Guage cluster is fried

[Mechanic03]

Battery was put in backwards. Boat runs but my gas guage and all my accessories like lights, bilge, horn, gas guage etc... Does not work. Pulled cluster out to check voltage and wiring is fried. I want to put new gauges and switches in but not real sure how to wire hot wire and ground to switches and gauges and put the hot jumper from one switch to another switch without frying everything again. I would really like to do this myself instead off taking the boat to a shop and having to pay an arm and a leg to get it fixed. This is a17 ft. Wahoo with a 90 horse Mercury on it. Sure could use some help. Thanks!

 

[alldodge]

Battery was put in backwards. Boat runs but my gas guage and all my accessories like lights, bilge, horn, gas guage etc... Does not work. Pulled cluster out to check voltage and wiring is fried. I want to put new gauges and switches in but not real sure how to wire hot wire and ground to switches and gauges and put the hot jumper from one switch to another switch without frying everything again. I would really like to do this myself instead off taking the boat to a shop and having to pay an arm and a leg to get it fixed. This is a17 ft. Wahoo with a 90 horse Mercury on it. Sure could use some help. Thanks!

:welcome: to iboats

Sure sorry to hear about your issue but no worries, but we could sure use what year your motor is or the serial number. All gauges are wired in a similar fashion and work the same. The link below is for a Mercruiser not your Mercury but the wiring of the gauges are the same except for some wire color variations
http://www.boatfix.com/merc/servmanl/13/13e4r2.pdf

 

[Alumarine]

Unless you have a circuit board that somehow is involved with the switches and lights most of them should be able to survive a reversed polarity incident.
The bilge pump and horn shouldn't be a problem either.

 

[gm280]

Unless you have a circuit board that somehow is involved with the switches and lights most of them should be able to survive a reversed polarity incident.
The bilge pump and horn shouldn't be a problem either.

I was thinking the same thing. Filament lights don't care if they are wirer one or the other. As for the horn and bilge and such, unless they were turned on, but even then, I don't see any issue with them either. The only thing I would think reverse polarity would or could harm would be the ignition system on the engine or even the regulator and rectifier. Maybe a radio system as well. But it really depends on what everything was set to at the time...