Help installing mini acr

K

Kushtaka

New member
I'm trying to get a very poor setup improved which consisted of a single battery with waaaaay too many wires attached to it.

I have the + side wired, but the - side is puzzling. It wants a bus that does not come with it. I did get a two sided bus for the gear wired straight to the battery that I'll combine with the connection to my panel and bus at the helm, but to wire the - side, I'm thinking I need something beefy.

Can someone point me toward the right bus?
 
Blue Seas also has a variety of buss bars. Before you order, make sure that the model that you want isn't also available with a protective cap like this one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O ... UTF8&psc=1

Many buss bars are available with an "optional" protective cap for a couple dollars more.

For this style buss, I fabricated my own cover out the the plastic packaging material that it came in (that clear plastic that's almost impossible to get through).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000M ... UTF8&psc=1

Nice to have all electrical connections covered up.

Mark
 
I have to work on my boat after 5pm when the stores are closed, so I try to get everything I need. I bought this bus bar before I got into the project:

https://www.bluesea.com/products/2701/D ... _5_Circuit


It's rated at 100A, but the terminals are very small for the size wire I'm connecting.

I think I need something with larger studs, maybe 3/8, as well as smaller terminals because I want to buss the various items that were wired directly to the battery into the existing panel buss, but need to attach the main ground to my engine to this buss.

Space is limited, or I'd just get two busses.
 
1/4" to 5/16 studs will probably be OK with washers--you want the two lugs to be next to each other, so they have full contact. Many batteries come with only 5/16 studs today. You don't need a cover for the negative or ground system.
 
thataway":2cq0o3uw said:
1/4" to 5/16 studs will probably be OK with washers--you want the two lugs to be next to each other, so they have full contact. Many batteries come with only 5/16 studs today. You don't need a cover for the negative or ground system.
Click to expand...

What Bob says bears repeating. Ensure the washers, if used, are under the nut (ONLY). The lugs should be in direct contact with the battery terminal, buss bar, etc. Where you have two lugs on the same stud, ensure there is NO WASHER between the lugs - again, the washers (flat and/or locking) go under the nut only.

This is because stainless steel is a relatively poor conductor of electrical current (something like 40 times worse than copper, for instance). A washer in the wrong place will act as a point of high resistance...which produces heat. Sometimes a LOT of heat.

.dave
 
I got a better buss that can accommodate both bigger cables and electronics, and found at least two wires to nowhere.

I now would like to install a switch to stop the power draw. I have an old battery on/off switch. That'll do but it's overkill. I wouldn't mind something smaller. There is a switch doing nothing on my panel for the battery. It switches between two batteries, so I'll probably have to change the switch itself for an on/off.

The last thing to do us run the starter isolation wire. I have no living clue which wire that is. Any ideas? This is a stumper.
 
Kushtaka":1pbktno7 said:
The last thing to do us run the starter isolation wire. I have no living clue which wire that is. Any ideas? This is a stumper.
Click to expand...

Hello Kush,

The "starter isolation" wire doesn't exist until you make and install it.

From Blue Sea:
Start Isolation allows temporary isolation of House loads from Engine circuit during engine cranking to protect sensitive electronics from sags and spikes
Click to expand...

It's and OPTIONAL feature of your ACR; use it if you like. I've never needed it. The instructions with your ACR kit show how to run the wire.

/dave
 
Yes, I understand that it's optional, and I have to make it. I just can't figure out where to connect it. I can't easily get a wire into my control box, but I'd suspect that I can simply run a wire to whichever existing wire connects to that third post on the switch and it would work. But which wire is it? Any clues?
 
Another way of stating that is, I'm expecting to be able to tie into a wire that is headed to my motor somewhere near the action in my starboard lazarette.

As an aside, for an added bonus, the new group 27 battery in the starboard lazarette nicely counterbalances the kicker on its new mount to port and the boat sits nice and flat in the water. Hooray!
 
I never used this feature the three installations I have done but here is the key language from the manual.

To enable start isolation:
• Connect a wire from the quick connect terminal marked SI (starting isolation) to the terminal or wire
running from the start key switch to the starter solenoid (see back for wiring diagram). This connection
can be made at the start key switch or at the starter solenoid, but must be to the line that is positive only when cranking.

Connection to a line that is positive while the engine is normally running will prevent the charging relay from working properly

I would go for a connection at the motor personally but only because it might be easier to find. You alternatively should consider opening up your control box where the key goes. Would you rather run a wire from the motor to the ACR or from the controls?

Greg
 
I guess I'd like to run a wire to the wire going between motor (Starter solenoid) and my control box. There is a bundle in there, all color coded individually, and a couple harnesses just outside my control box.

My laziest hope is that someone else who has already done this knows which wire, or harness location is the right wire for a 2003 BF90! I know, I should just go find it, but you can't blame a guy for trying to stand on someone else's shoulders, eh?

I don't have it hooked up now and it's fine. I do want to connect a switch so stop the current draw. My old setup, wonky though it was, did not draw any current when I had everything off at the panel unless the auto bilge pump came on. My boat sat in storage for four months last winter and the motor fired right up no problem this Spring with the battery connected the whole time. Now I have a system in place to improve my battery charging, but it draws a tiny bit of power in standby mode, even when switched off. Not a huge deal, but I'll probably do it... right after the first time I have a dead battery from the current draw.

So now that I have this setup (ran the boat at idle for about an hour yesterday with no fires or hot wires or components) and never one to leave well enough alone, I'm now interested in a shore power plug, and a battery charger as well as an inverter, so we can have some 110v juice inside, and charge batteries from the generator when we want to instead of running the main motor. But that is going to be a little while as I have other priorities, and already can do everything but charge at shore power now with the 110v on my EU1000, and my automotive battery charger in the port lazarette.

I appreciate the help everyone! I'd still love for someone to tell me which wire in my control box harness is the one to tie in to, but I'll find it myself if that's what I need to do.

Here are some lessons I learned installing this unit

1. The relay and switch are very small for the large wires being attached and there is very little room to get everything out. The switch is the worst with a large battery cable connected at 12:00 but exiting at 6:00 and crossing the whole thing. I ended up putting a second nut on the stud so that I could lay the terminal up on the post. I'm thinking that from the Dr. Bob advice (repeated) that this may have been a poor idea.

2. This thing cost me about $130 in extra connectors, terminal ends and wire. I overbought on the wire, but kind of need to because I'm working after the stores are closed and make mistakes. Anyway, it more than doubled the cost of the unit.

3. There are several fuses marked in the wiring diagram, but only two of them show what amperage fuse to use. There is a chart to consult, but it is not super helpful. Plus, I used way heavier wire than they required for my not so powerful alternator. It shows wire gauge for charging amps, along with fuse ratings. I don't want too big a fuse (that's what wire is!) but I don't want it blowing all the time, so if I installed with 4AWG cable, do I use the 60-65A fuses for my 45amp alternator (I think, need to check) or do I use the 90-100A fuses suggested for the thicker (but only 6AWG) wire. I used the circuit wizard on the Blue Seas website, but it is giving me a very low fuse rating of 12AWG. That seems silly, but we don't do physics calculations by guy feel, do we?

4. This thing is very cool! I just enjoy my boat more. I check my battery amps obsessively when anchored and fishing or relaxing, or whatever. It brought a small bit of anxiety to every trip where we powered off the engine. Those little moments when you think you may have drained the battery too far to start the boat that send you to the helm to check the meter, even when you have plenty of juice, kind of ruin a little part of your day. Those worries are now fading. I don't quite trust this new piece of gear yet, and I'm waiting for the electrical fire (of course my fuel line runs right in front of the thing!) but once I use it a bit, trouble free, I think I'm going to enjoy the boat more, and that' what it's all about.

Time to go fishing!!!
 
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