Please Help, this means a lot to me!!

[aslandog]

Hello Gentlemen,

My dad passed away in January at 56 yrs old from cancer. In his estate and left to me was his beloved Bass Tracker. It is a 17 foot aluminum boat with a Mecury Classic Fifty, 45 HP 2 stroke inline 4. All that stuff was told to me and I am a Network Engineer (Computer Guy). I know nothing of boats other than I wish I agreed to accompany my dad on more fishing trips than I did. I am trying to bring this boat back to its optimum. My dad loved it and after he got sick he took the grandkids for one last run pulling the tube and it sat for almost two years. I am learning and bright and eager enough to learn more. This boat means so much to me and I will do whatever I need to to get it up again. I have a mechaninc friend looking at the engine, said it needs a coil, some plugs, but nothing major. He said that the boat is in great shape and my dad took good care of it before he got too sick. The trailer is new and the aluminum boat is perfect. So the reason for my post is this. I had to put a whole new steering system in (which I did myself and it works great!) when I did however, a lot of the wiring underneath the console loose. I also disconnected stuff from the batteries to charge them. Now I have no idead how stuff connects. I want to run all new wire everywhere. Inititally I just connected the red cable from the engine to positive and the black to negative like a car. That seems to get her started (before the engine issues) but is that all that is connected to the battery from the engine? I have two batteries, one starting and one trolling. I also have a fishfinder, bilge, accesory lights, anchor. I am reading stuff about alternators, selenoids, I am not sure how to connect the two batteries together, how do I ground stuff? How do I connect to switches? Basically I need a specific diagram. I saw some on here that gave me some insight, but I am not sure. Can someone please help me with this? I want to do it rights. This means a lot to me and I want to get out there and fish before it gets too cold. I need to know what to buy and how to connect everything. Which switches and circuit panels, etc? Also, I bought new seats too and I also want to redo the carpet. Do businesses do that? I can't find any here. What do I look for? Is it a do it yourself thing? It seems hard seeing as a lot of the existing carpet is under riveted aluminum. Anyway, I know I said a lot, but I need a lot of guidance. I want to make this thing like new and while I don't want to throw money away, I am not afraid to spend what I have to to get this boat in tip top shape. Thanks for reading.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Please Help, this means a lot to me!!

At the top of this forum is a sticky titled "Generic Boat Diagram" by Silvertip. That diagram applies to almost all boats like yours and a gazillion others. wiring need not be such a mystery but it starts with a plan. without one you will create a mess. You will have have two heavy gauge (#10) (red & black) going to the vicinity of the console. These wires attach to the fuse or circuit breaker panel (+12V feed and ground buss). From the panel, +12V is fed to the switches that control the various accessories on the boat. The ground wires from all of the accessories connect to the ground buss. All of the engine related wiring is in the engine harness an I suspect there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[aslandog]

Re: Please Help, this means a lot to me!!

so is the red and black thick wires the only ones that come from the engine to the battery? that charges it? is there a separate cable for engine alternator?

 

[aslandog]

Re: Please Help, this means a lot to me!!

this is very helpful. just a few more things. i have two batteries, starting and trolling...do i connect the engine red and black to the starting and the batteries to each other + + and - -? also what charges the battery? does just the red do it from the engine or is there another wire? i think i go the switch, panel, accesories setup down, i am not sure how to connect the two batteries together, not sure where the altenator comes in and not sure about a selenoid? someone mentioned that? thanks for your pateince. this is all brand new to me.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: Please Help, this means a lot to me!!

Keep the two batteries separate. The starting battery only is used to start the motor. It typically is physically smaller than the trolling/radio/depth finder/whatever-else battery. The reason for the two battery system is so that you always have a starting battery. Otherwise, you can (and will) draw your starting battery down to the point where you cannot start the motor. The motor is the only thing on the starting battery. The only thing I would consider putting on the starting battery other than the motor would be CRITICAL safety stuff (horn, maybe running lights, but never the AM/FM/ CD radio, trolling motor or depth finder). otherwise, you will get out there and not be able to re-start your motor. Most motors will charge the starting battery as long as you are running the motor, but not enough to cover for extra loads, other than starting.

TerryMSU

 

[aslandog]

Re: Please Help, this means a lot to me!!

ok great. but what about the two cables on the starting battery? is that all there is then, red and black from the motor to the battery? the red charges the battery?

 

[aslandog]

Re: Please Help, this means a lot to me!!

also, what will charge the trolling battery if they are not connected? i will just put the bilge pump and engine on the starting, the rest of the stuff on the other. again, what charges the trolling then?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Please Help, this means a lot to me!!

Lets get this charging thing nailed down. The alternator on the engine charges the STARTING battery through the two large battery cables that run between the engine and the battery. Those two cables also send current the other way to start the engine and feed the accessories, gauges, pumps, etc. As long as the total amount of current being drawn by the accessories on your boat is less than the output amperage of the engine alternator, the difference between those two numbers is the amount of current (amps) the engine can send to the battery. If the current draw exceeds alternator output capacity, the battery will eventually go dead because the alternator can't keep up with the demand. Think of the battery like a bucket of water but instead of filling it with water, it is full of electricity. Punch a hole in the bucket so water runs out and eventually it becomes empty unless you keep refilling it. The alternator does that.
Now for the trolling motor. That battery should NOT be connected to the START battery for the simple reason that trolling motors draw huge amounts of current 40 - 50 Amperes and will discharge that battery in a few hours if run at the fastest setting. Most smaller outboard motors do not have nearly enough alternator output to recharge that battery as well keeping the start battery topped off without making a wide open throttle run for several hours. That battery must be recharged at the dock using a portable smart charger, or an on-board charger (a smart charger permanently mounted in the boat) but that must still be plugged in at the dock. Trolling motor batteries must also be "deep cycles" as using a starting battery would destroy it in very short order.

 

[aslandog]

Re: Please Help, this means a lot to me!!

thank you very much. that helps greatly. now only one last thing for now. what is a selenoid? I ask because it looks like there was a device like that in the mess of wires, i do not know what it is or does or where it fits into this thing. someone mentioned one in a post somewhere. i am not even sure that is what it is, it is a heavy metal circle thing with black coating ont he outside and two cables connected. no switches or anything, it is a bit rusty. sorry for the vague description.....