing I would check is your grounds. You need a meter not a test light. Test light will light at 12 volts but with thew engine running you are looking for 13+

[flounderpounder225]

check your panel feed wire, large red wire running up to the Circuit breaker/switch panel, sounds like corrosion, maybe a broken wire that is making and breaking the connection.  Not sure on your year, but there may be a large blue snap connector with the red wire, feeding your switch panel, wiggle it... saying your yamaha stuff still works, narrows it down to the main panel feed, your engine stuff is fed seperately.  
Marc

[seabob4]

Unfortunately, look for the dreaded "black" in your wiring.  Black is corrosion, and it can cause serious voltage drop from the batt and batt switch to the helm...

[John Jones]

What flounderpounder225 and seabob4 said.  Check the ground too.

You have a high resistance connection somewhere.

[jdevoid]

Ok I'll look at my wiring! My volts should read over 13 while running? (2 stroke Yamaha)

[jdevoid]

btw- I have never seen volts over 12.2 since I got the boat last Sept-2009. could it be corrision in the wiring running from battery to engine and back? or the engine itself?

[wingtime]

This one screams bad ground to me too.  I also agree with the thought that it is in your panel feed.    I'd check the voltage at the engine with it running.  You should see 13.5-14 volts if it is charging.  Also check the voltage at the Batteries and so one working your way downstream so to speak.

[bumpster]

Put a meter across the battery
anything between 13.4 and 14.3 means the motor is charging. forget what the gauge says read the battery first and work up the line. You have to be very methodical

[bumpster]

btw- I have never seen volts over 12.2 since I got the boat last Sept-2009. could it be corrision in the wiring running from battery to engine and back? or the engine itself?

when you charge it the engine cranks and starts? If it does it is most likely from the battery forward and not back towards the engines. I am pretty sure. not positive but pretty sure.LOL

[seabob4]

The dreaded "black"...

[jdevoid]

cleaned all connections and inspected everything my untrained Eye could do. Purchased a multi meter. Battery shows 12.6  the after start the battery still reads 12.6.  Someone suggested a rectifier problem or worse- a stator.  No idea

BTW- this may be an important bit of info-  when I purchased the owner reveresed the batt cables and blew the 80amp engine fuse. It started right up after replacement but a good amount of smoke came out of the battery access panel,

[bumpster]

Your engine(s) not charging. could be more but start with that first

[jdevoid]

btw- the batt reads 12.6 only b/c I charged them yesterday for 2 hrs.  I tried to mutlimeter the stator plug- (three green wires)  but i could not figure out how to do it b/c I just purchased my first multi meter.

[bumpster]

Have you put the meter across them with the engine running? If so you should read over 13. Anything over 13 is good. If you are at 12 or 12.5 your engine(s) is not charging