R29 CB Battery Replacement

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Scuba Too

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 25, 2016
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273
Fluid Motion Model
R-29 CB
Vessel Name
Blue Honu
MMSI Number
367783950
My batteries have lasted about 4 years - almost to the day lol. Both the house battery and engine battery are struggling to keep a charge so it's time to change them. I'll swap out the thruster battery as well.

Two questions:
1) How do I pull the battery "sled" out on the port side? I didn't find anything obvious fastening the board in place.
2) What are the specs for the engine battery? I was able to see the house battery label so I can find something similar but the engine battery is hidden from view. Ideally I'd like to get the replacement batteries first and then swap them out.

Thanks!
 
Scuba Too":tey0keo3 said:
My batteries have lasted about 4 years - almost to the day lol. Both the house battery and engine battery are struggling to keep a charge so it's time to change them. I'll swap out the thruster battery as well.

Two questions:
1) How do I pull the battery "sled" out on the port side? I didn't find anything obvious fastening the board in place.
2) What are the specs for the engine battery? I was able to see the house battery label so I can find something similar but the engine battery is hidden from view. Ideally I'd like to get the replacement batteries first and then swap them out.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hello,

Please see below:

1. There should be screws into the white board holding it down. If you don't see any try pulling on one of the batteries hard and see if the board frees from the floor. Sometimes the white board can get "stuck" to the hatch floor. Once loose it will slid out enough for you to disconnect and replace the batteries. Be sure to remove one terminal at a time and I recommend zip tie the connections so you don't lose one or forget one.
2. The engine battery is the same as the house battery from the factory. However, we have suggested in the past to replace the engine battery with a cranking battery. We have had great results from the Optima Yellow Top, here is a link to that specific battery:
https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/y ... ttery/d31t

Hope this all helps.

Thanks,
Kevin Lamont
 
I would go with an AGM battery from Batteries+
 
Scuba Too,

My batteries are finishing up there 6 year. (2014 R31cb) Universal Power Group G31's. Check out Northern Arizona Wind and Sun, All in for 6, UPG group 31 AGM 110 amp-hour batteries $1012.00 free shipping. Check out there website lots of good information.

Bob
 
Great info on battery change. Our 2017 r29cb, Bright Side, almost certainly needs a new engine battery and maybe more. I am really struggling to slide the sled out enough to access the batteries. I've managed about 6 inches, tried pouring soapy water under it after wedging up the stern end a little without success. Any advice on how to get it out? And how far can it come out without worrying about pulling on wiring? My calls to Ranger Tugs have uncharacteristically not been returned.
Thanks, Dean
 
if you are buying universal AGM's I recommend buying on Amazon as its free shipping and good prices.
 
For those who are replacing an engine battery, I would give a very strong second to what Kevin said above. When we first bought our boat over three years ago, we were sometimes having trouble starting the engine. We talked to the factory guys about it and they were very responsive in suggestions for troubleshooting. At one point we were about to go cruising for a couple of months to the Broughton Islands but were parked at the Kirkland docks still having engine starting issues. I talked to both Andrew and Kevin and they said, without my asking, that they were going to bring up a new battery the next day—the Optima yellow top—and replace the Universal Power Group battery. Kevin is the one who actually made the switch. Ever since then the engine has always started immediately with no hesitation.

I’m sure there are other batteries that would work also. The key is for it to be a dedicated cranking battery with enough cranking amps (the Optima is rated at 1125 cranking amps at its rated temperature, or 900 cold cranking amps) and also for it to be compatible with the charging profile of the installed UPG AGMs. The Optima is a sealed AGM even though it is a cranking battery and plays well with the other batteries on the same charging profile.

I want to add that this is just one example of how the factory has given us outstanding service and support. They have always been there for us when we needed them. Now that I am further along the learning curve I don’t need them as often, and that’s a good thing. But I know I will always get answers to my questions. In return, I try to do the research myself—on Tugnuts and elsewhere—before bugging them with another question because I know they are busy.

John
 
I was hoping someone else would reply, because I didn’t install it myself. Kevin Lamont from the factory is the one who actually crawled under there. I think there was another factory worker who also helped but I remember Kevin talking about it being difficult. I’m going to have to go back under there myself very soon and change a couple of connections. I’m imagining that the nuts may be very hard to thread back on the studs with all the existing cables and lugs. You could always attach a positive busbar to the sidewall back there somewhere with a plastic cover, and for the negative, use the grounding bus that already exists. But I’m wondering if someone knows of an extension device for the threaded terminal studs that would allow attaching extra 3/0 cables...?

John
 
West Marine sells Battery terminal adaptors. That is what I used when my new battery had different terminals.

Curt
 
Sams club has Duracell 31s AGMs made by West Penn in USA for about $180.00
I replaced all 6 in my 31. Only issue is threaded studs will not crank engine, need adaptors to automotive posts for engine, then all is fine.
Bill
 
I swapped out the batteries (details to follow) but have run into a problem. When I turn the house battery switch on in the cockpit both the house battery and engine battery go to 10.5V With just the engine battery switched on all 3 battery banks are at 10.5V. I suspect it's something to do with solar as that's common between the engine and house. One note is that the positive cable for solar to the engine battery was not originally connected. I connected it but perhaps something needs to be configured on the solar setup?

I swapped out 5 of the batteries with the original Universals and the engine battery with the Optima Blue Top D31M - same as the yellow as noted by Wee Venture but with the benefit of also having threaded posts (I have all the cables on the threaded posts).

Thanks for the help!
 
I’m trying to follow what you are seeing there. 10.5 volts would suggest a seriously discharged battery. Important to troubleshoot because if one of your new batteries is bad it could drag the others in the same bank down.

The first thing you might want to check for since you just got done installing brand new batteries with *lots* of cables being disconnected and reconnected everywhere is a loose connection (or a missing connection for that matter). It is easy to happen.

Then to troubleshoot further I would want to start isolating: first make sure your engine/house battery “combine” switch is off. Then, with shore power off, engine off and all battery switches off, what does each bank measure? If you get an identical reading on all banks of 12.75V or higher, wait a few minutes, your ACRs may still be connecting the banks. If one of your banks has been dropping to 10.5, that should show up pretty soon. I would want to use a multimeter directly on the batteries rather than relying on the boat’s built-in voltmeter.

I don’t see how your solar panel controller could be causing that kind of problem but if you suspect it, you can pretty easily take that completely out of the picture. Just find which pair of leads goes to the engine battery (they should be labeled), back off the screws holding them into the controller, pull the wires out and tape the ends (being careful not to short them). You could do the same with the leads going to the house bank if you think that will help pin it down.

If all three banks continue to hold good voltage, try turning the engine battery switch on, wait a bit and see what the readings are. If you have a clamp meter, you can test for “unauthorized drains” on the engine battery. I would do the same procedure with the thruster battery because it is easy to check and rule out. Then if your house bank voltage has been stable and not dropping while switched off, turn only the house switch on and monitor what happens. You should be able to pin down where the problem lies by being systematic.

John
 
One other thought... if someone previously disconnected the solar wiring from the engine battery, make sure the controller is correctly wired, i.e., the engine battery leads aren’t plugged into the solar panel terminals, etc., and that red goes to “+” and yellow to “-“ Not sure what a reversal would do but it can’t be good.

John
 
I suggest that you load test each battery. That way you know for sure if you have a lemon among them. You can have 12.5 volts on a battery but under load you have squat. Here is a cheap and easy to use load tester:

https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-BT-10 ... ive&sr=1-2
 
Thanks John,

I'll give your suggestions a try today. Interestingly yesterday I had checked the voltage of the house battery bank with a handheld voltmeter with the switch off and it came measured 13V. When I switched the house battery one the handheld showed the same value but the built-in voltmeter dropped about 2 volts.

The solar wire not connected was a smaller gauge wire - probably for reading the voltage on the engine battery. Also I'm the original owner : )

Eric
 
Thanks Bobby,

I'll give that a try - good idea to check the individual batteries.

Eric
 
Check your fuse holder for the remote meter on the solar. Sounds like significant resistance. Those holders tend to get a lot of corrosion build up.
 
Update:

I did a load test on the new batteries and they're all good 🙂

I ohm'd the ground between the house battery and the ground bus in the starboard locker and it measured at zero 🙂

I tried isolating by connecting only the house cable to the battery bank, leaving off the solar/charging/inverter cables. It had the same issues - the voltmeter in the cubby shows a 1.5-2 V drop for the house battery and engine battery. Also when I flush the head the voltage drops and the head controller flashes.

I talked to Kenny at the factory a bit - always available and helpful!

Next step this afternoon is checking all the breakers. Knotflying I'll be sure to check the remote meter first. Significant resistance could certainly cause some issues.

Also it turns out that the small gauge solar + cable was connected - I could see it in a photo I took.

Again thanks for all the help and suggestions!
 
Found the problem - and as many suspected it was a ground issue. The ground wire had become disconnected from the aft ACR and I had plugged it back in to the wrong post - the Start Isolation instead of Ground (the cover was on hiding the labels but of course I should have been more attentive). Funny thing was that the immediate response was that the head would flush without issue and the voltage was steady on the voltmeter (it had been fluctuating) - but it was at 10.8V. I went back another day to keep checking. I bought 25' of 18 gauge wire to check the ground around the boat against the ground buss in the starboard cockpit locker (forward and mid fuse panels primarily) and the continuity was good (zero everywhere was good - though 2 ohms on the the midship panel). I also checked all the fuses (again with the continuity function on the voltmeter - goes a lot faster that way!). After this I checked the inboard voltmeter - and it was at 12+ volts! I suspect that the 10.8V reading from before was due to latent charge build up which dissipated - perhaps through the shore power connecter when that was reconnected. Of course the bonus is that I'm much more familiar and comfortable with the electronics on the boat!
 
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