Major boat electrical issue

[LegacyT]

Hi All

Something weird started happened with the old ship. I was wiring up a new stereo deck and now there seems to be a major electrical issue... When I connect the battery the oil pressure gauge spikes and the oil pressure, low fuel, and low voltage lights come on with the key in the off position. When I turn the ignition on the lights go out and the oil press gauge stays spiked. the starter works but nothing else on the boat works... no gauges no lights nothin. I wired the deck up exactly as the old on. wondering if thats just a weird coincidence... Where do I go with this? any help would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[NYBo]

Sounds like you forget to connect or knocked loose a connection to the negative side of the wiring.

 

[LegacyT]

I have no idea where to start to look. everything seems good and tight. Could it be be the ignition switch, since those 3 lights light up and the oil pressure spikes when the battery is connected with the key in the off position?

 

[NYBo]

It sounds more like the electrical system is finding "ground" through the gauges and their senders instead of getting it directly from the negative battery terminal.

 

[LegacyT]

I played around with the fuse holder. It's doing so many odd things. When i disconnect the power wire to an interior light the oil pressure gauge goes to zero. the gauge lights work. Only one side of the led nav light works. Bilge pump runs verry slow, blower doesn't work but warning lights come on when you turn the blower on... Accessory light switch pegs the oil pressure gauge again. Power trim gauge doesn't work n trim only works for down.. I don't even know where to start to figure this out. But starter works fine the whole time..

 

[Silvertip]

If everything worked before you installed the new equipment, then you need to begin your troubleshooting in the area where made the equipment connections. You obviously did something wrong in that area. Follow the wiring diagrams in the manual for the new equipment. Never assume the old and new equipment have the same wiring and same signals on the same color wires.

 

[Fleetwin]

Unhook everything you did. Does it return to normal?

Does your NEW deck have more than one power input and more than one ground?

 

[LegacyT]

Figured it out. Turned out to be a bad ground connection on the engine harness plug. Cleaned and refastened it and everything works again! Just weird how it just randomly quit i was working on the other end of the boat. Damn electrical gremlins!

 

[LegacyT]

Everything is reconnected and running well. But yes the new deck has 2 wires for power. One for live 12v all the time and one for an ignition switch with an accessory position. Since my boat has no accessory position, just off, on, and start. I plan to connect the two positives together and run them from the fuse holder with a 10 amp fuse. So I can run the radio with the ignition off and all other accessories off. Does this sound correct?

 

[Fleetwin]

Everything is reconnected and running well. But yes the new deck has 2 wires for power. One for live 12v all the time and one for an ignition switch with an accessory position. Since my boat has no accessory position, just off, on, and start. I plan to connect the two positives together and run them from the fuse holder with a 10 amp fuse. So I can run the radio with the ignition off and all other accessories off. Does this sound correct?

I wouldn't. The way you are describing it, the radio will always be ON unless you actually turn it off.

That's a recipe for dead battery(S).

You can do that but care needs to be taken that the stereo is actually turned OFF when you don't want it on.

A main battery switch will accomplish that when storing.

 

[Outsider]

Damn electrical gremlins!

If it's around water and has boobs or electrons, sooner or later there's gonna be trouble ... :facepalm: