Loose wire identification and nav light help

[timharper89]

My nav lights and blower are not working, so I went under the dash to investigate. Traced the blower to a bad motor, but I found the attached wire hanging. It is hot all the time, so I don't think it's related to the lights. I'm not sure what it is for. It's connected to the two larger red wires.

In regards to the nav lights, how do I get to the switch at the top of the dash to start teaching. Can I do it without taking the steering wheel off?

1987 four winns sundowner 195.
Thanks

 

[Scott Danforth]

That bundle of wires came off a switch or circuit breaker

Start following the wiring colors and chassing the system

 

[timharper89]

That bundle of wires came off a switch or circuit breaker

Start following the wiring colors and chassing the system

So the part I'm touching should be connected to a switch?

 

[Grub54891]

So the part I'm touching should be connected to a switch?

yes

 

[Scott Danforth]

So the part I'm touching should be connected to a switch?

Or a circuit beaker

 

[timharper89]

Or a circuit beaker

Ok. Seeing that it has 2 large (10ga?) wires feeding it, it seems like it would be something with a lot of draw, right? I don't know of any circuit breakers I have. They're really isn't much to overload a breaker that I'm aware of. Just engine components, radio, trim and lights. Does my boat have a breaker? How do I find it?

The purple wire with the red stripe (on the right) is open and hot. I don't know where that goes either. It appears to be piggy backing from the two larger red wires. Any ideas on how to find where it goes?

 

[Grub54891]

You put a piece of tape on that open wire to keep it from shorting while you are working on it. open up the dash panel and carefully pull it out and look very hard at all the wiring under there.. I've had success with a selfie stick under there and getting some pics with my phone to see what's going on in tight spots also.

 

[mike_i]

Could the hot wire be going to the switch for the lights? Are the nav lights the only things not working?

 

[timharper89]

Took things apart to see better. There is an empty connector on the "nav lights/anc lights" switch. There is also an empty connector on the fuse just below the switch. No idea what it goes to as they are unlabeled, and one more in the "acc" switch. I don't know what this switch does either. There is an open in line fuse (the other half is missing) that I think I installed a couple years ago (apparently not very well) , I can't remember why, but that wire leads to the cuddy cabin lights that I've never used. Not sure if the purple wire would go to that. Doesn't seem so since the lights would always be on, right? Unless there is a switch on the light. I'll check that. See acc pictures.
1.cabin light
2. Inline fuse to cabin light
3. Empty connector on the fuse box (is this the "circuit breaker"?)
4. Connector to "acc" switch
5. Connector to "nav lights" switch


Edit :there is a switch on the light. I'm guessing that's where the line wire goes.

 

[timharper89]

After following the wires around and doing some multimeter tests, I landed on putting it on the fuse that looked like it went to the nav light switch. There was no power to the switch. The lights now work. I think when I replaced the steering cable last year I must have bumped them loose.