Newbie What would you do?

[brimerianzan]

If your dash and console had unexpected lost power and then returned but by none of your doing. Would you bother taking it to a mechanic. or keep close eye on it.

 

[RickJ6956]

Re: Newbie What would you do?

Losing power to the dash is one thing, but if it's a symptom of a bigger issue you could lose all power and become stranded.

Look at the wiring and make sure all of the terminals are tight. If you find a loose one, re-seat it properly. If you don't know how to do this, call a mechanic before the next trip on the water.

 

[marcortez]

Re: Newbie What would you do?

If your dash and console had unexpected lost power and then returned but by none of your doing. Would you bother taking it to a mechanic. or keep close eye on it.

Poor ground connections are guilty for a huge majority of electrical problems.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Newbie What would you do?

Keeping a close eye on something that doesn't work is not wise. Gauges indicate, among other things, overall engine health (oil pressure, temperature, and rpm) assuming you have an I/O. If you have an outboard there is an audible alarm system in addition to optional gauges. Non-functional instruments cannot warn you of impending disaster. So the obvious is to stick your head under the console and check for any obvious loose wiring. If even that is over your head, it means a trip to the shop.

 

[JB]

Re: Newbie What would you do?

Howdy, Brimerianzan.

Welcome to iboats.

Hmmmmm. Suppose you unexpectedly fainted in the middle of the street, then came to through no interference from anyone.

Would you get to a Doc right away or would you just sort of keep an eye on it?

Find the loose connection. . .could be +12V or could be a ground. . .and fix it before you go out again.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Newbie What would you do?

Welcome to iboats!

A little more information about the boat in question would be helpful. While it is likely you have a loose or corroded connection that is causing the problem, it could also be an automatic-reset circuit breaker tripping then resetting itself. The diagnostic steps would be slightly different depending on what setup you have (but cleaning and tightening all connections is a good idea regardless).

I agree with the others who said that you need to figure this out before using the boat again. At the least, losing power on a trip is inconvenient; at worst, it is potentially life-threatening.