My turn with a old boat that has a sudden loss of ALL battery power in a 45 year old boat.

[cyclops222]

Oh well.

Corroded battery wire ends & compression lugs should be the cause. Will post the cure.

 

[Chris1956]

Just so you know, battery cables can rot out under the insulation. They tend to bulge in that area.

Also, I had a positive battery cable rot out overnight when it turned to blue/green paste. It was connected to the battery, was sitting in saltwater, and had a nick in the insulation. The water in the bilge had a ground path to the bay.

 

[cyclops222]

Thanks Chris I am Starting to die from the cancers in me. Totally forgout the wicking of water thru any opening in the insulation. A very young mechanic helper taught me to wrap any spaces on lugs with Plastic electrical tape. To seal out water / condensation running down a cable and under the wire insulation ends

 

[dubs283]

Heat shrink tubing is the best addition to battery cable ends.

Manufacturing your own is easy, just need a suitable crimper for the lugs/ends.

 

[dingbat]

A very young mechanic helper taught me to wrap any spaces on lugs with Plastic electrical tape. To seal out water / condensation running down a cable and under the wire insulation ends

Replaced both my ground cables this Spring. The resistance values where starting to creep up

Cant make a good cable for what you can buy them for. Been using these guys for a number of years now.

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If you make the cables yourself, make sure you use heavy walled, adhesive lined heat shrink on the ends

 

[cyclops222]

HO HO HO I decided to do some very needed rewiring of the control panel Change old glass fuses.
Turns out I wired in a NO starting of the starter motor.
If you do not turn on Bilge pump #1 FIRST. Leave it on. Turn the the ignition to on. Hear the power on whistle. Turn to starter motor and RUMMMPP !! I am going to leave that NON CONFORMING sequence.

 

[Chris1956]

So you must turn on the bilge pump in order to start the engine? That could be an issue when you forget and need to start the engine to get out of a dangerous situation.

 

[cyclops222]

Thank you Chris. I will return the logic to normal.

 

[cyclops222]

The cancer is really starting to eat my brain now. I took 5 minutes to figure out why I did, what I did. Boat is now normal again.