1995 181 SC Contender Owners Manual - Wiring Help

[cwfrost34]

Just bought on Easter...clean boat powered by 125 mariner and 70lb 24v Minkota. Previous owner bought new batteries but hooked up parallel so it lacked significant thrust. Hooked back up serial after a few youtube videos...trolling motor really pushes now. I connected electronics to the starting battery...little concerned about it though as I dont want to leave myself stranded (only the battery maintainer and fish locators connected along with motor). Do I need a 4th battery for electronics, can I hook up the electronics to one of the DC serial batteries, or am I good with electronics on the starting battery. Forgot to mention...I do have what looks like an older Promariner 15-3 3 bank battery charger hooked up to each battery...but not getting a light on it when plugged in...so not sure if its working.
Also, after the wiring adjustment, I am left with a red 4ish guage wire coming from a solenoid...which was connected to a positive post on one of the trolling motor batteries....really not sure where to hook it up to or what is actually for. Has a same guage orange wire with inline fuse coming from the front connected to the other side of the solenoid. Will send pix if that helps.
Not a wiring expert. Thanks for helping guys.
Chris

[Tx Champ]

OK, good that you got the trolling motors in series. Give us a run down on what your electronics are. Unless you have a lot going on, you don't really need a dedicated battery for them. You do want to run them off the cranking battery. You said all the batteries are new? What sizes are they? I'd recommend a group 27 min for your cranking and minimum group 24s for the trolling motor. Post pictures of your batteries, charger and the "solenoid" thingy you described. If you can't post them here, you can email to me at txchamp@suddenlink.net.

[cwfrost34]

TX Champ...thanks for your response and assistance. I attached pix, but here is the explanation too. Starting battery is a 24 MS3 Locaters are a Lowrance Elite 9FS and Hook Reveal 7 and has a maintainer connection. Trolling Batteries are 27 Deep Cycle. I took the boat out today and it pushed hard...so seems to be working the way it should. One picture shows the starting battery and promariner maintainer, one picture shows the trolling batteries side by side One picture shows the power cutoff key to the right, solenoid thingy in the middle and battery charger to the left. Its a 3 bank and each are hooked up to a battery separately. The orange wire looks to have an inline fuse and is connected to the right side and a starting cable gauge red wire thats now unhooked and pictured attached to the left side. It was hooked up one of the trolling batteries positive posts before. Had no idea where to hook it...and nothing seems to be affected...so wondering if was old wiring???? Any help is greatly appreciated. LMK any other questions I can answer. Chris

[Tx Champ]

Chris, I had to look those batteries up as I had never seen them before. The brand is sold through Tractor Supply and possibly other sources. The trollers are deep cycle, and I assume the cranking battery is as well, but I can't see the model of it. No more than you have going on with the boat, the group 24 will probably be plenty to run your electronics in addition to the other housekeeping duties since it's new. When it gets to needing replacing, I'd recommend upping it to a group 27 as well. The battery charger looks like the one I put in the 1990 176 I had back in the early 90s. I can't find anything on it on the web, but one way to see if it's charging is to check the battery voltage static and then again on charge. The batteries should be somewhere around 12.5-13v static and then 14v or a little better when charging. If they don't seem to be charging, I think there is a fuse behind the plate where the charger AC cord comes out.

The solenoid ... I have no idea what that is for. It is not factory but apparently powered whatever is at the end of that orange wire that goes through the bulkhead. Personally, I'd pull it all out. If that orange wire is connected to something useful, I'd find another way to power it. Same goes for the key switch to the right of the tank in the 4th picture, it was added by a previous owner. Reckon it might have activated that solenoid? It's missing a wire on the control tap. Where does that brown wire connected to the solenoid go?

Here is a picture of the tank compartment of the 93 201 I had so you can see how the battery setup was. The two trolling batteries are against the bulkhead with the charger in between them. The cranking battery is to the right in the notch in the tank and the oil tank for the outboard is on the left. I'd also get some trays for the batteries so you can strap them down.

93 battery compartment-1.jpg

Don't hesitate to holler if you need anything else. I have some wiring diagrams for 95 model boats if you're interested in a copy, drop me your email in a PM and I'll send you copies.

[cwfrost34]

Texas..thanks for thorough break down. Yes..they are from Tractor Supply or Rural King up here. The starting battery is a model 24MS3, so I believe it to be a marine starting battery. No acting up over the last couple days of use. Duly noted on the upgrade in size/series if this one starts acting up. Never want to be stranded, so will surely upgrade.

Regarding the cuttoff/power switch, noting as not original. There are three wires to the switch...one heavy gauge on one post to the battery, one heavy gauge on the other post to the motor and a thin wire going to the front/console to give it power to the switchboard when turned on. To run the aerator, lights, and bilge...it also powers the bow switchboard (lights and trim/tilt). Nothing is powered when the battery compartment key is turned off.

There is also a ground/black wire coming from the somewhere up front, I havent sorted out either. Its thin wire, so will fish it out too. Wondering if its the ground to the front switches as it seems to come from the front. If so, what do I ground it to?. Will update after I sort it out.

Regarding the solenoid, I will try to trace the orange wire and see where it goes and what it might have powered. It is heavier gauge, so I thought maybe an old starting setup. If the solenoid isnt original and isnt hooked to anything, I will get rid of it and clean the compartment up and properly label it. Thanks for the picture of your compartment as it gives me a better idea of what to do.

The brown wire wasnt hooked up to anything, so not sure about what it powered (bilge maybe) comes off that solenoid, so guessing it had power when the solenoid had power. Once i sort out the orange...i will make the solenoid go away.

Thanks for the testing process on the maintainer. Will test it tomorrow...to see if it truly is working or not. No light comes on the maintainer, so it may be time for an upgrade anyways. Any recommendations on a new one? For the record, I plugged it in last night and had no power issues today, so thinking it does work. The light doesnt come on, so makes me wonder if it got cross wired and either blew an internal fuse or killed it. I have used the boat with heavy trolling 2 days in a row.

Thanks also for the battery compartment picture and recommendation for battery trays, that definitely all needs to be secure back there. Thanks for all your help. Here is my email address cwfrost342@gmail.com. Please send the wiring diagram and I will sort it all out.

Thanks again. Chris

[Tx Champ]

I know that some outboards will pull some current (very minute) even with the ignition switch off. I think the Mariner EFIs fall into that category. My 93 had a Mariner 200 EFI (Magnum?) I think would do that, but I had the charger on a timer, so it got some charge every day. The console power runs through the power switch at the console, so not really any reason for it to run through a second switch.

I've got a Pro Mariner Sportsman (I believe) that I pulled off of my 07 210 and replaced with one that would charge the batteries overnight for tournament fishing. I've got it in storage and would have to get some details on it but would let it go for about $75 if you would be interested in it. It's a 3-bank smart charger and I want to say 15A between the three.

95 Schematics are headed your way!

[cwfrost34]

I responded with an email. Thanks for the schematic. Explains most everything...not so much the solenoid...but the reason for the orange wire. Is a 3 pair system for the 3 prong connecter up front. Both red and orange are 30a fused. 12v trolling system is supposed to use the red, 24v uses the orange. In my case, it should be the orange and black I will confirm how the front looks after taking the console off.

The cutoff key kills all power to the boat...except charging system. I have tested that. Factory or not...it does seem to work. That small red wire off the cutoff switch seems to be the power...but havent confirmed. Doesnt seem to make sense, but does keep from leaving anything on by accident when hitting the cutoff switch. I really do appreciate all the help.

If you can do $75 shipped on the charger...I am all in. Can paypal, venmo, cashapp or zelle. LMK and I will send loot and addy to send.

Thanks for all of your help and will keep you posted.

[Tx Champ]

... If you can do $75 shipped on the charger...I am all in. Can paypal, venmo, cashapp or zelle. LMK and I will send loot and addy to send.

Chris,

Sorry, I can't let it go for that and include shipping. I verified and it is a ProTournament 150.

https://cxjdfr.files.cmp.optimizely....09963765a7063f

[cwfrost34]

Texas,

Thanks for reply back. I understand and respect that. I will keep it in mind and reach back to you. I appreciate all of your help and support regardless.

Chris