No Power!!!

[thisuldoit]

»I just purchased a 1989 Welcraft 186 Eclipse XL with a 175 horsepower Mercruiser I/O. I have put a new battery in the boat, and so far only the bilge pump is working. The starter, navigation lights, blower, and horn are not working. I called a marina and was told that it was a bad ground, and to trace the black wire from the battery to the block, make sure it is clean and secure, and then trace the red wire from the battery to the starter and make sure it is secure. I did, and both were secure and clean. Please let me know what else I should check. The more basic the instructions the better, as I am a beginner to inboard/outbard engines.
Thanks!

 

[tommays]

Re: No Power!!!

You need a DVM (electric meter)to test for voltage

You need to start at the battery and work from there a fully charged one will have 12.6 to 12.8 volts

1.your NEW to the boat so its easy to leave something ON and kill the battery

2. there is a 50 amp breaker that supplys all the dash stuff (red button on the motor )

3. does the outdrive trim work ? its on a different set of battery cables and fuses

Tommays

 

[thisuldoit]

Re: No Power!!!

The battery is brand new, and I have not been able to turn on anything to run the battery down. :/

Only the bilge pump works. Everything else, the trim, the nav lights, the horn, the starter do not work. As for the breaker, I have found it. I have not really messed with it, so I am not sure how to see if it is tripped or not.

Thanks

You need a DVM (electric meter)to test for voltage

You need to start at the battery and work from there a fully charged one will have 12.6 to 12.8 volts

1.your NEW to the boat so its easy to leave something ON and kill the battery

2. there is a 50 amp breaker that supplys all the dash stuff (red button on the motor )

3. does the outdrive trim work ? its on a different set of battery cables and fuses

Tommays

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: No Power!!!

Does this boat have a master battery switch, normally the only thing wired that bypasses the switch is the bilge pump for obvious reasons.

 

[thisuldoit]

Re: No Power!!!

To date, I have had no luck locating a master battery switch. I would assume that this would be either near the battery, or on the driver's console.

Thanks.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: No Power!!!

Well you know what happens when you assume things
I think you need to get right in and trace the cables from the battery back to the engine, if they go direct it shouldn't be too hard.

 

[thisuldoit]

Re: No Power!!!

Ok. No master battery switch. The black cable goes directly to the engine block, and the red cable goes directly to the starter.

1. I tested the battery with a DMV and it is just fine.
2. I located the 50 amp fuse and it says "push to reset," but when I push it,it does not move in at all.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: No Power!!!

OK then you need to take your DVM and start to follow the 12v, put one lead on ground and measure the 2 big terminals on the 50amp breaker, should have power in and out, if not then the breaker is your problem.

 

[thisuldoit]

Re: No Power!!!

Just to make sure that I am covering all of my bases, is a good ground the engine block, or should I use the negative terminal of the battery?

Thanks!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: No Power!!!

Since the battery has the best ground, yes, use the battery post. When you checked cables, did you actually remove them or just give them a tug and a quick peek. Neither is a valid test. Disconnect them, make them shiny clean (both ends) and then reconnect. Inspect each cable end where the cable enters the terminal. Any sign of corrosion is reason to either replace the cable or cut the end off and install a new one. Then and only then are you assured you have good cables and good connections. 12V is obviously not going anywhere. To get anywhere it needs to pass through the battery cables. When looking for financial misdealings one "follows the money". When looking for missing 12V, "follow the voltage". When you lose it you found the problem. It's like water running through a pipe. A switch is like a valve. Water (in this case 12V) goes in one side and out the other with the switch on. Switch off it doesn't. Pretty basic stuff.

 

[thisuldoit]

Re: No Power!!!

Ok. I tested both in and out on the fuse and there are 12.75 volts going through. What's next?

 

[vipzach]

Re: No Power!!!

You gotta follow the wire coming out of the breaker! where does it go? That is your next step, find where it goes and check there.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: No Power!!!

Best thing you could do now is buy a manual, even the aftermarket ones have basic wiring diagrams in them, you need to chase that 12v. After the breaker is gets distributed to many places. You could check the S terminal to see if there is 12v there or at the slave solenoid. This link will take you to some online Mercruiser wiring diagrams which may help you follow it along. Wiring Diagrams

 

[thisuldoit]

Re: No Power!!!

You're awesome! Thank you so much. I have my weekend work cut out for me.

Thanks!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: No Power!!!

Since nothing works, you shouldn't have to look any farther than the engine compartment and very likely no farther than the main harness going up front. Since nothing works, voltage is not getting to the main harness. If there is a large harness plug there, make sure its fully mated. If it is, disconnect it and check for voltage at the +12V terminal. If not, go backwards. If there is, head toward the front.

 

[thisuldoit]

Re: No Power!!!

I would like to thank everyone for their time on this. It took me about 4 hours, but I have finally got everything working, but the Trim motor. There were three fuse busses that were blown, and I believe a loose connection at the ignition switch was to blame as well. The boat had been sitting for three years, so I guess that is not too bad.

But now I am at a dead end on the trim motor. There is a blue/white, a green/white, and a black wire coming out of the motor. The black connects to a black wire from the main harness, and the blue/white and green/white wires connect to two different harness that contain the respective blue or green wire and a red wire (the red wire connects to a main red wire that goes to the battery). At those harnesses, the red wires show 12V. When I test the blue or green wire in the same harness by using the up and down trim button on the throttle nothing registers. The wires from the throttle (small blue/white, green/white, and red) come into the aforementioned harness via a plug. I have disconnected that plug and have tested each wire, and nothing registers on any of them when I use the up or down trim.

I am sorry for the length, but I wanted to make sure that I described everything.

Thanks!

 

[thisuldoit]

Re: No Power!!!

Update: The trim motor itself works. I ran a piece of wire from the battery directly to the green wire and the outdrive trimmed down. It still does not work at the throttle switch. Is there something in between the throttle switch and the actual blue or green motor wire leads that could go bad (ie a bus for fuse) or is it most likely the throttle switch?

Thanks!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: No Power!!!

Highly unlikely the switch would be bad in both directions. Check the +12V feed to the switch -- bet its not there. Again, go backward until you find it.

 

[Tom Scully]

Re: No Power!!!

There are relays in between the switch and the trim motor. The switch can not handle the current to run the motor directly. also the relays reverse the polarity to the motor, + and minus for up .... minus and + for down. Do you here a click when you hit the switch?
If you don't the problem is most likely in the switch or the wiring to it. If you do here a click the problem is most likely bad relay contacts or the wiring to the motor.

 

[thisuldoit]

Re: No Power!!!

When I use the throttle switch, I do not hear anything. Are the relays mounted on the same harness as the motor? If so, the red wires at the relays have 12V and if I connect them directly to either the green or blue wire, they motor goes in that respective direction. There is a plug coming into the relays from the throttle switch. That has a small red, small blue, and a small green wire. When I test each of those by pushing the up or down button on the throttle switch I don't register anything. I guess, I will go take the switch apart and test the leads in an out.

Thanks.