Electrical System Upgrade Help
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Engine Repair
Forum Discription: Engine problems and solutions
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4655
Printed Date: November-23-2024 at 7:00pm
Topic: Electrical System Upgrade Help
Posted By: JR_VIC
Subject: Electrical System Upgrade Help
Date Posted: August-28-2006 at 11:26pm
I have been restoring and fixing all of the gremlins in my 92 SNCB for the last few months. I am now working on the electrical system. My boat sounds like the other early 90's models with poor grounding in the dash and gauges along with what appears to be inadeuqate power supply wire from the battery/solenoid up to the ignition switch on the dash. I have just upgrade to the GT40 100 amp alternator and added a second Odyssey battery for the stereo system and that part is working great...it is just the gauges reading inaccurate and/or not supplying enough power needed such as dim dash lights/nav lights/perfet pa$$ flipping on and off with numerous accessories turned on.
I beleive my boat has a 20 amp igntion breaker/switch at the dash. Others have mentioned that the main power wire from the battery/solenoid up to the igntion switch is too small such as a 12 gauge wire. I want to run a new main power from the back up to the front in an 8 gauge size right the igniton breaker. I had planned to change the current 20 amp ignition switch over to a larger 30 amp igntion switch adding more capacity. So here is my question...by running a new 8 gauge wire up to the igntion switch should I upgrade to the larger 30 amp switch or is the 20 amp sufficient in size? I am not an electrical engineer so I don't want to just change to a 30 amp igntion switch and cause a potential meltdown or burn up something. I will also be replacing all of the current blade connectors on the gauges and adding heat shrink along with adding a negative ground wire from each gauge to a ground distribution block to help.
Does all of this sound OK? Any potential problems or concerns? Thanks in advance!
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Replies:
Posted By: rmcdonald
Date Posted: August-29-2006 at 8:13am
Hi JR
I would not change the 20Amp Circuit breaker.
Questions:
Have you ever tripped the 20Amp Circuit breaker.
Does the instrument cluster have an Ammeter, if so what does it read?
I think that you are on the right track with the earth block and the connectors.
I would bet that this is the main cause of you problems and not the gauge of the wire feeding the circuit.
If the problem happens all the time or you know how to reproduce it take some voltage measurements with a voltmeter or multimeter.
Measure the voltage across the terminals of you battery to give you a start point.
Leave the Negative lead of the meter on the negative terminal of the battery.
( By doing this it eliminates the earth circuit from the instrument cluster to the battery. )
With the positive lead of the meter take measurements of the voltage at the following points.
Before the circuit breaker, The voltage should be the same as the battery.
If there is a significant difference compared to the voltage at the battery then you have a problem with this part of the circuit. This could be connectors or damaged wire.
Take measurements at the input to each device that you have on the circuit, you should not see any significant voltage drop when compared to the battery voltage.
Repeat the above process but this time put the negative lead of the meter on the earth point at the instrument cluster.
If you see a significant difference in the voltage measurements then you have an earth problem
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Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: August-29-2006 at 8:57am
rmcdonald is right about tracing grounding issues. However, its well known that the early 90's Nautiques in particular have inadequate power and ground wires coming to the dash. Running larger gauge wires should help (and certainly wont hurt anything).
Replacing the 20A ignition breaker with a 30A would allow your ignition circuit to draw more current before it trips- but thats not something you want to do. Just keep the 20A breaker and run a larger power and ground.
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