[660577]

I recently had some issues with my batteries and had to take them out to charge them up. I have an 18 foot Aquasport center console with 1 marine starting battery and 1 regular battery for running the electronics (just a fish finder and radio basically). I went install my batteries after charging and when I went to connect the positive terminal on the starting battery, the ground terminal was already connected, and felt a current going through my hand. The battery switch was off and no electronics were on.

I am not sure what exactly this means and what damage it could do. I assume it is a faulty ground but I can't find where it is. I am only going to have my boat in the water for another 3 weeks and I am wondering if I can't find the problem if I could still use my boat safely. Will this drain my battery? Will it cause any other problems? Is there a way to handle rig it for 3 weeks till I can get it to my mechanic?

Thanks for any help.

 

[DarthBaiter]

Did you trace the ground wire to see where it terminates? And also check the hot wire too. Sounds like maybe you rubbed it somewhere and exposed the wires...

 

[Quailoh]

Sounds to me like you were grounded. Regardless of how your battery is grounded, or not, it is perfectly normal that if you hold the positive in your hand and ground another part of your body, the current is going to flow through your body.

 

[FredyFluke]

I always connect the positive leads first.

Also I am not sure what you mean by "ground terminal"
Are you referring to the negative lead?

 

[660577]

I was referring to the negative terminal on the battery.

I did trace the ground wires. There is a small diameter one which goes to a metal plate for ground wires under the console. I think this may be for the bilge pump float switch. Then there is a larger diameter wire which grounds on the motor.

 

[FredyFluke]

longbeard1 wrote:
I was referring to the negative terminal on the battery.

I did trace the ground wires. There is a small diameter one which goes to a metal plate for ground wires under the console. I think this may be for the bilge pump float switch. Then there is a larger diameter wire which grounds on the motor.

that is your negative buss.

sounds as if it's properly connected, but cannot say for sure without seeing it.

if you felt current in your hand it is very hard to determine if that was a result of a leak somewhere or if it just bled through while you were making the connection.
if you have a 12v dc test light you can check to see if you have any shorts or bleeds in the system.
Without it and without doing some tests it is near impossible to tell if there is anything wrong with your wiring

 

[660577]

ok. Thanks for the help...

 

[CaptPaul]

Quailoh wrote:
Sounds to me like you were grounded. Regardless of how your battery is grounded, or not, it is perfectly normal that if you hold the positive in your hand and ground another part of your body, the current is going to flow through your body. Simple answer there. You have successfully tested your vessel's grounding system. If the ground of the system is tied into the bonding system, or engine block, as it should, and you were a bit damp, you provided a direct path from the positive terminal, through your hand, through the boat, back to the negative terminal.

Paul