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We’ve never had an issue with power assist steering and our two battery set up. However, I know 1-2 other members have. I am not sure what specifically is at issues for the few that do vs the majority that don’t: is it battery brand and type? Specifics of how their system is wired compared to others? Specifics of the needs of their motor or other electrical system demands? Just really unsure. Just know it’s not typically, but also not unheard of either.

Knock on wood our system has been good in this regard on our 2017.
 
One battery was dead and needed to be replaced but this is affecting the power steering? Somebody, Potomac I think, suggested an isolator for the battery? I'll have to see if I can find what he said. I don't understand why one of the batteries was dead
 
Vikingstaff said:
We’ve never had an issue with power assist steering and our two battery set up. However, I know 1-2 other members have. I am not sure what specifically is at issues for the few that do vs the majority that don’t: is it battery brand and type? Specifics of how their system is wired compared to others? Specifics of the needs of their motor or other electrical system demands? Just really unsure. Just know it’s not typically, but also not unheard of either.

Knock on wood our system has been good in this regard on our 2017.
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I think it was how it was wired....I can't remember
 
CLDave said:
Another reason to run on 1+2, in addition to keeping your batteries charged, is on some large-motor setups the power steering seems to have an issue keeping up while using only one battery. My neighbor has a QX with a 450R Merc and his steering was whiny and acting funny until he switched to 1+2 at the recommendation of the dealer. I've always kept my boat at 1+2 while running and have never had a problem with the steering. Hope this helps!
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This is the battery problem your dealer referenced. 1+2 should hopefully fix. (@Julianna)
 
Julianna said:
Dealership just called and said the power steering was a battery issue. They are trying to figure it out. Are all Benny's with two batteries having a power steering issue?
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Sorry Julianna - meant to reply in line. 1+2 seems to fix the power steering issue, at least with high-HP Mercs.
 
CLDave said:
Sorry Julianna - meant to reply in line. 1+2 seems to fix the power steering issue, at least with high-HP Mercs.
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No, I understood what you meant lol. Mechanic hasn't replied yet to "your guys" suggestion. First though, I had to approve a new battery for $340.00. I guess that is a dime in the bucket compared to what we paid for these beasts. Shouldn't be my dime though...oh well
 
Here is the contact number for Bennington. 888 906 2628
 
From what I'm reading if the P/S is a Mercury pump (as opposed to Seastar) they can draw some high current, get hot, gum up the hyrdro oil etc. Therefore you should have bigger or AGM batts to handle the load, and consider how the P/S is wired. If it's direct wired to your house, but you start and run around on your crank eventually the house battery will drop voltage and your pump cuts out. Switching to 1+2 temporarily solves the problem because now the voltage is increased due to the crank battery being added and you're charging both when running.

If you wire direct to your crank battery then you run into the same issue when you start on House and run it to recharge. That's where and combiner/isolator can help. But if you have small lead batts I would try upgrading those first.
 
ok thank you Potomac! That is the response I was looking for. I do know it is a Seastar. I will chat with the dealership/mechanic tomorrow and find out more detail.
Could the hydraulic fluid back up into the engine and flow out the exhaust port? It definitely was not oil but some kind of fluid was spilling into the water. Neither the oil or hydraulic fluid had changed in levels.
 
And speaking batteries, we have very specific (dare I say incredibly overpriced) Mercury Verado Pro recommended batteries in ours. So I am not sure what role that plays in us not having issues, along with us almost always running on 1+2 per our dealer/service centers recommendation since new.
 
SUPERCHARGERCHARGE-AIR COOLERSBOOST BYPASS Mercury Racing applies its supercharging expertise to extract incredible power from the 4.6-liter V8. A 2.4-liter belt-driven twin-screw supercharger delivers pressurized ambient air to the intake tract with no lag for instant throttle response. The supercharger is water-cooled to reduce the temperature of the intake charge and increase power. Twin charge-air coolers engineered by Mercury Racing reduce the temperature of the compressed intake charge with minimal airflow restriction. A boost bypass valve automatically adjusts maximum boost pressure to maintain peak performance in response to changing ambient conditions. A custom-designed attenuatoris tuned to cancel the harshest high-frequency supercharger noise while retaining a stirring high-performance sound.To better manage engine heat the Mercury Racing 450R is fitted with a special high-capacity oil cooler and an exclusive poppet valve in the midsection to provide a higher volume of cooling-water flow on-demand. The valve train featuresa high-performance intake camshaft and race-spec Inconel exhaust valves. The wide-open throttle (WOT) operating range is extended to 5800-6400 rpm to expand propping options and maximize performance. The result is 450 peak horsepower delivered reliably on 89 octane (95 RON) pump fuel.

POWER STEERINGMercury Racing power steering offers confident ease of controlat all speeds. The 115 amp alternator is a match for extreme audio systems and power-hungry electronics. Idle charge battery-management automatically increases engine idle rpm to boost alternator output, ensuring batteries are always charged to the proper level. The supercharged powerhead fitsunder the standard slim-line 4.6-liter V8 cowl for seamless original-equipment and repower-ready installations on multiengine transoms.

I copied this from Mercury Racing dot com. Possibly the poppet valve from the oil cooler is responsible for the fluid leaking from the exhaust port.
 
Julianna said:
ok thank you Potomac! That is the response I was looking for. I do know it is a Seastar. I will chat with the dealership/mechanic tomorrow and find out more detail.
Could the hydraulic fluid back up into the engine and flow out the exhaust port? It definitely was not oil but some kind of fluid was spilling into the water. Neither the oil or hydraulic fluid had changed in levels.
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I'm not a Merc guy so not sure - the exhaust on a Yamaha passes through the oil pan so sometimes they get corrosion and oil does go out the exhaust. But your Merc should be under warranty, no? I wouldn't mess around with it - probably innocuous but if it ends up being a much more serious issue you don't want to give them reason to deny a claim.
 
Thanks guys I appreciate your imput! I am the type of gal that likes to know, and try to understand, how things work and why. I will call him this am and see what he, the mechanic, is thinking. Have a great day all
 
Since I purchased the Mercury Platinum warranty when I got my Verado I called Mercury to verify that the dealer was installing the correct batteries . If the wrong batteries are installed on a new boat ,that is a dealer issue .
 
Yes Jack, I have the warranty also. Now why would he charge me for the cost of the battery? Guess it would be hard to prove that I didn't let the battery run down for a long period of time. I always checked, and double checked, that I turned the batteries off. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say.
 
Jack M said:
Since I purchased the Mercury Platinum warranty when I got my Verado I called Mercury to verify that the dealer was installing the correct batteries . If the wrong batteries are installed on a new boat ,that is a dealer issue .
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I like the way you think Jack! He called me back and said that Mercury doesn't consider the battery as an accessory. Since he is not a Bennington dealer, but a Mercury dealer, he told me I would have to call Bennington to file a claim. He also said there is an open circuit on the battery and that is why it is drained. He told me all I would have to do is make sure both batteries are on when we are out.
I texted him to tell me what batteries are on the boat and which battery he is using to replace the other one. I can't find it anywhere in my paperwork what kind they are. Hopefully I will find out that information later today.
So why would the master switch have to be off when starting the boat? I thought the master switch was there in case we need to stop the engine, for whatever reason, and turn the batteries on?
 
Are you asking about the helm master switch or the Perko switch near batteries? If helm master switch, I just think of it as sequence. Nothing’s on when starting the motor (including the helm master switch), so all power is on the motor starting. Once that’s in operation, and consequently the alternator doing its thing, then other items and accessories can be flipped on, so turn on the master switch, pop on the radio, etc… The helm master switch is a short cut to help stop battery drain by basically cutting most all electronics off from a parasitic battery draw when not using the boat while the Perko switch is still in 1, 2 or 1+2 battery position. It is not intended as an emergency stop engine and turn batteries on item.

And yeah, battery wouldn’t be part of any motor warranty issue, so steering you back towards the dealer and/or Bennington makes sense on that one. Isn’t your boat new, like a 2024? If so, and if you have a bad battery out of the gate, I think that is a legitimate warranty inquiry. Batteries fall outside of the warranty most all of the time due to them being a wear out item, but being a brand new boat (if I am correct on that) would be a very different matter in my mind. I think this might be particularly true if the dealer is saying the battery is damaged or not right in some way (open circuit?).

Also, good job following up on that specific battery they are putting in to make sure it’s what is recommended for your specific Mercury motor. Based on cost and what not, I am confident it is the right battery, but better to verify.
 
Thanks Viking! Ok, so when I would start up the boat, I would have the master switch to the HELM on and all accessories. (I am still learning here with all of these bells and whistles). So that could have been part of the problem. But I know I had both batteries on when I start it.
Yes I just received the boat back in Sept of 2023 and it is a 2024. Guess I will call the dealership where I purchased the boat from in S.C. (I live in FL). I need to also call Bennington and find another dealer that is close by. (I refuse to go back to my previous dealer here in SWFL...which is another story and I am not going to bash a Bennington dealer).
 
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