electrical advice

[luke watson]

my accessories fuse blows everytime I start the engine, so I've got no sounder/ bait tank everytime I fish...... replaced the fuse holder as it was a little corroded but still same issue. Any help greatly appreciated.

[jeffb5.8]

Hey Luke

Does it only happen on Start up? if you change the fuse whilst the engine is running does it blow the fuse?

[kingie chaser]

41 minutes ago, luke watson said:

my accessories fuse blows everytime I start the engine, so I've got no sounder/ bait tank everytime I fish...... replaced the fuse holder as it was a little corroded but still same issue. Any help greatly appreciated.

Electrics are a minefield.

First thing would be check all the connections & earths on all your connected equipment to start with.

 

If you have been running without any issues for a long time & its just started happening then its either a bad ground or a short on a connection or newly exposed area from warn insulation.

Also depending on your system you should have multiple fuses so if its the same fuse thats going you just need to trace what is working off that fuse to work out where the short is coming from. 

 

[zmk1962]

3 hours ago, luke watson said:

my accessories fuse blows everytime I start the engine, so I've got no sounder/ bait tank everytime I fish...... replaced the fuse holder as it was a little corroded but still same issue. Any help greatly appreciated.

Hi Luke, I'm not sure of your wiring experience but we are missing info to help pin point the issue.

1) Is this a 1 battery or 2 battery system? Does everything run off 1 battery, or do you have a starter battery and an accessory battery?

2) Is you system wired so your accessories come online when you turn the start switch? ... or is there a separate switch to turn on the accessories?

If its wired for accessories to come online when you turn the start switch ... it suggests that you are drawing current for your starting motor through the accessory circuit (causing the accessory fuse to blow) in parallel with your starter motor circuit which then takes over and allows the motor to start.

Generically speaking, the motor start switch (read low current switch) at the helm of the boat.... drives a relay (read high current switch) at the back of the boat to start the motor. The starter switch has thin wires - all they need to carry is the current to drive the relay switch. The relay switch has all the thick starter motor cables - it needs to carry the current to drive the starter motor - it is usually located in the motor. 

So as KC said .....

2 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

you just need to trace what is working off that fuse to work out where the short is coming from. 

Putting the Negative (earth) circuit aside for the moment. ... you need to identify where you accessory circuit is connected to for Positive.  Start with the fuse that keeps blowing... one wire will go to supply the sounder/bait tank, the other wire will go to where you are taking Positive. What is that connected to??? 

Cheers Zoran

 

 

[luke watson]

Thanks guys for all the advice, ended up getting a lecco from work to take a look for me, he replaced the wiring( which was dodgy). Can't get it to fault now out of water so going to throw it in the drink tomorrow and see what happens. Cheers. 

[dmck]

Ah.... electrickery...... its all done by elctro-magic...