I'm going to assume that our our dual battery set ups were "not" originaly equiped with ACR's and it sounds like a must upgrade. If anyone knows were to find a schematic or has some pics they can post would be great. The Toronto boat show is next week, I'll be full of questions.

ACR's were NOT equipped on Mariah boats. All the wiring diagrams I've seen do not show any sign of them, and it was not listed under the options available for any year. I'm not sure when the ACR circuit was developed, it could have been after Mariah closed the plant. Either way, I know I'll be adding one this year!

Replacement Battery isolator
 

Just replaced the Guest battery isolator (model 2404)in the Z260. We were having a problem with the house battery drawing down the starting batteries overnight. There are three batteries on board, two group 27 starting and a large house battery, 8D maybe. A couple times we drained the house and starting batteries down to where I had the Honda 2000 invertor fired up to recharge things. The house battery seems to drain too quickly. I blamed this on Mother Superior's hair dryer and her runnin the fans all night long. My coffee pot probably didnt help.
Also, noticed the two starting batteries were deep cycle type. Might switch them to a Marine batteries this spring, they tested 'fair ' with hydrometer. The house battery tested fine. Havent load tested any yet. I certainly hope the isolator was the problem.
I found there was some continuity between the house and starting terminals on the old isolator. Ck'd with a digital meter with all connections removed. Made me suspect something was amiss.
Anybody have experience with this type of problem?

steve, still freezin' in NY

S.L.P.,
When I first got the z275 the three new batteries kept going dead. I found the frig would turn on even though I had the temp turned all the way down.
I pulled the terminals apart behind it and now don't have that problem. I never really use the frig often, but if I do I just reconnect for a short time. My setup Is two starting and one deep-cell.

battery
 

Z275ST,
Your setup is the same as mine. Are you using two starting, Marine or deep cycle batteries?
I pulled the frig out yesterday to get a look at the connections. We use the frig all the time, so I hesitate to turn it off. Most often, it is set to the lowest cooling setting, unless on shore power. The house battery is dated 2003. It may be time to replace it. I am considering a couple of golfcart batteries as replacements. "This old house"battery is gonna be HEAVY. Two will be more manageable in such a confined location.
steve

S.L.P.,
I have two marine starting and one marine deep-cell. I think you may want to stay with marine batteries because I believe they produce less or no explosive gasses but not sure. Someone here may no if it is hype or not!

Also take the plastic cover off the back of the battery switch to make sure the no terminating wires are touching. I had this problem once when my batteries were running down. There is nothing more difficult or frustrating than diagnosing electrical problems on a boat! A lose or to small of negative wire can cause as much trouble as anything on the positive side!

Here's a reprint of some battery information as provided by I-Boats.com in their latest newsletter:

Question: I went through 2 marine batteries before someone told me there is a difference between a starting battery and deep cycle battery. What is the difference?

Answer
You’ll need one battery to start the engine, and one to operate the electronics, or in other words, one starting battery and one deep cycle battery. Here’s why:

Starting Batteries vs. Deep Cycle
Batteries are constructed of a series of positive and negative plates. In starting batteries the plates are thinner and there are more of them. This allows the batteries to produce high, brief amp bursts and crank your engine starter.
You will also want a deep cycle battery to operate you boat’s electronics. Deep cycles store up energy to gradually power electronic devices. The deep cycle has thicker plates internally, and it can be used for starting in a pinch but they do not like to repeatedly dump the big amps in one quick chunk that a starting battery (with thinner plates) is designed to do.
Battery Types
Wet or flooded batteries cost less and you have the advantage of being able to ‘equalize’ the cells, should you choose to do so, at a higher voltage than is possible with gel or AGM batteries. However, they require routine maintenance (filling with distilled water), are not sealed and can leak, and do not hold up well under strong vibration.
Gel batteries, although slightly more expensive, are maintenance free, non-spillable, and often vibration resistant. When charging one of these, though, care must be taken not to over charge.
The third type of marine battery, AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat), is the most durable against vibration and shock since the plates are surrounded by dense glass mat. AGMs are also quick to recharge and have a long battery life. Similar to gel batteries in many features, AGM batteries also should not be over charged.
Suggestion: Keep both batteries the same type - wet/wet, AGM/AGM or gel/gel. If you use a wet battery for starting, then use wet batteries for the electronics. This makes charging and maintaining a lot easier since they both use the same charging profile. Regardless of your battery type, consider using a 3–stage charger that utilizes a bulk/acceptance/float-charging scheme to maximize your battery’s life.
Common Battery Measurements
There are 4 measurements of battery function that should be considered when choosing a marine battery:
CCA and MCA – Cold Cranking Amperage is the amount of current the battery can deliver for 30 seconds at 0 degrees Fahrenheit without dropping below 7.2 volts. Marine Cranking Amperage is very similar to CCA. The only difference is that it is measured at 32 degreed Fahrenheit. So, if a battery has an MCA rating of 800, it will deliver 800 amperes for 30 seconds before falling to 7.2 volts.
Reserve Minutes – This is how long a load of 25 amps can be sustained at 80 degrees Fahrenheit before dropping to 10.5 volts. So, a battery with 120-minute reserve can power a 25 amp load for 2 hours.
Amp Hours (Ah) – Ah describes how much energy can be delivered at a constant rate for 20 hours before dropping to 10.5 volts.
Cycle Life – This measures how many complete discharges a battery provides until it no longer holds half its rated capacity.

good post mikeyt. I'll be installing my new "marine" starting battery and deep cycle with an ACR this spring. Hope to get in a few more rides on my sled before then.

followed wetwillys advice and had the Marina go with the original battery configuration (2 deep cycles). She goes in the water this Sat. Can hardly wait. Thanks for all the advice. I'll also be installing an ACR, and my new GPS, I'll take a few pics and post.