what is this wire???

[vetstudent]

I had removed my battery for a while when I wasn't going to use my boat for a while. Oh, BTW it's a 1997 17' Bass Tracker with a 40 hp 4cyl merc. When I went to replace the battery some of the wires that I had previously removed had shook around during moving the boat and I'm not sure which terminal they go to!!! I've tried to decifer it using the Seloc manual but I don't think I'm understanding the book all that well.<br /><br />Most of the groups of wires going to my battery Are in pairs that are one red and one black making it very easy to tell how to hook them up. One set of wires doesn't make it that easy (or maybe it does?) There is one sleave that has three wires (two solid black and one red with a purple stripe) I'm sure that the red/purple wire is for the hot terminal and one of the black wires is for the neg, but for some reason I want to think that one of the blacks went on the positive too????????<br /><br />I should also say that the wires are a fairly small guage about like the instruments are wired with. They're certainly not for a starter or trolling motor. I've hooked the blacks up several different ways and really can't tell a difference by just running it on muffs. This makes me think it's for an alternator or something that I wouldn't notice until after a while???<br /><br />Could anyone help me to identify these wires, or at least tell me how to figure it out. I can take pictures of the wires if that would help. <br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />Brent

 

[Scaaty]

Re: what is this wire???

Best to find a knowledgable boat owner to look at it for you.

 

[ThomWV]

Re: what is this wire???

VetStudent,<br /><br />Let me suggest something to you. It will make your boating life a little easier and safer too for that matter.<br /><br />Once you find out what that wire is go back there and do a little rerouting of some cables and wires. Pick up a couple of high amperage buss bars and a good battery switch too, and then route and secure everything so that nothing is attached directly to your battery other than the cable that goes to the buss bar. Both sides, positive and negative. <br /><br />Think about it this way, you don't see a separate wire going to your car's battery to power the brake lights, and then another one for the dome light, and another one for the air conditioning, and on and on. Nope, there are some very good reasons to have nothing but the cables going to a battery. Hook up the wrong ones backwards a couple of times and you'll understand why. Sometimes it just makes lots of smoke, some times it just sparks, sometimes expensive equipment is wrecked. Never happens once you get it wired right.<br /><br />Thom