Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

[Fester]

I have completely ripped out all of the wiring in my "new" boat and looking to rewire EVERYTHING. I have never done this before and want to verify that I am going about this the correct way. Can someone....anyone, tell me whether this diagram is correct, and if not...tell me what I need to change? Thanks in advance!!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

You are ok except for the gauges. As you have them, they will be on all the time. The +12 volt feed to the gauges should come from the "A" terminal on the igntion switch which is active only when the key is on. Also, power for the gauges is daisy chained so +12V from one gauge is jumpered to the next and the next, etc. Same for ground. The internal light for each gauge is powered from the NAV side of the light switch. This way the dash lights are not on when the ANC light is on. The light switch is also the wrong type. It needs to be an ON-OFF-ON type. Up allows both the nav and anc lights to operate. Down allows only the ANC light to be on. That's a rule - not a "nice to have feature". If you are moving you are navigating. If not the ANC light is the only light that should be on. Then you might check that wiring carefully as you have 12 volts going into the switch and the output is going to ground. That makes a good fuse tester circuit in which every fuse you install will blow out instantly when you turn the switch on. You NEVER put ground on the switch. In fact all of the switches are incorrectly wired. The only ground connection on a switch is IF the switch has a pilot light built in. Here is a how a switch gets wired and how current flows. This is for a lighting circuit but it applies to any circuit.

Here is how the NAV/ANC switch is wired.

 

[Fester]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

Giving the fact that the wiring switch is a 3 way.....are the corrections I made the right way?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

Are you not going to switch the power to the fishfinder? Personally, I wouldn't bother.

 

[Fester]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

I forgot to update that information on the diagram....aside from that is everything correct?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

Nope -- better but still not correct. You have what you are calling a "Power Switch" after the ignition switch. That switch is not necessary since it is the ignition switch that turns the gauges on and off. Remove the Power Switch. But if you feel you really need a MASTER power switch it would go in the main power feed to the +12 volt bus bar. That feed would have a 20A breaker back at the battery. You also show a fuse between the ignition switch and the Power Switch. That fuse is also unnecessary since the feed to that circuit comes through the engine harness and that feed is protected by a 20 amp fuse back at the engine. The fish finder will end up being on all the time since you have it wired to a +12 volt feed. Move that wire to the other terminal on the switch. But why switch something that has its own power switch. Radio and fish finders are good examples of why you don't need them on a switch. It is redundant and unnecessary. the speedometer doesn't have an "S" terminal but it does have a a light "L" terminal. There is no Send wire on a speedo. The Tachometer has an "I" ignition terminal that you don't show. That is the same connection as the "I" terminal on the fuel gauge. Fuel tank sending unit needs a ground. All the gauges need a light connection. Your light switch will not work for NAV and ANC lights so the light switch you show would only be useful for cabin/courtesy lights. Lastly, the ground bus bar does not need jumpers since it is a solid bar with several screws. They are all common so no jumpers are necessary. The +12 volt bus bar does not need to be a bus bar at all but rather a single binding post with ring terminals on all the red wires. Don't make this more complicated than it needs to be. The more complexity you add the more points of failure you add. Why don't you just refer to the "sticky" at the very top of this forum titled "Generic Wiring Diagram". All the work has been done for you.

 

[flargin]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

Fester you are one detailed SOB... I like it...

it is very easy to over-engineer these things... I know I do it all the time...

Silvertip, do you prefer the "fuse Block" or using the inline fuses,,, any pro's or cons? You talk about the +12 being a Binding post, which I would assume would mean you would need inline fuse holders...

Thansk

 

[Fester]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

Thatnks guys....and yes, if I am not detailed I do not feel comfortable with doing it.....Here is the updated wiring based on the information from SilverTip....also, the Speedo does not have an "I"...only an "S" and "GND" so I am assuming that the "S" has the power going to it....Also, the terminal bar I have does not appear to be a solid bar so I think that the jumpers will be required...........Please let me know if I have it down in this updated diagram...Thanks so much for your help guys....you make this site invaluable.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

As I said, you are making this way too complicated and trouble-prone. In-line fuses were discontinued years ago because they are troublesome. Using inline fused presents a minimum of five potential points of failure. These include the two splices or solder joints on the fuse holder, the fuse holder itself, and the two internal connections. A fuse panel provides only two connections which amount to the blade style fuse connections. Spade connections for each branch circuit connect to the fuse panel with very reliable spade terminal connections. Yes -- a fuse panel is much prefered over inline fuses, more convenient, electrically superior, and much easier to install and troubleshoot should a problem occur. Again, I refer you to the sticky for how this should be done.

Here is a typical fuse panel installation with one circuit shown.

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

Not positive about this, but wouldn't you need a higher amperage main fuse/breaker between the battery and power switch if the combine load of all your accessories (bilge, live-well, lights, etc) are greater than 20A?

 

[Fester]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

SilverTip......I undertand what you are saying about the inline fuses but if I wanted to use them is that going to be a problem with functionality? I know that it will cause troubleshooting to be more comples but I am trying to restore the wiring to original state and purchased inline fuses a while back and do not see the need to spend more money than I have to (on a tight budget).....If the diagram will not work because of the inline fuses then I will buy a fuse panel....but hoping that the update I provided is correct based on using inline fuses....can you confirm?


Also, I was advised earlier in this post to use a 20amp fuse from the battery to the bus bar.....can you confirm that the AMPS are sufficient?

 

[John_S]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

I run my console depthfinder off a switch, but it also feeds an accessory outlet, for an airator or other small items. The fishfinder powerline has an inline fuse of about 1-2amps (would have to check), but your fishfinder manual probably has a specific recommendation. The power cord on most fishfinders would probably smoke before the 10amp fuse blew. Fuse size is usually based on wire and current carring capacity. It is OK to be smaller, but not larger. The standard 10amps you are using seems high for some of the devices.

I agree with Sivertip, that you are probably better off using a standard or based from a standard wiring diagram. I don't see anything unusual that you are trying to run to make the "roll your own" effort be worthwhile. I see it only creating more problems and time lost debugging, but I also understand the "challenge".

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

Hi,

If say all the components you have listed take 5 amps, fishfinder ~ 1 amp then I would say you're on the edge, but I'm not sure the draw from the bilge pump and livewell, if these are 10A then I think a 30 or 40A main would be better, and also allow you to expand as well... Stereo perhaps? You still have circuit protection, for each accessory.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

Electrically the in-line fuses are ok but even on an amatuer restoration I would not use them. Don't take offense at the amatuer restoration statement. What you are doing already puts you out of the professional restorer category so for "originality" this boat would flunk the test anyway and be much more valuable down the road at sale time if it had a fuse panel. But suit yourself. As for fuse sizes, your in-line fuses are probably bigger than they should be except for the bilge and livewell pumps. The idea of the 20A main fuse is that it protects the feed from the battery to the +12 volt buss bar. All of the devices you have will never draw 20A so yes, it is the correct value. One need only look at your home fuse/breaker panel and you will see that if you add up the value of all the fuses it exceeds the value of the main entrance fuse. That's because that main fuse is selected to limit the maximum amount of current flow through the panel. Rarely if ever does that fuse/breaker open even though the total of all fuses is higher. It's because none of the circuits ever are on simultaneously and the total current draw is less than the entrance fuse/breaker.

 

[Fester]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

I will check to see what the appropriate amperage is for each of the devices....I put 10amps in because that is what was there when I got the boat.....and I know that I may be doing this wiring a little unorthodox but I have never done this before and this diagram is seeming more logical to me as time goes on and I receive input from you guys......I know that many may disagree but I am sticking with what I have but want to verify that based on what I am showing....will it work? Thanks again guys!

 

[flargin]

Re: Please Verify My Wiring Diagram

I will check to see what the appropriate amperage is for each of the devices....I put 10amps in because that is what was there when I got the boat.....and I know that I may be doing this wiring a little unorthodox but I have never done this before and this diagram is seeming more logical to me as time goes on and I receive input from you guys......I know that many may disagree but I am sticking with what I have but want to verify that based on what I am showing....will it work? Thanks again guys!

Fester,
You are doing fine, it takes a lot of time to learn, and sometimes you have to work a lot of different ways to figure it out.

What you may want to do, to expand your learning is keep working your design for a while since you understand it. then take the examples under the forum stickies and try to re-model yours based on those format... Reason... there is a lot of experience in the information under the experience, both in ease of maintenance and ease of installation, which will both help you.

Your stuff is not that far off, if you are able to think through how your diagram can be morphed to one of the suggested diagrams, you will have a much better idea of how electricity works.

Keep it up, keep working on it.