Starcraft SS160 1988 - Fuse question

[tmorriss]

I recently purchased this boat used. I did something quite stupid.
While looking for a reason something electrical wasn't working, I went under the console and found two fuse holders. I opened each up and took ok the two small (approx 1 inch) glass fuses that were in them.
I thought I put them back in where they went but am now second guessing myself

One fuse I have traced back to the Guest battery switch which I think was a BUSS 3A 250Volt 312. There are two wires(yellow and red) running from under the console back to this switch. This fuse has a very thin wire element in the glass. Fuse is on the RED wire

The second fuse was in the holder on a wire that was attached to the back of the gas gauge. This one was a BUSS AGC5 - 32V and is a very wide/flat wire in the glass. This fuse was on a PINK wire(maybe it was red and faded?) I really don't know what this one is for because if I remove the fuse, everything seems to still work (gauge, light as well as other accessories)

I swear this is how they came out, but my memory isn't the greatest and for some reason,
it just doesn't make sense to me that the thick fuse would be in the wire going to the gas gauge and the thin one is going to the battery switch.

Does anyone happen to have knowledge of or have an SS160 and know what fuse would be in the wire running from the gas gauge? Or, what size fuse should be in the wire running from the console back to the Guest batter switch?

I'm paranoid I have these in the wrong position now
Any advice/help is appreciated.

Thx in advance

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Starcraft SS160 1988 - Fuse question

Where the wires come from has no bearing on what effect thay have on that device. The fuse connected to the fuel gauge may be FEEDING another accessory rather than protecting the gauge (although PINK) is the color of the fuel sending unit wire. You need to determine exactly what terminal on the guage the pink wire is connected to and whether there are any other wires on that terminal. Same for the other one -- we need to know what's on both ends. Siince you say removing the fuses lets everything work, you need to determine what DOESN'T work.

 

[ac0j]

Re: Starcraft SS160 1988 - Fuse question

If you are worried about switching the 3 amp fuse and the 5 amp fuse, I wouldnt worry about that. A fuse is only to keep things from catching on fire if something shorts out. 3 amp vs 5 amps, not such a big deal, now if you were talking about switching a 1 amp and a 30 amp, thats a different story!

 

[barbosam]

Re: Starcraft SS160 1988 - Fuse question

Yes we need to know "the other side of the story"; where is the wire going? not where its coming from. Its coming from the battry switch and to some accessory (maybe a small fishfinder?).

The pink wire should be the signal from the fuel sender as silvertip stated and that should prevent the fuel gauge from working if you pull the fuse there. Wiring can be diffucult to trace on older boats since any number of people could have made changes with out following the proper conventions.

Also if you can tell us what gage wire each one is that may help us determine which goes where.

In the end swapping a 3 and 5 amp fuse would would not be a huge problem. Could it cause a problem down the road, its possible but not very likely. Your doing your due diligence by seeking the answer but in the end if you don't figure it out its nothing to lose sleep over.