Hal88
Recruit
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2012
- Messages
- 4
Hey, I have had this Fisher Marine '88 16ft SV-16 GT for about a year, and have only been able to really get to know it for the last few months. I have noticed some of the electrical configurations on this boat don't match what I see others having - which has made it very confusing for me when I try to troubleshoot by searching through already existing threads. Here is my situation:
Yesterday, I built a small PVC post to hold 2 halogen lights (for seeing in front of me when the sun has gone completely down) that total 110W - leading to just under 10A current. I wired this redneck contraption up by using 18ga wire for each individual light and then wired a 14ga wire to meet those two wires. I did the same thing for positive and negative, then wired the 14ga into a 120V AC lightswitch, and finally connected them to my fuse panel under the console of the boat. I tested the connection before putting everything through the PVC. It worked, so I completed the light post.
After bracing the post to the console and finalizing the wiring, my problems came about.
I have two power switches on my dashboard, a master power and an "accessory" power switch. I flicked the master power switch and it showed a little red light, like always. But when I flicked the accessory switch, nothing happened. Usually I know my accessory power is on because my gas gauge jumps up. No power to the gas gauge, internal lights, navigation lights, etc.
Because this was only an hour or so after I just tested the connection, I assumed it must be a fuse. I looked underneath the console, but all fuses seemed to be fine.
I have tried:
1. Ensuring a good connection to the battery (the accessories run off of their own battery; cranking and trim work fine using their own cranking battery).
2. Switching connections with the cranking battery.
3. Searching for blown fuses (but can only find the one fuse panel).
4. Disconnecting the light post.
Notable observations:
1. Where the accessory switch connects to the fuse panel, there is no negative lead running opposite to the positive lead. It has always been this way and only just now is there a problem. Not sure why there isn't a negative right there.
2. The accessory power toggle switch seems jammed - it doesn't easily switch up and down. I can wiggle it and work it into each position, but not sure if maybe it's broken in the off position or something. Is that possible?
Here is the backside of the accessory switch, although I don't know if it's useful. I had read about fuses being in some switches but there doesn't seem to be one here.
Thank you in advance for any help. I'm new to boats, so if you can put any advice in the simplest terms possible I would really appreciate it. I'm hoping this is something simple that I have just overlooked.
-Hal
Yesterday, I built a small PVC post to hold 2 halogen lights (for seeing in front of me when the sun has gone completely down) that total 110W - leading to just under 10A current. I wired this redneck contraption up by using 18ga wire for each individual light and then wired a 14ga wire to meet those two wires. I did the same thing for positive and negative, then wired the 14ga into a 120V AC lightswitch, and finally connected them to my fuse panel under the console of the boat. I tested the connection before putting everything through the PVC. It worked, so I completed the light post.
After bracing the post to the console and finalizing the wiring, my problems came about.
I have two power switches on my dashboard, a master power and an "accessory" power switch. I flicked the master power switch and it showed a little red light, like always. But when I flicked the accessory switch, nothing happened. Usually I know my accessory power is on because my gas gauge jumps up. No power to the gas gauge, internal lights, navigation lights, etc.
Because this was only an hour or so after I just tested the connection, I assumed it must be a fuse. I looked underneath the console, but all fuses seemed to be fine.
I have tried:
1. Ensuring a good connection to the battery (the accessories run off of their own battery; cranking and trim work fine using their own cranking battery).
2. Switching connections with the cranking battery.
3. Searching for blown fuses (but can only find the one fuse panel).
4. Disconnecting the light post.
Notable observations:
1. Where the accessory switch connects to the fuse panel, there is no negative lead running opposite to the positive lead. It has always been this way and only just now is there a problem. Not sure why there isn't a negative right there.
2. The accessory power toggle switch seems jammed - it doesn't easily switch up and down. I can wiggle it and work it into each position, but not sure if maybe it's broken in the off position or something. Is that possible?
Here is the backside of the accessory switch, although I don't know if it's useful. I had read about fuses being in some switches but there doesn't seem to be one here.
Thank you in advance for any help. I'm new to boats, so if you can put any advice in the simplest terms possible I would really appreciate it. I'm hoping this is something simple that I have just overlooked.
-Hal
