Low voltage alarm when trimming with motor running

Does the alternator normally supply enough voltage on my 2004 250 XS to keep the low voltage buzzer from sounding when trimming up with the engine running ? With my 1000 mca battery fully charged in the morning I dont get any buzzer when trimming.. Approx 3/4 through my tourney I start getting a buzzer when trimming up that goes away a few seconds after I stop trimming. The motor starts fine and my fishfinders don,t blink off and read over 12 volts increasing to 14 volts while running for a while. The motor trims up fine without excess noise or labouring sounds ,but , I get the buzzer while trimming up.. My battery posts are wire brushed shiny and very tight with nyloc nuts ... Where else should I look for what appers to be a faulty connection ? http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif


Modified by canadablazer at 8:47 AM 8/16/2011

I would think that the alternator should be providing enough. If it's only when you're 3/4 of the way through the tournament, it would make me think that between the draw from charging your battery and operating the trim pulls the voltage low enough to set off the alarm. After all, your battery level is probably getting low from livewell pumps.

Check the connections at the trim pump?

I just did a specific gravity test on my battery and all cells peg the guage past the green good mark... http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif

LOAD TEST THAT BATTERY to confirm it's ACTUAL capacity.

Note: 1000 MCA is the BARE MINIMUM capacity for your ENGINE ALONE. Running a battery of the capacity leaves NO RESERVE for additional electronics (pumps, livewells, graphs, or power hungry side-imaging sonar devices).

I believe you'll find that upgrading batteries will help to solve your problem- see the following post for more information on RECOMMENDED BATTERIES:

http://www.bbcboards.net/zerot...st-in

I agree that 1000 mca is the minimum requirement, but I know of lots of optis that run less battery capacity than mine... Most of them have group 27s with about 850 mca and they do fine ... My battery is a group 31 with 1000 mca and 280 mins. reserve capacity.... I never run out of power , and the motor always starts fine without the fishfinders turning off while starting or trimming... My brothers Allison, with 250 XS runs the exact same battery and even when his batteries get low enough that his fishfinders shut down when starting his buzzer does not go off when trimming with the motor running. My main question is ; should the alternator supply enough juice when the motor is running to operate the trim motor ? http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif

I had my batteries load tested on a commercial load tester and they spec out like new. The problem was ; I had my cranking battery hooked in parallel to one of my trolling motor batteries to double my cranking amps ;but ; what was happening is when my trolling motor battery got low enough it was putting a demand on my cranking battery that after startup the voltage had not recovered enough ... I have now removed the parallel connection ... http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif

Hmmm... you didn't mention a parallel connection with the trolling motor batteries, now did you? :o)

I guess I should have mentioned that but I thought having them in parallel would double my amps and eliminate the possibility of the 1000 mca not being enough and that it would not matter because it was still twelve volts.. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif ..

The battery store had these great looking Odyssey AGM group 31s with 2150 mca for $399.00 each that I will save up for ... http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by canadablazer &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">The battery store had these great looking Odyssey AGM group 31s with 2150 mca for $399.00 each that I will save up for ... http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif </td></tr></table>

WOW... that ought to run about anything you would dream of wiring to it... and leave you PLENTY of reserve! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif

I do agree that two parallel batteries has it's drawbacks... if one of them is in poor condition (or discharged)- it will "sap" the good one- rendering the "bank" of batteries perhaps weaker than one GOOD battery. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/wink.gif