Electrical Problem Dual Battery Switch

[Capt Tommy]

When the battery switch is in the off position the accessories still are active. The trim motor and the ignition
won`t work but the horn baitwell and other things still do. Could a bad battery switch turn some things off
but not others. Previous owner said that should not happen. I`m confused. Any ideas would be helpful.

Thanks Tom

[zman_88]

It's not the battery switch. The reason is that those accessories are powered by a wire(s) that does not go through the switch. To confirm this you will have to trace the circuit from the accessory to the battery and you will see it doesn't go through the switch. My guess is that your accessory panel goes straight to the battery. This is not completely unusual. For example it is recommended that bilge power does not go through a battery selector switch so that you don't shut off an automatic bilge that would keep the boat afloat at the dock.

[archcycle]

clearly that switch is only hooked to the leads that go to the motor then. that's a good thing to do since sending a charge INTO the charging system is not good for it (or so i've read on this forum a few times) when you have it on the charger/maintainer at home.

As for the accessories not being on the switch properly, do yourself a favor and rewire it if you are certain this is not working as you want it to. If the PO was either lazy or incompetent you'll be glad you did. Run one power wire to one distribution block for the accessories, and one ground to one distribution block for all of the accessories. Run all accessories (except of course bilge pumps like zman_88 said) to the dist blocks and not the battery. Fewer, shorter, wires and fewer things to troubleshoot and just one wire going to the batter switch.

It's always a nightmare dealing with another person's wiring job when they did just a few things poorly. It's nice to start with it all clean.

[bob johnson]

I sent all my power through the battery switch.... that was a suggestion here.... it helps because many times the light switches are tripped and you can't notice during the daylight ,that they are on..and thus left for a week your battery would be dead...

but if you turn the switch off....you isolate all draw from the battery..

I have illumination lights on many switches that are always on if there is power AVAIABLE to that circuit......i must be small, but it still a draw.


bob

[Capt Tommy]

Thanks for your help. I did trace the wires and they do not go to the switch. i might just leave
it like that for now. Just to to know the bilge will be working when it needs to. I might re-wire it down the road if it creates a problem.

Thanks again Guys