No more Lights

philnamy

Recruit
Joined
May 29, 2004
Messages
2
I don't know much about boat wiring, but I disconnected a courtesy light that didn't work, and went to hook up a 12V AC outlet. Needless to say I unplugges the light from the flat connectors, and hookup up the outlet. The outlet didnt' work. So I tried to just hook back up the black wire back up, and now the anch/nav lights dont' work, the radio doesn't work, and the horn doesnt' work. I am sure I must have blown a fuse?? I tried pressing the re-set buttons on the circuit breakers, but that didn't work either. Yet the boat still starts and the volt. meter and RPM meters still work. The Nav/Anc lights weren't even connected to the same circuit the courtesy light was hooked up to. Is there a main fuse or something? Please help, I don't know what to do.. I even made sure all the connectors were well connected. One of the back wires is piggy backed with a whip that connected to one of the other "acc" switch... I'm clueless and don't have an owners manual as it was a used purchase.. It's a 1996 Smokercraft Pontoon boat..<br /><br />thank you in advance!<br />Amy
 

crab bait

Captain
Joined
Feb 5, 2002
Messages
3,831
Re: No more Lights

gee,what a mess.. first off it's 12 volt dc not ac.. but that don't matter much here..<br /><br />you'll have to get a 12 v test light.. can get them at any auto center for cheap.. it's a sharp awl lookin' thing with a yellow lited handle an a short wire alligator clip.. <br /><br />clip on to a G O O D ground an poke the awl end inthru the insulation of a wire until you find until you get the yellow handle lit... lite means voltage.. <br /><br />but first clip the clip to the neg an touch awl tip to the positive of a good battery to make sure the tester works..<br /><br />'poke'around enuff.. you'll see somethin' wrong.. <br /><br />mite be as easy as a fuse.. mite be a 3 day job..don't know until you trouble shoot it..<br /><br />good luck..
 

cuzner

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 14, 2004
Messages
771
Re: No more Lights

Kinda hard to visualize what you did.If you have both dc and ac power you may have grounded your dc system to your ac system. The 2 don't mix well.Try unplugging your shore power and re-connecting the ground wire you where messing with.It sounds like a grounding problem with your acc. line.<br /><br /> jim
 

cuzner

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 14, 2004
Messages
771
Re: No more Lights

Should have mentioned,your shore power( ac) and and boat power (dc)are totaly seperate from each other and you can not wire the 2 together in any way.You also may have blown the fuses for your acc. if you tried to hook up an ac line into your dc system.check your fuses(usualy around the dash somewhere)if they are blown just replace.<br /><br /> Jim
 

Boatin Bob

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Sep 24, 2001
Messages
1,858
Re: No more Lights

First of all I don't think you have shorepower or 110v AC power on a pontoon boat, from reading your first post it sounded like you wanted to hook up a 12v convenience outlet to where the light was. I would have assumed it must have a switch either built into the light or somewhere in the circuit and there maybe a fuse somewhere too. As crab bait says, get a test light or a meter and start going through the process of elimination.
 

philnamy

Recruit
Joined
May 29, 2004
Messages
2
Re: No more Lights

Thank you Boatin Bob... You are correct with your assumption. It was a convenience outlet only. I haven't been able to find any fuses, but noticed the "push to Reset" circuit breakers. Do you think I could have blow the circuit breakers?<br />The horn ins't working either. Any suggestions on where to seach for a fuse or other possible place to start???
 

Boatin Bob

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Sep 24, 2001
Messages
1,858
Re: No more Lights

It's pretty rare to blow a breaker but if this coutesy light was added after who knows how it was wired, one of those wires (usually black) has to be a ground, I would ohm meter the ground wire to a good ground to make sure it's not the ground side thats open, if thats OK then your maybe looking at tracing the other wire up to the dash area to see where its connected.
 

mole2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Dec 21, 2003
Messages
153
Re: No more Lights

Since you've lost ALL your accessories and the guages still work you've probably blown a main fuse or circuit breaker. Check back by the battery (or battery switch) and see if there is a main breaker or fuse. If it's a fuse, replace it. If it's a breaker try and reset it. You CAN have a main fuse/breaker for the accessory panel blow and still have the engine and guages work.
 

TPD211

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 31, 2003
Messages
360
Re: No more Lights

You probably have a in-line fuse at the connection at the battery for that circuit. <br />Check in the battery compartment for a fuse box or in-line fuses.
 
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