Electrical Issue Continues

So I had my stereo installer replace the cable from the battery to the ignition with an 8 gauge wire. We went out yesterday and as soon as we turned on the stereo again, the engine surged, almost died, continued to run but ran rough. I killed it and then it would not start again. No ignition light at all either.

So I opened the battery compartment and the installer had wired in a 20A fuse between the battery and the dash. I didn't ask for that! I called from the lake dead in the water and he said they wanted to put something as a protection between the battery and the ignition. Is this normal? Floating out there I had to cut out the fuse and twist the wires together. The boat ran fine after that. However, I do not get the red light for ignition anymore until the key is turned. I used to be able to push in the button and the light would come on before turning the key. What causes that?

Is a 20A fuse too small? And he said that the wire he pulled out that was 10 gauge was a straight shot from the battery to the dash with no fuse. I'm certain that was the factory wiring.

Should the stereo be directly connected to the ignition or should it go through an accessory button?

I don't know what a VOM is!

Steve,
The factory feed to the dash would be fused at the dash rather that at the battery.

If he replaced the factory feed with the 20 amp, then it is quite possible it isn't big enough. Someone needs to add up the amps and it's sounding like this "installer" is not the person to handle the project. Not knowing exactly what he has removed and added, makes it difficult to diagnose the problem. If you have a hard time with electrics, find someone else besides this "installer" who can help.

In your other thread is a link to up grading the dash feed. Properly done, this means BOTH the positive and negative.

A VOM is a volt ohm meter.

Sounds like the installer may have replaced the original wire feed going to the key, with a direct (fused) line from the battery. And, then still wired the stereo off of the key switch.

Stereos typically have/want/need two power sources, One, is a constantly live source, which keeps the clock and presets going. I believe this is also the stereo's main power. The other source, is ignition switched power. This should just be the signal that tells it to turn on and off.

He should have had the stereo's main, constant on, power feed go direct to the battery.
Basically then, left everything as far as supplying the key switch alone.

Then, have the "switched" power source for the stereo go to the ignition post on the key. Even better, have the switched power source go to an available accessory switch. That way the key (and your hour meter) don't have to be on to make the stereo power switchable.

Bri892001 wrote: Sounds like the installer may have replaced the original wire feed going to the key, with a direct (fused) line from the battery. And, then still wired the stereo off of the key switch. Stereos typically have/want/need two power sources, One, is a constantly live source, which keeps the clock and presets going. I believe this is also the stereo's main power. The other source, is ignition switched power. This should just be the signal that tells it to turn on and off. He should have had the stereo's main, constant on, power feed go direct to the battery. Basically then, left everything as far as supplying the key switch alone. Then, have the "switched" power source for the stereo go to the ignition post on the key. Even better, have the switched power source go to an available accessory switch. That way the key (and your hour meter) don't have to be on to make the stereo power switchable.

It's fixed again but haven't been out yet to test since I'm waiting on a new prop to arrive. This time, he put a 60A glass breaker on the 8 gauge line from the battery to the dash. He put the stereo on Accessory 2. So we can listen to the stereo now with the engine on or off by having the ignition switch pushed on and Accessory 2 on. Will that still affect my hour meter at all? Does the hour meter run when the ignition button is pressed in or when the key starts the engine?

SteveHookEm wrote: This time, he put a 60A glass breaker on the 8 gauge line from the battery to the dash.

Did he or anyone determine the true load? It has crossed my mine several times that this guy doesn't know WTF he's doing!!! With the 8 ga. protected at 60A, he's way past the amp capacity of the wire. Have you checked the charge on you fire extinguisher lately?

When we had a 20A fuse in line, it blew immediately when I turned on the stereo while running. The stereo worked fine while just sitting with the engine off.

Now that the stereo is on Accessory 2, I don't think I'll have any issues.

Pete you beat me to it.

But actually, when you consider that the OEM wiring is semi-protected by the oversized 50A breaker (on engine), it isn't any more dangerous than CC sent from the factory.

The saving grace is that the hull isn't conductive, so a break in insulation isn't as big of problem as on a car.

Yes to all questions above. Except if you run a heavy gage hot & ground wires to buss bars, no need to also run stereo from battery, just use the buss bars. Fuse everything appropriately.

It is a good upgrade & your boat will thank you for it.

Problem solved. Ran the boat Saturday. Stereo works perfectly with the motor on or off.

It is now connected to Accessory 2. No power to the stereo unless that button is depressed.

Only remaining little item is that my red light next to the ignition button does not illuminate when the button is pressed until the key is on. Before, I could press the ignition button and see the light to know it was on. I'm afraid now the button will be left pressed and run down my battery. No idea why that changed! The light is not burned out. It comes on when I start the engine.

SteveHookEm wrote: Only remaining little item is that my red light next to the ignition button does not illuminate when the button is pressed until the key is on. Before, I could press the ignition button and see the light to know it was on. I'm afraid now the button will be left pressed and run down my battery. No idea why that changed! The light is not burned out. It comes on when I start the engine.

Don't worry that the ignition breaker itself is going to run down your battery. That alone won't. Shutting it off, guarantees everything else on that circuit is also off, but just that being on isn't using power. The ignition breaker is like plugging and unplugging a table lamp. If the lamp is switched off, it's not using power, Taking the additional step of unplugging it from the wall isn't going to make it use even less power. If it's switched off, the circuit is broken, and it's off, end of story.

As far as the change in behavior of the indicator light, that may be due to a nuance of of the wiring change. It's hard to say. If you have the breaker on, key off, but then switch on something else like the bilge, blower or horn, what happens with that indicator light?

I'll have to look at mine carefully again, but I don't think my ignition breaker indicator light goes on, unless something else is also turned on on that circuit.