more questions about perko

[fingerstick]

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP.I hate to kick a dead horse,but I am having issues with my perko switch as I was running in idle(no wake zone) and my engine died. I was on the starting or #1 battery so I could leave #2 for stereo.I turned off the switch,put the selector in #2 boat fired right back up.Put a meter on #1 and had 12.78 volts.Is my perko bad or bad connection? I have since went back to stock 1 battery system with no problems.Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[gcnettl]

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP.I hate to kick a dead horse,but I am having issues with my perko switch as I was running in idle(no wake zone) and my engine died. I was on the starting or #1 battery so I could leave #2 for stereo.I turned off the switch,put the selector in #2 boat fired right back up.Put a meter on #1 and had 12.78 volts.Is my perko bad or bad connection? I have since went back to stock 1 battery system with no problems.Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

So, when you are sitting I am guessing that you turn your selector switch to #2 to run your radio? And I am also guessing that after your engine died, you tried to restart but got nothing on the #1 battery? No click, no slow spin over of the engine, nothing? And then you switched to #2 and problem was solved?

Now about your perko switch. While your engine is running, you should have switched to "all". This way both batteries charge while the boat is running. If you want to sit with the engine off and play your radio, then you need to switch to the battery you want to pull from, leaving the other isolated to be sure that you have enough juice to fire up.

With you selector switched to #1, you need to test (+) from the battery to the engine block. It should read 12.78, or whatever your battery tests at. Then, you need to check the + on the starter, where the biggest red wire is, and your negative to the engine block. This should read the same as well. Finally, you should check your alternator (+), the big red wire on the back of your alternator, and ground to the block. This should read the same. You should make sure all your connections are tight, at the battery, the starter, the alternator,

[fingerstick]

thank you for your advice i will try that and get back to you.

[Dawk35]

Another question about these things, I went by to get the battery wires and all they had was 4 guage, will that work or do I need to find 2 guage wiring to install one of these switches?

[mmandley]

I cant tell the size gauge wire on my PERKO but the lines to the batteries 1 and 2 are a gauge smaller then the one that goes from the PERKO to the alternator. Im guessing the battery lines are 4 gauge and the line to the starter is 2 gauge. Since the PERKO is right next to the batteries 4 gauge should be fine. Its over distance you lose amperage so the line from the alternator, and to the starter is the important one to have 2 gauge on.