Archive for the ‘Pontoons’ Category

Marine electrical questions?

June 28th, 2010 by Kevin Hannula

Marine Ac/Dc attempts to answer your questions about boat wiring and marine electrical techniques, concepts, and products. We get lots of mail from folks in mid-project or who are just curious about their boat’s electrical setup.

There are loads of post already on the site which we hope you will browse through. If you’re trying to track down info about a more specific category, please use the search box in the upper right of this page or check out the list of various subjects farther down on this page.

If you aren’t able to find the info that you need to complete your particular boat wiring project, please send us an email at boatwiring@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will be able to come back often.

Posted in Battery Charger, Battery Switch, Boat Wiring, Bow Thruster, Circuit Protection, Corrosion, Cruisers, Gauge Panels, Harnesses, Marine Electrical, Navigation Lights, Pontoons, Runabouts, Signaling Devices, Switch Panels, Testing, Trolling Motors, Uncategorized, VSR, Wipers | Comments Off

Bigger Breaker

February 13th, 2012 by Marine Ac/Dc

Kevin,

When replacing my factory installed circuit breakers, I noticed the breaker for the bilge pump is only rated at 4 amps.

My Rule bilge pump, (also factory installed) is labeled “12 Volt 6 amp fuse”. The specifications I found on line say this pump draws 3.3A at 12 volts and 5.0 amps at 13.6 volts. I assume the boat wiring size used is typical for bilge pump installation. (appears to be 14-16 Ga.?) Carling breaker

Should I install a larger circuit breaker with this set-up? I am thinking a 7 Amp would be sufficient?

The boat is a 2002 Sea Pro 235 WA with two batteries.

Thank You

Shonna

Hi Shonna,

I would go with the 7 amp breaker.

7 amps will not exceed the current carrying capacity of your wire, will help reduce nuisance tripping of the breaker under full load, but will trip under a locked rotar condition.

Thanks

Kevin

Posted in Bilge Pumps, Boat Wiring, Breakers, Circuit Protection, Cruisers, Marine Electrical, Pontoons, Runabouts, Sailboats | Comments Off

Boat Wiring Colors

February 6th, 2012 by Marine Ac/Dc

Hello Kevin,

I am looking to find a boat wiring diagram to rewire my 1996 17 foot Key West boat. EzAcDc offers a full selection of boat wiring for your marine electrical project.

I will need the complete wiring schematics for this model. Do you have this information or can you tell me where I can find it online and print in order to start my repairs tomorrow?

Thanks for your help, I look forward to hearing back from you

Marco

Hi Marco,

I’m sorry, but we do not have a boat wiring diagram available for your boat and you will probably not find one.

But, this list of standard boat wiring colors for marine electrical should get you close. Most boat builders have been using this code or one very similar for over twenty years.

Kevin

Posted in ABYC, AC Wiring, Air Conditioning, Anchor Lights, Battery cables, Battery Charger, Bilge Pumps, Blower, Boat Lift, Boat Wiring, Bow Light, Bow Thruster, Compass, Courtesy Lights, Fuel Gauge, Fuel Sender, Galley, Harnesses, Ignition Switch, LED Lights, Marine Electrical, Masthead Lights, Mood Lights, Navigation Lights, Pontoons, Refrigerator, Rope Lights, Sailboats, Shore Power, Shore Station, Signaling Devices | Comments Off

Light Motif

January 17th, 2012 by Marine Ac/Dc

Hi Kevin,

Quick question.

I am going to buy and install sidewall lights for a friend’s cabin. The locations are prewired.

Could you please tell me if there are any specifications that I should be aware of? Since these will be running off the battery, do I have to get DC specific lights? Any recommendations as to the boat wiring?

Thanks,Vista is one of the top suppliers of marine electrical lighting for your boat wiring project

John.   

Hi John,

You will need to buy DC specific lights. You will also need to know if the system is 12 or 24 volts. The higher voltage lights will illuminate at the lower voltages, but will be dim. For example, 120v lights will operate at about 10% output if a 12v supply is applied. They would last forever, but would be dim. Too low a rating, they would be bright, but short lived.

They will be labeled in the form…12vdc…10 watt.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Posted in Boat Batteries, Boat Wiring, LED Lights, Marine Electrical, Mood Lights, Pontoons, Rope Lights, Sailboats | Comments Off

Reverse Engineering

November 9th, 2011 by Marine Ac/Dc

Dear Kevin,

Thank you for all your boat wiring advice which I find very useful.

With regards to your post, Excellent Mileage from October 3rd, 2011, does the explanation also apply to reverse readings on the boat’s fuel gauge?

  • Full tank but empty on gauge
  • Removed sending unit, moved sensor to bottom
  • Gauge shows full.

I switch the wire around but with same results.Attwood has the marine industry's best solutions for installed fuel systems

Thanks!

Gary

Hi Gary,

It sounds like something has gone haywire with your fuel gauge or sender.

Most fuel gauges read a sensor that is 240 ohms at empty and 33 ohms at full.

  • Test the sender with an ohm meter. 240 ohms down and 33 ohms full.
  • Test the gauge with ground wire.
  • No wire connected to the gauge sending wire stud, empty.
  • Wire connected to the gauge send wire and to ground, full.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Thank you for your quick reply.

While surfing around on the net I managed to find this answer on the Wema site

I hope that it will help other boat owners who wish to change their gauges or senders.

Cheers and best regards!

Gary

Posted in Boat Wiring, Cruisers, Fuel Gauge, Fuel Sender, Gauge Panels, Ground Issues, Harnesses-Dash, Harnesses-DC, Marine Electrical, Pontoons, Sailboats | Comments Off

Excellent Mileage

October 3rd, 2011 by Marine Ac/Dc

Hi Kevin,

I have a 2000 Champion 203 with a 48 gallon fuel tank.

When I filled up the tank my fuel gauge read properly. After several hours of fishing I noticed the gauge needle was past the full mark sitting on the peg. Normally, when I turn off the switch the needle goes to Empty, but now when I turn off the switch, it stays on the peg way past Full. Im wondering if it’s the sending unit or the gauge?Faria is marine's top manufacturer of gauges.

I just topped off the tank before traveling 30 miles down the interstate so I wonder if the float is stuck. But if it was, shouldn’t the needle still go to Empty when the switch is turned off?

I have no idea where to start. I worry about a possible short in my fuel cell area..

Thanks,

Tony

Hi Tony,

This is a fairly simple boat wiring question to diagnose.

  1. Remove the wire from the center of the fuel sender. This is usually pink.
  2. Turn on the key. If the gauge stays pegged past full, it is the wire or the gauge. If it drops back down to empty, the sender is stuck.
  3. If it stays pegged past full, remove the pink wire from the back of the gauge on the “s” post. Turn on the key. If the gauge stays pegged past full, the problem is the gauge or its ground wire. If it drops back down to empty, the wire between the tank and the gauge has a short to ground.
  4. Before replacing the gauge, I would give it a quick bench test. 12v+ to the “I” post and ground to the “-” post. The gauge should read empty. Connect a second ground wire from your negative post to the “s” post on the gauge. The gauge should read full.

The sender is usually the problem. After removing the sender, it can be bench tested with an ohm meter. Empty should be 240 ohms. Full should be 33 ohms.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Posted in Boat Wiring, Fuel Gauge, Fuel Sender, Gauge Panels, Ground Issues, Marine Electrical, Marine Engines, Pontoons | Comments Off

There she blows

August 29th, 2011 by Marine Ac/Dc

Kevin

I have a 2002 Rinker Captiva 232 BR.

My transom light assembly blew and popped the breaker on the dash navigation light switch.

I reset the breaker and have nothing. In fact, nothing on that panel works including the radio! I still have the bilge blower and ignition. The rules of navigation lights for your boat wiring project.

Are there fuses somewhere or a main breaker that I could be missing?

Thanks!!

Justin

Hi Justin,

Your boat wiring should have a main feed breaker at the battery switch panel that provides the main power.

It is possible that your transom light tripped this breaker also. Some Rinkers used the ignition feed to power the blower. This would explain when the blower and ignition work, but nothing else does.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Posted in Anchor Lights, Boat Wiring, Circuit Protection, Marine Electrical, Navigation Lights, Pontoons, Runabouts | Comments Off

Switch switches

July 11th, 2011 by Marine Ac/Dc

Hey Kevin,

I am trying to replace the original ignition switch with a spare that I happened to have in my garage.

However, I am trying to go from a 5-prong to a 4. The original switch had: (part #54211)

  • B – yellow wire

    • Key switch

  • Unmarked terminal – orange wire
  • A – red wire
  • D – two soldered black wires
  • GF – two soldered white wires

The new switch has Acc/Batt/S/Ign.

I would really like to be able to use what I have and not spend anything on the old boat, I would think this is feasible, but I am no boat wiring expert.

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve

Hi Steve,

The spare switch that you found is for an inboard engine. It will not work on your Mercury outboard engine.

Sorry,

Kevin

Posted in Boat Wiring, Ignition Switch, Marine Electrical, Pontoons, Runabouts, Sailboats, Switch Panels | Comments Off

Turn it up. Radio.

June 27th, 2011 by Marine Ac/Dc

Kevin,

I have a 1995 Mercruiser 5.7L 350.

The boat wiring problem I’m having is that when I am running the boat and have the stereo on, it will cut out when my navigation lights, blower, or bilge pump are turned on. I had issues with the gauges reading erratically too.

So, I cleaned all battery terminals, cleaned the two main grounds into the block. I also ran a daisy chain ground from the gauges to the negative on the battery to bypass the existing ground just to check that ground.

Everything was running great, with the stereo blasting (stock marine unit, no amp), until I turned on any of the above mentioned accessories. Then the stereo cuts out, voltage drops on the gauge, and the other gauges act up a little.

I do not have a ground bus under the dash. All the wires seem to just disappear down each side of the boat.

I tested the alternator with a multimeter (read was 14.5). The stereo will come back on after the accessory remains on.

Any suggestions would be helpful. alpine stereo

Sheri

Hi Sheri,

You are dealing with a voltage drop issue. The more current that passes through a wire, the more voltage drop is induced. You don’t notice it when your navigation lights get slightly dimmer when your blower is turned on, but it is obvious when the stereo shuts down.

The solutions are to either increase the size of the wire that supplies power to the helm and its ground or run a separate power and ground for your stereo back to your battery or bus system. Please remember to install circuit protection at the battery end of the new power lead.

This will solve your problem,

Kevin

Posted in Bilge Pumps, Boat Batteries, Boat Wiring, Ground Issues, Marine Electrical, Navigation Lights, Pontoons, Runabouts, Signaling Devices, Testing, Voltmeter | Comments Off

Diode Does It

June 13th, 2011 by Kevin Hannula

Hello,

I am looking for a schematic on the proper boat wiring for the navigation /anchor light switch on my 1990 Sea Ray.

I have a five wire posts, three posts on one side and two on the other. The center post carries the power and the other four post on each corner is for what???

Barrel diodeMy situations is that the boat navigation lights in the front come on along with the dash lights and switch light, but no stern light.Then I switch to anchor lights and the back light comes on, but the switch light does not come on.

I noticed a jumper wire from the post in one corner to the other corner of the same side that look like it was broken, so I replaced and now all the lights come on in both direction of the toggle switch. Is there a special jumper wire? Because when I cut out the jumper wire it was a solid wire with a “end keeper”, a small metal tip in the center of the wire.

Please help.

Thanks
Rich

Hi Rich,

The original jumper had a diode in it. It acts as a one way valve for the current to stern light when the forward lights are on, but block the flow when your only stern light is selected. You can buy HERE at Radio Shack.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Posted in Boat Wiring, Cruisers, Marine Electrical, Navigation Lights, Pontoons, Runabouts, Sailboats, Switch Panels | Comments Off
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