helm wiring, should be simple, i'm not too bright.

[dingbat]

I think the following is correct:
I will cap off old positive wire at both battery and helm and we are good (will label under helm)
It is all feeding off new 10 ga positive and that is ok even when I add new stuff
It will be ok if I have both grounds hooked up
The three original circuits will use the old wire to ground
Anything new hooked up (radio and horn and USB ports) will use the new 10 ga wire for ground.

Nothing wrong per se, just be aware that electricity takes the route of least resistance. That’s what ohm’s law explains in the triangle I posted above.

If a wire increases in resistance, electricity can/will find a different path to close the circuit, possibly overloading another circuit.

There are situations where power can get back feed through a ground, in effect turning your ground into a power line.

When this happens, all kinds of weird things can happen, including damage to the electrical system.

Failed/failing motors (bilge pumps) are a common cause of this phenomenon.

 

[redneck joe]

So here where I was at yesterday before the real heat kicked in. I've been working g at the side of the boat from the driveway u til I get dialed, then will mound all up under the helm and dress the wires and functioning, however note nothing hooked to negative buss. Original harness hooked to battery and work as it should, just two new wires hooked to battery and does not work. New red and old black work.


Have lights and bilge hooked up.

 

[redneck joe]

I learned today you can blow a fuse and it doesn't look blown and the ohms read a closed circuit but this gie that needs power will not work until new fuse put in. And and the led that is supposed to tell me blown circuit didn't come o. Either.

 

[redneck joe]

So alldoge this is the old circuit breaker back under the transom. To my post about the thingies that needs power not working unless I hook up the old negative wires I'm assuming it has to do with how all three thingies were wired to the helm. And my question about having both the old and new wires all connected.

The cut wire on the right were to the front for a trolling motor that I have removed.

 

[redneck joe]

Failed/failing motors (bilge pumps) are a common cause of this phenomenon.

How / what will be the indicators? Both bilge and livewell pumps are new so hoping but.....

 

[dingbat]

How / what will be the indicators? Both bilge and livewell pumps are new so hoping but.....

Occurs when a motor shorts thru the windings.
I went to the boat one night to the red light on the bilge pump switch just barely glowing.

Pump armature locked up.
Ultimately the culprit was water in the bilge that froze, actuating the float switch. With no water to cool it, the motor burned up then shorted through the windings

 

[redneck joe]

Explain 'windings'

 

[alldodge]

If the things are grounded in other locations so long as they go back to battery ground, it should work without the buss on the fuse block

The switches look ok so long as switch on the right showing a black wire does NOT go to ground, but something that needs power

 

[dingbat]

Explain 'windings'