fuses?

[encore]

I've got a bass tracker 17 ft. deep v, 1987 with a Johnson 40 hp. motor, for some reason I have no power to the panel with the toggle switches on them, one switch is for the running lights---one for the bilge---one for the live well-- and one that goes to the fuel gauge. all the fuses are good to the switches. I was mounting and trying to get working a new bow light with a remote spot light on it.it worked one time and then the bulb for the red and green lights would just blink when I tried to turn on the spot light. was going to check the voltage drop at the battery when this was happening but now there is no power to the panel. the only wires are going to the motor from the battery, I'm assuming it reroutes some how back to the panel from the motor, now is there some type of fuse under the motor cover? in so where? and how could it blow without blowing the fuse at the panel..next question, once I get that fixed can't I just eliminate that feed and go directly from the battery to the switch panel? thanks for any help------tom

 

[gm280]

Tom, I suspect there is some type fuse or circuit breaker at the battery itself. And if that fuse is good, you could have burnt a power wire open if you lost power after trying the new addition. And to answer your last question. If you go directly to the battery, you have to use some type fuse to protect the wires and such. Never ever wire anything without a fuse or breaker of some type to protect from a fire on board. And always install that circuit protection device as close to the power source as possible. Usually boats are wired with a fuse at the battery that goes to a distribution block (buss bar) with individual fused circuits from there. And the reason for that is if the wire running from the battery shorts, it will blow the fuse at the battery and not burn and start a fire onboard. Remember, if you have a fire on the water, there is no place to run... IMHO

 

[encore]

thanks for your answer! but boy do I feel stupid!, to make a long story short---- I had two batteries, son took one-- so I was getting voltage to the light socket through the two battery onboard charger, kinda back feeding some how. and then when I wasn't getting no voltage it was because I had taken the wires off the battery for the charger, when I tried it next. make any sense? now I hope I didn't wreck the charger some how. going to check that next. gm280 thanks and yes everything has fuses !----tom

 

[Silvertip]

If your accessories (the switch panel) are indeed being powered through the engine harness then this boat is in need of a wiring change. That harness is designed to power engine specific circuits only. Only the gauges are to be powered through that circuit. The dash and all accessories should be wired through the accessory harness (also called the boat harness). This is typically a red/black pair of #10 gauge wires with a 20 amp fuse or breaker at the battery. This circuit is capable carrying far more current than the smaller wires in the engine to control box harness. The fact that you now added a spot light (high current draw) means you are stressing that circuit even more.

 

[encore]

accessories are all powered on it's own harness. power was back feeding through the double charger. which made that light plug hot. all is fixed now. and running like it should be. thanks.----tom