Engine circuit breaker tripping

[tmr7s]

Boat is 1995 Albemarle 26' - engine - Volvo penta 7.4 gl -

I have had the boat 4 months with no problems - fishing this weekend and after stopping lost all dc - found the engine 50amp cb tripped - reset it and started right up - did this 2 more times after moving spot to spot and then headed home out of caution. Only noticable thing was voltage read high at cruising speed - about 15.5v. I could not recreate the problem at the dock so im assuming the higher speed contributed to it. Any help greatly appreciated - thanks - Tom

 

[ErieRon]

Re: Engine circuit breaker tripping

Well, the obvious...if your circuit breaker is tripping it's seeing more than a 50 amp draw. Your alternator should be charging between 13.5-14.8 volts. 15.5 volts seems high and might indicate trouble with your alternator. It's easy enough to pull and have it bench tested, or diagnose yourself with the service manual. I'm not a Volvo person, but they're all pretty much the same.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Engine circuit breaker tripping

I would start with the battery,have it load tested then check all grounds and connections.
Work your way up the charging system cleaning grounds and connections.
The breaker itself could be going bad..