Kicker Jumping Main motor

I have not run a kicker before so I wanted to check with you guys about a thought I had running around in my head.
Say for some reason your main battery dies and you pull start your kicker and run it a bit- Can you start your Main motor while the kicker is running sort of like jumping one car from another with out causing Any Damage ? Providing they both are run from one battery.

I mean is this one of those dumb things one does and it end up costing them big bucks to learn that you dont do this ?
Thanks
James W

It can be done and I have done it myself. But it usually takes awhile because most kickers don’t put out a lot of amperage to charge the battery. So if you run it for a while especially at a higher rpm then lots of times that will charge the battery up enough to get the big motor cranked again. Sometimes it’s easier and quicker to use a set of jumper cables to jump the big motor.

Bryan Myers wrote:

It can be done and I have done it myself. But it usually takes awhile because most kickers don’t put out a lot of amperage to charge the battery. So if you run it for a while especially at a higher rpm then lots of times that will charge the battery up enough to get the big motor cranked again. Sometimes it’s easier and quicker to use a set of jumper cables to jump the big motor.

From the trolling motors’ battery I assume?

Bryan Myers wrote:

It can be done and I have done it myself. But it usually takes awhile because most kickers don’t put out a lot of amperage to charge the battery. So if you run it for a while especially at a higher rpm then lots of times that will charge the battery up enough to get the big motor cranked again. Sometimes it’s easier and quicker to use a set of jumper cables to jump the big motor.

I have done this before, most newer motors are very picky on how much voltage/amperage to turn over big motors. My locator ran my starter battery down, fired up the kicker ran it wide open for 20 minutes then the big motor started.

Thanks Every one for setting me straight on this. I just did not want to do something dumb and well – pay for it in the end big time. This is all good to know.
Thanks again
James W

I keep a set of jumper cables in the boat. If the starter battery dies, I’ll jump off one of the T-motor batteries.

-J.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/10-gauge-booster-cables/716261.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Djumper%252B%26x%3D10%26y%3D6%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%252BProducts&Ntt=jumper+

I have had to do it before. My kicker is a Yamaha T8 and main motor is an Yamaha Off Shore 300. I had to shut off any other thing drawing power then kicker started right up and held the kicker wide open for about 5 minutes then had enough to start the big motor. Have also done it on my previous boat which had a T8 and F150 also took about 5 minutes.

Technology again has advanced to where you can carry a very small jump pack for around $100 in your boat to bail you out of trouble if needed. Makes for a great Christmas gift also (if any wives are searching). We carry these at SBC in Ramsey and have great success with them!

Attachments:

1. 

   jump-packs.jpg
   

Calvin Svihel wrote:

Technology again has advanced to where you can carry a very small jump pack for around $100 in your boat to bail you out of trouble if needed. Makes for a great Christmas gift also (if any wives are searching). We carry these at SBC in Ramsey and have great success with them!

Great for the pickup to! I can say from first hand experience its no fun pulling a boat battery out to start your pickup because your buddy backed you down the ramp and left the lights on…

It would work, but be aware that in most small outboards the stator (the equivalent of a car’s alternator) does not produce massive amounts of power. Even at higher RPMs. So if the starting battery is really run down, it could take quite a bit of running time for the kicker to produce enough of a charge so the big motor will start.

IMO, carrying jumper cables, a battery pack, or at the very least having enough tools to move one of the trollig motor batteries back and connect it as a starter battery would be a quicker fix.

Grouse

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

If you frequently stress your batteries, it’s time for more and bigger batteries.

I’m setup for several days of run time.

I’ve considered putting jumpers in my boat, but odds of me draining my starting batteries is quite low, and if it happens I’ll spend twenty minutes disconnecting trolling motor battery and moving to rear.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If you frequently stress your batteries, it’s time for more and bigger batteries.

My same thought…. but I still carry a small set of cables tucked away in the boat. Not only if I ever needed them for anything, but also, seems like every spring I jump someone else not prepared on the lake. Good karma is always welcomed in the boat.

Chuck Melcher wrote:

. but I still carry a small set of cables tucked away in the boat. Not only if I ever needed them for anything, but also, seems like every spring I jump someone else not prepared on the lake. Good karma is always welcomed in the boat.

Ah… Good man!!
Never ran into that situation on the water but have seen the battery swap many times at the landing before they can shove off.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Ah… Good man!!
Never ran into that situation on the water but have seen the battery swap many times at the landing before they can shove off.

I’ve seen this one. Wait, I’ve done this one. Long stories but have had to pull the main battery out and replace it with a trolling battery. Don’t know why my buddy doesn’t put a set of cables in the boat. Cheap insurance.

Calvin Svihel wrote:

Technology again has advanced to where you can carry a very small jump pack for around $100 in your boat to bail you out of trouble if needed. Makes for a great Christmas gift also (if any wives are searching). We carry these at SBC in Ramsey and have great success with them!

Thank you Cal and I shall pass this along as my wish list.
That is also good to know that you stock them in Ramsey.
James W

Something else to think about, is wiring in a main switch that allows you to use it to jump starter battery with the troll batteries, or use it a main shut off switch as well. I will be putting one in my boat over the winter and my next boats will have them as well.

I believe that the kicker motor has to have electric start on it to have an alternator. I was told that by somebody. I am old and can’t remember who told me that, but it would make sense. Maybe somebody that knows for sure can verify that.

Phil Ames wrote:

Something else to think about, is wiring in a main switch that allows you to use it to jump starter battery with the troll batteries, or use it a main shut off switch as well. I will be putting one in my boat over the winter and my next boats will have them as well.

I did that in my last boat until I added a 24v system, and the fact that I never needed it; but I had the same thoughts when I wired the mess up that way.