Hello all. I recently installed my Garmin Fish Finder that my kids gave me last Christmas. I had some issues with the electrical connection. The easiest way for me to get power to this fish finder was to purchase a cigarette connector and plug it right into the dashboard. I wasn't too thrilled as to how it looked with all that excess wire all over the dash. By the way; it was working just fine using it that way. So I thought why not connect it to the same cigarette lighter wires below the console to hide all that excess wire. I was going to piggyback the wires from the fish finder to the wires for the cigarette lighter and keep the lighter port functional. Then I thought that I would never use the cigarette lighter port on the dash; so I disconnected the lighter port from below and just used those wires for the fish finder. It was all working perfectly well. I used it a few days ago and when I left the boat, I took the fish finder with me. I capped the electric plug for the fish finder with the waterproof cap that it comes with. Yesterday I was taking my kids out on the boat and the outboard motor would not start. Everything else electrical was working, but no engine start. I checked the battery and it was fully charged. I went under the console and found that the large bundle of wires had a charred mark at the wire connector and one wire, a black one, had melted. I called Sun Tracker and they said to take it to an authorized dealer to get it fixed under warranty. I dropped it off this morning and told the service manager what I had do with the electric for the fish finder. He told me that it could have something to do with the situation that I am having. Any thoughts on this? I don't think this service company wants to put it through warranty. I am very confused as to how he thinks that one thing had anything to do with the other. Attached is a picture of the burnt connector. Please give me your thoughts. Thanks.
