basic wiring for basic stuff

[daveywonder]

got a ooolder boat,74 newmann 17 ft. tri-hull, that runs great, except none of the wiring lights up ANYTHING in the boat. No radio,running lights, tach,speed ometer, horn....nothinggggg.....I attached the few wires that were attached when I got this outfit, NOTHINGGG....Do i need to call a electrition? Seems to me he would'nt know either....Any advice would be welcomed......tks...daveywonder

 

[airshot]

Wires are probably old and brittle, broken inside the wire, so.......time to start from scratch. Make your self a whole new wiring harness. Get a list of what you are wiring and the gage of wire needed for each item and buy some spools of wire. I did it on mine a few years back and yes....its a whole lotta fun!!

 

[gm280]

Davey, Like airshot suggested, it is time to make a new wiring harness for that old of a boat. And how I would go about doing that is to sit down and think of what YOU want in that boat. List all the electrical things you want to have on the boat. Like anchor lights, navigation lights, horn, bilge pump, and everything you'd like to have. Then buy the appropriate gauge wires and colors if you want to follow the actual color wires for marine usage. And then buy the spools of marine grade wire and start wiring each circuit by it self. Make sure you use fuses or circuit breakers for each circuit to protect the boat from any possible fire. And wire your circuits and make a drawing/diagram/schematic of how you did the wiring... Not as hard as it first looked when you do each circuit by itself. And you can use buss bars or junction points for common circuits for both the positive/red wires and the negative/ground/black wires. JMHO!

 

[Scott Danforth]

[h=2]Red[/h]	DC Positive Conductor	Positive Mains
[h=2]Black or Yellow[/h]	DC Negative Conductor	Return, Negative Mains
[h=2]Green or Green w/ Yellow Stripe[/h]	DC Grounding Conductor	Bonding System Bonding Wires (if insulated)
[h=2]Brown[/h]	Generator Armature	Generator Armature to Regulator
Alternator Charge Light	Generator Terminal/Alternator Auxiliary Terminal to Light to Regulator
Pumps	Fuse or Switch to Lights
[h=2]Grey[/h]	Navigation Lights	Bonding Wires (if insulated)
Tachometer	Tachometer Sender to Gauge
[h=2]Orange[/h]	Accessory Feed	Ammeter to Alternator or Generator Output and Accessory Fuses or Switches
Common Feed	Distribution Panel to Accessory Switch
[h=2]Pink[/h]	Fuel Gauge	Fuel Gauge Sender to Gauge
[h=2]Purple[/h]	Ignition	Ignition Switch to Coil & Electrical Instruments
Instrument Feed	Distribution Panel Electrical Instruments
[h=2]Brown w/ Yellow Stripe[/h]	Bilge Blowers	Positive Mains (particularly unfused)
[h=2]Yellow w/ Red Stripe[/h]	Starting Circuit	Starting Switch to Solenoid
[h=2]Tan[/h]	Water Temperature	Water Temperature Sender to Gauge
[h=2]Green/Stripe (G/x)[/h] (except G/Y)	Tilt Down and/or Trim In	Tilt and/or Trim Circuits
[h=2]Blue/Stripe (Bl/x)[/h]	Tilt Up and/or Trim Out	Tilt and/or Trim Circuits