Electrical help

[txcopfromcali]

Help, I'm trying to learn on the go. I'm trying to complete some electrical work due to my battery not holding it's charge. I have been trying to replace corroded connections and even replaced the fuse panel, also due to corrosion. After replacing this box, I reattached the negative lead on the battery, and sparks flew everywhere and the smaller battery cable over heated. How can I troubleshoot this.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Electrical help

Since we have no idea what you've done or how you've done it, we can't be of much help unless you give us some more information. Pictures, diagrams --- anything will help. In the mean time, heres a picture of generic boat wiring diagram. Since you drew sparks -- that indicates a direct short between the wire(s) from the battery to the engine and to the fuse panel, and the ground wire(s) between the battery and the engine and fuse panel or ground bus. Disconnect everything from the battery except for the large cables going to the engine. If you still get sparks you have an engine wiring problem. If its not ok, the problem is in the wiring to the fuse panel. Tell us what fuse panel you have and how you have it wired.

 

[cbear34]

Re: Electrical help

Double check all the wiring on your fuse box you replaced. You have a dead short somewhere and it is pretty big item to cause sparks at the negative cable. DO NOT spark at the battery, because batteries create Hydrogen gas which is very explosive, don't ask me how I know. I would start with the main cable wire to the fuse box and make sure it is not pinched or grounded, probably your cause. Look carefully at all the wiring for damaged insulation.
Good luck, wiring issues are always a nightmare to find.

 

[txcopfromcali]

Re: Electrical help

I have two 6 prong fuse boxes, with 15 amp blade fuses. Each fuse box had one threaded ground bolt. I have both battery cables for the enging and both accessory cables ground on the bottom fuse box.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Electrical help

You are confusing us (at least me). Why TWO fuse boxes and why do you have the battery cables from the engine connected to a fuse panel. The LARGE battery POS and NEG cables from the engine need to go directly to the POS and NEG terminals on the battery. There are no other wires from the engine. The battery gets charged through the large positive battery cable. You should then have two smaller gauge wires that run from the POS and NEG terminals on the battery to the fuse panel at the console (or wherever it's located.) Normally a fuse panel has one threaded terminal for the POS connection from the battery. That terminal feeds all of the fuses. There is another threaded terminal for the ground wire that feeds all the blade terminals that are the ground connections.

Look at the diagram carefully and make sure you understand how your fuse box works.

 

[cbear34]

Re: Electrical help

I am with Silvertip.
I don't understand how your wiring is connected to your fuse box. The main battery cables will attach to the engine. All the grounds will probably be connected to a post and the lone hot wire will run to the fuse box from the switch. Make sure your connections are correct and you don't have a pinched hot wire.

 

[txcopfromcali]

Re: Electrical help

Thanks for your help, I no longer have the sparking at the negative terminal and have restored power to the gauges, albeit the wrong gauges are coming on with the wrong switches or wrong times, howeve theres power getting to them. I guess some wire switching and tweaking should solve this. Thanks again to all for their tips and suggestions.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Electrical help

Next question is why you have gauges on separate switches. The gauges should be active when you turn the key on. They do not need to be on separate switches.