wiring and switches question ...

[180Diablo]

Had a question,

Currently my nav lights on the bow will not illuminate and im slowly trying to figure out why it doesn't want to light up. Also, three of the five switches on my boat have broken housings and need replacing (nav/anch, bilge, ctsy/acc), which I have on order this week from my local marine supply store, so what i was wondering was...

If I was to remove the wiring from the backs of the switches to swap them out while everything is connected and powered, would that damage any other electronics in the process? Would I have to remove the positive battery cable first?


Onto what I have tried so far...

The Nav/Anch switch will work the anchor light at the stern (down position). I have checked the bulb and it looks new, tested continuity, tested the volt meter in continuity mode while the bulb socket was still connected to the main wiring and it showed continuity. I haven't touched any of the fuses yet, but they are all non-broken, however one looks a bit rusty (maybe its that one and just needs a clean). But i'm also not sure which fuse does what.. lol. Also, the switch tip will illuminate when its pushed into the "up"(nav) position, as well as in the down (anchor) postion. Below is a link to the design of the switches that I have in my boat. They are also shown on Carling Techs webpage.

http://ww2.sierramarine.com/sierra/...s and Accessories&prod_title=Toggle - Tip Lit


thanks to all replies

 

[jtexas]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

no point in doing any kind of troubleshooting if you can see corrosion in the fuse box. clean that up, then you can tell what's what.

no need to disconnect the battery, if you're into electroshock therapy......

 

[180Diablo]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

Alrighty then, I will have to take a better look at the fuses, clean them up and then go from there. If it works, then I found out that was the problem and my wiring is all ok and the old switch does work afterall. If not, then I would be replacing the switch anyways due to a broken housing and then figuring out why it still wont light up. Could be the wrong wire on the wrong tab for all I know.

This will be my next task in about two weeks time frame..lol. I won't be up north at my boat till about the 21st, then i'm on holidays that following week (week of boating here i come). I also have some new mariah decals to adhere to the hull, complete rub rail to install, and both vent louvres to replace (port side is cracked). Possibly find some green pinstriping somewhere and patch up the missing / scratched off sections.

 

[jtexas]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

my wisecrack about disconnecting the battery - I meant to say, safety is the main concern there, in my opinion, you're unlikely to damage your electronics, but fire is a possibility if you were to accidently create a short to ground in a circuit without a breaker or fuse, or something along those lines - a circuit breaker on your main accessory V+ line might not be a bad idea. Only so much testing you can do with a multimeter..............

rewiring an old boat........there's lots worse ways to spend an afternoon (providing you have a shady spot to park it in).........I pulled miles & miles of wire out of mine, that weren't even connected to anything - prior owner(s) replaced something, just ran new wire, some household extension cords, bilge pump was wired with indoor speaker wire (I'm not making this up) - some connections were pigtailed, some of those weren't even taped, no fuse box (a few in-line fuses)............I've been through it twice - first time was just to make it functional & safe, second was to improve reliability, now I've finally assembled all the materials to make it "right", just need the rain to stop long enough to "get 'r' done"................I do like those lighted-tip toggles though........

 

[180Diablo]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

Well I know my uncle had said you can remove the wires off the back of the switch and swap them around, but .. just something in the back of my mind said I should probably want to disable the battery. Even so I was having some difficulty in removing the spade connectors off the back of the switches, so I never did remove them from the switch anyways.

One of the guys I work with is good with electronics and he said as long as you are careful removing the spades and tape them up afterwards, then I should be ok. But u have to be ready if it comes off when u dont expect it to, so at least it doesnt short out.

Well im not up to rewiring my boat. I'm up to cleaning it and driving it and maintaining it the best that I can. I personally dont think it's that old of a boat that it needs a rewire. The wiring looks to be in good shape and its still labelled all over. I would prefer to pay someone that knows what they are doing to look at it, get it working again and be done with it. But, on the other side I like to tinker and learn as I go so I know what is what.

When you are a electric newbie, you take your sweet time with things. Which is why its taken me over a month to get 3 switches ordered.. lol.

 

[coletrain6000]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

disconnect the battery! Once your switches arrive, take out the first broken one and disconnect. Note which wire went where with some peices of numbered masking tape on the switch and the wire. If the terminals that connect to the spades on the switch are corroded, cut em off and crimp on new ones. reattach the wires to this first switch and reconnect the battery. throw the switch and see if the lights work. if not check all fuses. if one is blown the switch may be connected incorrectly. Do this one switch at a time so you dont get any wires mixed up. Also check the bulbs and their connections for corrosion. Replace if necessary.

 

[rndn]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

You should always disconnect the battery when performing any type of service. You could easily fry something in the motor or electronics. It's just not worth the chance.

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

Hell its even easier than that. Go to Sears and buy yourself a 12V test light. The simplest of troubleshooting tools. You leave the battery on, find a ground, and start checking the switches. You can put that pointed end right on the fuse terminal and switch terminal. Check to see if the switch is getting 12V and if it sends 12V when you use the switch. You're only running 12V so if you need to make an extension for the test light, get some 16 or 14 AWG wire and some alligator clips. You clip one end to the clip on the test light and the other to the battery negative. Then check all your hot leads for juice.

 

[180Diablo]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

disconnect the battery! Once your switches arrive, take out the first broken one and disconnect. Note which wire went where with some peices of numbered masking tape on the switch and the wire. If the terminals that connect to the spades on the switch are corroded, cut em off and crimp on new ones. reattach the wires to this first switch and reconnect the battery. throw the switch and see if the lights work. if not check all fuses. if one is blown the switch may be connected incorrectly. Do this one switch at a time so you dont get any wires mixed up. Also check the bulbs and their connections for corrosion. Replace if necessary.

Printed off your directions for use in the next few weeks. Hard to refer to something when you dont have internet at the cottage or you are lying on your back in a boat.. LOL. All the wiring on the backs of the switches all look alright, so I don't think any crimping would be needed. It does have a neat and tidy wiring layout. If I get around to it I could upload some pics, but it would have to wait till I came home again.. lol.

But that does sound like a valid plan, unhook and reconnect and then repeat three times for each switch.

 

[180Diablo]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

Hell its even easier than that. Go to Sears and buy yourself a 12V test light. The simplest of troubleshooting tools. You leave the battery on, find a ground, and start checking the switches. You can put that pointed end right on the fuse terminal and switch terminal. Check to see if the switch is getting 12V and if it sends 12V when you use the switch. You're only running 12V so if you need to make an extension for the test light, get some 16 or 14 AWG wire and some alligator clips. You clip one end to the clip on the test light and the other to the battery negative. Then check all your hot leads for juice.

Hmmm yeah ... I should invest in one of those also. Have to remember that when im out next shoppin for my boat stuff.

 

[180Diablo]

Re: wiring and switches question ...

Updating my month old post ...

All three of my switches are now installed. However I made the mistake of ordering a DPDT switch, which had an extra set of terminals on the other half of the switch that I know will never be used. Since it's what I had ordered and rather then return it and reorder, I just kept it and installed it anyways. It also would have meant another week or so before I would be able to install the proper switch. It's done, it works.. that's what matters to me.

Battery was connected the whole time, no sparks no problems. Removed the connectors from one switch in one shot, made sure they were orientated correctly, hooked back up again correctly, tested, tested fine, moved onto next.

My next electrical project, is a non-working radio.