X2 battery Relocation

[venetrex]

I have a 2007 X-2 and decided that I did not like the battery setup. Apparently in 2008 or 2009 dual batteries became standard and was done in a neat, trick way. I took it one step further and moved both batteries to behind the rear panels where the ballasy pumps are. They fit, but the panel it at a slight angle as opposed to being perfectly perpendicular. Whatever I use those rear compartments for ballasy anyway. My boat only had a single battey and then 4 wires to each post, dumb, dumb, dumb. 1 wire to front harness, 1 wire to amps, 1 wire to ballast and one wire to engine. Here's a list of what is needed, makes you kinda understand why msrp goes up every year on our boats.

60 ft 0 awg copper wire to feed batteries
100 ft 4 awg copper wire for amps, jumpers and acr(automatic charging relay) connections
10 0 awg lugs
20 4 awg lugs
6 2 awg lugs
1 hydraulic crimper 00-10 gauge
1 blue sea 7610 ACR
1 blue sea 8686 battery switch panel with 24 hour circuits
5 80 amp car stereo fuse holders and fuses
2 blue sea marine terminal blocks with covers
100 ft 1/2 inch wire loom
50 ft 1.25 inch wire loom
1 24 series battery box
Stainless Steel screws
cable ties with screw hole
heat srink tubing 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch
noalox gel for connections,available at home depot, prevents corrosion
20 ft of 12 gauge wire for bilge pumps and starting isolation circuits
10 12 awg lugs
1 15 amp waterproof fuse holder, for acr
1 20 amp onboard charger, optional
1 red 5/16 terminal lug
1 black 5/16 terminal lug
1 package of battery terminal covers, rubber

As you can see, alot of material is needed. I am not quite finished. I am going to take some photos of what this looks like this weekend. But I wanted to start the writeup.
I wanted to move the batteries to the back so I can use that storage under the seats where the stock batteries are for waterskiis, etc.
I had to rotozip the hdpe on the left rear panel and move the ballast timers to the rear hatch compartment, my switch is under the seat. Stock location on 08-newer boats.
Before I continue, does anyone care about doing this?? This is going to be alot of typing and photos......

[Shaun315]

I am thinking about doing something very similar w/ my '06 X10, very interested in seeing your pics/write up. Who knows, it may even inspire a few others to do the same.

Thanks in advance!

[venetrex]

Here is what the switch looks like, except i turned it on its side.

[venetrex]

Here is a lousy pic of the passenger side panel with the battey behind it. N ot sure if you can even see the angle, I didn't have a flash for this pic

[venetrex]

This is pretty much how I wired it, from blue seas site, I cannot take the crdit for this diagram, but it gives you an idea. A few differences, Both of my negatives from the batteries go to a negative distribution bus. Also the alternator is tied into the starting wire of the battey switch. More photos to come once I get down to the boat.

[5280Hawk]

That diagram show an alternator wire going to the battery, do you have that?

My 02 XSTAR only has 1 pos. wire, and the ground coming from the engine, and I believe the alternator is connected through the starter. Just wondering, because Im in the middle of buying all the components for a Dual battery system, using a perko switch.

[rgardjr1]

I'd love to see some pictures of this. I'm adding an on-board charger to my dual battery setup, but nowhere near your project. Does the factory put the dual batteries under the observer's seat in the '08-'09 boats?

[Shaun315]

I was going to go with the blueseas switch as well, but switch out the 24 hour thermal circuit breakers with 15A switch breakers (like the main DC house voltage). That way I can flip them and not worry about the bilge or radio draining the batteries when the boat is in storage. I've seen a few posts where the switch is off and the batteries are still drained, like the post Turbosdad put up few weeks back.

[Witness140]

Ron, do I have to come by tomorrow with my digital camera? :)

The factory puts the dual batts haphazardly under the observer seating in the 08/09 boats, to answer someone's questions. I say haphazardly just because to me - they seem like they are just sitting in random spots on the floor, with covers that don't exactly fit. In an odd place - it does cut off the 'flow' between the cooler bench compartment and observer seat compartment. Just not very tidy, or well thought out, imho.

[JohnE]

Definitely worth posting the photos and details of this project.

[TomB]

I have an 07 X2 with a single battery and would like to relocate and install dual. I truly would appreciate any photos and issues you run across. At this point, I'm not clear on why you relocated the ballast timers, as mine are under the rear seat and not near the rear. Thanks for starting the thread!

[Thrall]

I'm in the process of adding a 2nd battery to my 06.
Rather than relocate them rear ward, I just moved the orig start battery about 6" back, box is almost tight to the cooler. House battery is right in front of that. There's room for 2 batteries perfectly in line where the orig one was. I mounted 2 sets of dist blocks right under the observer seat in the Right rear corner of the compartment.(May fab up a little carpeted panel to cover the dist blocks, but they're all protected with plastic caps anyway.) 1 for start battery loads, 1 for house loads, just the amps. Didn't have to modify the wiring going to the dash power, cut a little off the ballast wiring to clean it up. Shortened the +/- leads comig from the engine to match up with the dist block and made short, dedicated leads to each battery from the dist blocks with a neg jumper lead between the 2 neg dist blocks. Took less than 15' of 1/0 wire, calcs worked for 2ga at these lenghts and draws, but bigger is better right?:D
Will link the 2 batteries for charging with a relay/isolator only.

[venetrex]

Here is the first set from last night, I hope to go do more today. This first set is how the crimps come out from the hydraulic crimping tool.

[venetrex]

The first shot is of the battery box in the drivers rear compartment, I still have to mount the box. I am going to use 2 long ss screws though the bottom to a pice of HDPE that is down there, this way I dont screw it to the ballast tank, that would be bad. I am also going to make a bracket out of ss that will bolt to one of the rear lifting eyes. More pics once I get to that part. Edit, the first shot is actually the wire run next to the engine from the rear compartment. The second shot is the actual switch and the onboard charger mounted next to it. Battery box pics are not going from my camera to computer. I'll take more later.

[venetrex]

Here is a couple of shots of the back side of the switch, this is not complete yet. It is quite busy back there. More explanaion on what is going on back there later.

[venetrex]

The main battery feeds that go to the engine are 2 gauge and run up to the stock battery location. Also there is a 40 amp breaker up there with another set of leads that runs to the dash harness. I cut back the engine wires so I could tie them into my new switch and ground bus. I used the extra wire I cut off to extend power from the switch in the back to the dash harness. All I needed was a black and red single terminal lug to do this. And obviously I crimped on two lugs on the ends I cut off. The starting isolation ciruit was real easy. I tied in a 12 gauge power wire to the starter signal wire, at the starter and ran to the si post of the blue sea relay. The bilges, I saw another thread with people inquiring about this are not done, but I traced the wiring and its fairly easy as well. I am running a 12 gauge wire from the 24hr ciruit to the always on lead of the bilge pump. Mastercraft was nice enough to put a plug inline to the pump in the rear. Once I figure out which wire is constant on, I just got my 2nd battery I'll post which terminal. I am going to cap off feed from dash harness to bilge pump and tie in my own new feed there. The front pump I haven't looked at how I am running the wire yet. Too much loom all over the boat. I should take a picture of the mess. I also added heated deats too so there is more wiring drilling involved. For the memory, I know that I am definately running a wire from the mem breaker to the radio memory, but do I need one for the medallion? I can't remember if I have a clock in that setup. Then the mounting of the rear boxes, there was a gap from the bottom of the battery box to the HDPE next to the ballast tank that a 3 inch screw just misses. I need to put a block there. Lucky for me I cut out a chunk to mount the switch. More to come. I am off on friday and hope to accomplish a lot then,