[C38] Electrical Problem

[Michael de lisle]

Tom and Rich, thank you for posting all this great info! I just started
having issues with my electrical and this is going to help immensely.
On Jun 7, 2014 11:41 AM, "Tom T." <tdtron at earthlink.net> wrote:

>  Hello Rich,
>
> I think you may have already answered your own question about possible
> problems with the harness going to the engine control panel.  The original
> wiring system was dangerous when the boats were new and only get more
> dangerous with time.  Eventually the harness can fail causing possible dire
> consequences.
>
> Not only are the plugs on the original harness prone to failure but the
> long length of wire going from the alternator to the panel and then back to
> the batteries causes a voltage drop which greatly reduces the vessel's
> ability to recharge the batteries.  Owners have been known to pay for
> expensive alternator upgrades which only magnify the fire hazard.  A new
> harness will be like having a larger alternator without the expense and
> also without the extra load on the engine.  There have been reports of
> alternator mount failure with larger alternators adding to the dilemma.
>
> You do  NOT need a whole new engine panel harness.  You only need to
> bypass the heavy current lead from the alternator to the panel.  Use a
> heavy inline fuse at both the alternator end and the battery end and use
> heavy marine grade wire to make a new alternator lead.  Marine grade wire
> was not used in the past because it was rare and expensive but marine grade
> wire is tinned so it is more corrosion resistant and easier to solder.
>
> Since you will not be having a large current going to the panel any
> longer, you can still use the existing wires if you want to for running a
> volt meter which has almost no load so it will not be  fire hazard or cause
> failure from corrosion arcing at the connectors. It may be a good idea to
> make a whole new harness but the main thing is to get the charging circuit
> out of that harness in any case.  Even if you make a new panel harness, the
> charging circuit will no longer be part of it.
>
> A volt meter is one additional advantage of the harness upgrade.If you
> replace the amp meter with a volt meter, make sure it is a marine unit.
> The automotive units will look and work good for a short time before they
> fail due to the salt corrosion of marine use.  As a side note, if a volt
> meter does fail, it will not kill the charging circuit like an amp meter
> will so by changing to a volt meter you will also increase reliability and
> safety there also.
>
> The difference in the wiring connection of the volt meter as compared to
> the amp meter is that the amp meter was a series fed meter going back to
> the batteries while the return leg on the volt meter just goes to the panel
> ground which is adequate since there is very little current through a volt
> meter.
>
> I wrote a Mainsheet article some years ago detailing the harness upgrade
> but I can't remember what year or month.  Maybe another member with website
> access  can direct you to the article if it is archived.  In a nutshell,
> the main accomplishments of a new harness are:
>
> 1,    Shorter and less resistive charging lead from the alternator to the
> batteries for more efficient charging.
> 2.    Elimination of failure prone harness connectors.
> 3.    No phantom electrical loses from corrosion in the connectors or amp
> meter.
> 4.    A volt meter installed in the engine panel in place of the original
> amp meter.  A volt meter will give you better information of your
> electrical system.  For instance, if you had a battery with a broken and
> shorted cell plate, an amp meter would possibly still show a good charge
> rate while a volt meter would show you had low voltage caused from a
> problem that needed attention.  Often an amp meter will give a false sense
> of security..
>
> Good luck,
> Tom Troncalli
> Former owner of #95 and now in lurker status
> 770-356-2223
>
>
>
>
>
> On 6/7/2014 7:38 AM, fleet2001 at aol.com wrote:
>
> Guys,
>
> I need some electrical advice.  My boat "Merriconeag" hull# 138 has about
> a
> 2amp drain in the engine compartment.  I think I should replace the
> trailer type
> harness with a bus bar. Also, possibly replacing the ammeter with a volt
> meter.
> I have to switch the engine battery switch to off when I shut the engine
> off or
> the battery will drain power. Help.
> Thanks
>
> Rich Grassia
>
> fleet2001 at aol.com
>
>
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