Damn electrical Panel Keeps Dieing

[saurav16]

Ok im at wits end with the boat! I replaced new batteries and new battery selector switch. Last season I was having issues where we would be sailing and the boat would lose power but after a few minutes when I tried again the power was on and it started. Yesterday the power would not turn on when I turned the batter selector to all and then on the switch panel turning the master switch on. Then I jiggled all the switches on the panel and it turned on.
It is an old panel original to the boat. There must be a loose connection in the panel no? I don't really understand how it is wired there is a fuse line and then wires going to the switches.
Is there a way to tell if the prev owner used a non marine switch? The switches don't seem to show signs of corrosion or water damage. When I check continuity using the digital multi meter the continuity is not a continuous beeping sound when the switch is turned on. I should have checked the resistance because when switch is in on pos it should have minimal resistance. Any other ideas would be helpful. Thanks!

[Flybyknight]

This is a long shot, but my first inclination is to suspect a common ground that is not grounded properly.


Dick

[tommays]

I find in most boats of that age that in the best case the wire and switches are tired IF the PO was a Wile E. Coyote kind of guy its hard to say whats been done

[saurav16]

The common ground should be grounded to the engine block right?

I don't think the PO did anything to the electrical, I mean it worked fine for the last five years :-(

[btrayfors]

I understand you're at wit's end and, from your post it's clear you're not familiar with boat electric stuff. That's the bad news.

The good news is that as you have a smallish boat it can't be all that complicated, even if the PO has done a job on things :-)

Here's what you can do:

1. Be absolutely sure before you touch anything that there's no shorepower or inverter power (115VAC) on the panels. How to do that? Unplug the shorepower cord. If you have an inverter aboard, be sure it's turned OFF.

2. Plan to spend several hours with a flat-blade and a Phillips head screwdriver, some light sandpaper or emory paper, and a clean rag. You need to undo, clean, and reconnect ALL wiring connections. Start at the battery with the negative cable. Clean the battery lugs and the connector. Be sure all connections are clean and TIGHT. Work your way to the fuse/breaker, then to the panel. Undo every connection at every switch or breaker. Clean with light sanding and reconnect.

When you do the checks, be absolutely sure the connectors are intact. If any are suspicious, replace them

3. With the battery cables disconnected, undo the connections to the starter motor, and clean them/replace them as neccesary. Be very careful not to turn the threaded stud on the solenoid when you're backing off the nut. Use two wrenches.

4. Reconnect the battery cable(s).

Now, see what you've got. If you still have problems, it could be a bad switch or two. Could also be corrosion on the fuses, if any. Clean them and try again.

Try to avoid a newbie mistake: finding ONE problem (like a loose connection) and, because that fixes the immediate problem, believing you're good to go. Most often, there are more things wrong as well. It really pays to be thorough.

Take your time, have a beer, and count it as a learning experience with your new boat. If you do a good job, when you're finished you'll KNOW what isn't wrong, and where not to look :-)

Bill

[hellosailor]

Odds are when you replaced the batteries you only looked at the battery terminals, and when you replaced the switch that's just the battery positive terminals and the positive main feed...

...So I'd also vote for a loose or corroded ground somewhere. Usually one battery negative is daisychained to the other and then they go to a common ground bolt on the engine block, although there might be two separate cables. That bolt is usually someplace inaccessible and is either loose or corroded. Or, the lead from that point to the common ground distribution point on/near your panel may also be shot.

But it sounds like something is simple loose, and it only has to be "barely wiggle" loose to have enough corroosion under it to block a circuit. Time for eyes and fingers in all the hard to reach places.

[saurav16]

I can see where there is a cable on the engine block the bolt to the cable seems to be corroded but is still fastening both cables to the engine.

When checking the wiring is it necessary to unhook the batteries to avoid being shocked?

Further there was a common on the perko battery switch, isn't that ground as well?

[tommays]

While it will not shock you in the normal household wireing way THE danger comes from a tool making contact between a postive cable and ground

There is enough amps in the battery to try and weld with the tool SO its best to remove the ground cables from the batterys before removing and cleaning connections

[btrayfors]

Yes, absolutely disconnect the battery cables when making checks.

Also, the COM position on the battery switch IS NOT GROUND. Unless you have a very unusual setup, the switch is on the POSITIVE leads, and the COMmon connection leads to the items being powered....DC panel, engine, etc.

Bill