Golf Cart batts re-positioning & wiring diagrams

Paulus · September 30, 2012, 04:53:43 AM

Update. I put in golf cart batteries in 2004 as in the diagram by "mainsail". This was the same diagram I received from John Gardiner(Seventh Heaven) back in 2004. Followed his ideas about the size of wiring etc. This past summer was the 7th season on the batteries. We live aboard for 3 months in the North Channel. I do have a 1000 Honda as a back up. Very pleased with the setup. I also took Stu's advice to keep things simple.
Paul

Roc · October 09, 2012, 04:19:14 AM

I checked my wiring and the picture I had in my mind was incorrect. I need to switch either the pos or neg lead to an opposite corner, so the batteies are balanced, as Mainesail suggests. However, I don't think either wire is long enough to make the trip. I can either move the pos or neg cable. If I put a buss bar with a new short cable to make the run, would it matter if I do it for the pos vs. neg cable? I was thinking about using the buss bar to connect the neg cable, then run a short cable to the opposite corner for balancing. Don't know if it really matters.

Thanks....

Ron Hill · October 09, 2012, 02:27:21 PM

Roc : If you have the space a buss bar for the terminal should work.

I have a similiar problem with the negative wire balance problem, but only from the alternator. The shore power battery charge is OK so the Honda charging is also OK. I just might lengthen the alternator negative wire or not do anything as most of the longer time charging/drawing is OK.

A thought

Stu Jackson · October 09, 2012, 02:46:00 PM

Roc, consider it like holding it up a mirror - same thing, right? Not an issue.

Jack Hutteball · October 09, 2012, 03:26:55 PM

Roc, I installed a buss bar for both the pos and negative (see my posts above), that way I did not have to do anything to any of the wiring already coming to the battery compartment. I only needed short cables connecting the batteries, which you have to have anyway, plus two other short runs form the opposite terminals to the buss bars. The negative buss is a bar with 4 terminals on it, but the pos is a simple post as there are fewer cables to it.

Jack

Roc · October 10, 2012, 09:59:41 AM

Would this buss bar be sufficient, or is a more costly item needed.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=17180&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50523&subdeptNum=50549&classNum=50553

Ron Hill · October 10, 2012, 06:58:17 PM

Roc : I've made my own buss bar/common trminal out of a piece of oak and and inbedded nut and bolt. A thought

Jack Hutteball · October 12, 2012, 12:10:52 PM

Roc, that is the buss bar I used. Don't think I would ever exceed the rated capacity.
Jack

Roc · October 23, 2012, 01:09:35 PM

I plan on taking the neg wires, that are now split between the two neg battery posts, and compile them to a buss bar so I can balance the battery bank like Mainesail suggests. Right now, I have the neg wires from the battery charger, reserve battery, windlass, engine ground (and I think the last is from the water heater). These will go on the buss bar, then one big wire from the buss bar will go to the opposite neg post on the battery (opposite corner from the pos post, like the diagram). I've heard that the rule of thumb is to take the gang of wires, wrap them up, and the thickness of those wires together will dictate the gauge of the ONE wire needed to carry the load. If you gang all these wires, I'm not sure that even a 1/0 wire is big enough. I'm thinking of using maybe two smaller wires (2 wires of 1/0) that go to the buss bar to the one neg battery post. Those two wires should certainly reduce any resistance from the gang on the buss bar. Would that be kosher?

Fred Koehlmann · October 23, 2012, 02:50:15 PM

Roc, do you have a DC water heater?

mainesail · October 23, 2012, 04:00:03 PM

Quote from: Roc on October 23, 2012, 01:09:35 PM
I plan on taking the neg wires, that are now split between the two neg battery posts, and compile them to a buss bar so I can balance the battery bank like Mainesail suggests. Right now, I have the neg wires from the battery charger, reserve battery, windlass, engine ground (and I think the last is from the water heater). These will go on the buss bar, then one big wire from the buss bar will go to the opposite neg post on the battery (opposite corner from the pos post, like the diagram). I've heard that the rule of thumb is to take the gang of wires, wrap them up, and the thickness of those wires together will dictate the gauge of the ONE wire needed to carry the load. If you gang all these wires, I'm not sure that even a 1/0 wire is big enough. I'm thinking of using maybe two smaller wires (2 wires of 1/0) that go to the buss bar to the one neg battery post. Those two wires should certainly reduce any resistance from the gang on the buss bar. Would that be kosher?

Roc,

Don't know where you heard that rule of thumb but that is not how it is done. 1/0 wire should be more than adequate for your boat. Your highest load will be the starter, then the windlass and then perhaps the inverter. You'll never have all going at once because if you did the inverter would drop out on low voltage.. Early C-34's shipped from the factory with 4GA, which is undersized, but it still "works" in the most basic sense. 1/0 works a LOT better......

Roc · October 24, 2012, 04:08:51 AM

Mainesail...thanks for the advice. I'll go with the 1/0 wire....By the way, I appreciate your input to this site. It's always very informative.

Fredrick...no, I don't have a DC waterheater. I was pictureing all the neg connections on my battery in my mind and I thought of one extra that I couldn't figure out where it was from....just doing things from memory in a hastey fashion.... I have an AC water heater, OEM from the factory.

Stu Jackson · October 24, 2012, 09:03:10 AM

Quote from: Roc on October 24, 2012, 04:08:51 AM
I was pictureing all the neg connections on my battery in my mind and I thought of one extra that I couldn't figure out where it was from....just doing things from memory in a hastey fashion.... I have an AC water heater, OEM from the factory.

Roc, it could be the negative from the electrical (distribution) panel.

scotty · October 24, 2012, 10:44:26 AM

Thanks for the diagrams, they make it easy to understand. Where would the alternator be wired into this circuit? Also, where would an inverter be on this circuit? Thanks!

Roc · May 18, 2013, 06:41:52 PM

I re-positioned the wires so they now balance the batteries like Mainesail suggests. I added a neg. buss bar and ran one neg. wire to the opposite side as the picture suggests. The question I have is does it really matter which neg. post the battery temp sensor is mounted? On one neg. post, I have the large wire leading to the buss bar, along with the jumper wire. On the other neg. post, I have only the other end of the jumper wire. There is no room to put the temp sensor on the wire which has the two wires connected, so I can only fit it on the neg. post that has the one jumper wire. Should the temp sensor be mounted on the post that "balances" the batt bank (shown as GND Yes)? Or can it be on the other post (where Mainesail marked as GRN No)? Interested in any thoughts on this...

Thanks!