getting desperate! (of course if you own a Sailboat (20 years old one).... you understand. So, I replaced the alternator in my 2006 Catalina 350 (it has the Universal M35B engine) with a higher output one. It ran fine for maybe 10 minutes. The next day I started the engine and within 20 seconds the 10 amp circuit breaker on the helm pedestal tripped. Tried a couple of times and same thing. I replaced the circuit breaker and the ignition switch. Like an IDIOT (me), I thought the output was too high and replaced it with the standard 50/55 amp one. Started the engine and pop. No Joy. I have NO idea what is going on and if anyone here has suggestions, PLEASE respond por favor..... Thanks in advance, Dave Bloomquist, NYBOR (Robyn spelled backwards)
helm circuit breaker tripping
- Thread starter nybor
- Start date
What does not work when the CB kicks. It may have nothing to do with the alternator. Do you have wheel auto helm? It may be the problem.
After the CB kicks, does the alternator put out about 14 VDC and charge the batteries?
After the CB kicks, does the alternator put out about 14 VDC and charge the batteries?
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 24,890
Your issues do not necessarily have anything to do with your old or new alternator.
Before you go replacing everything. Let's discover the cause of the circuit breaker action.
"A circuit breaker trips primarily due to overloaded circuits, short circuits, or ground faults. These issues occur when the electrical demand exceeds the circuit's capacity, when wires come into contact with each other, or when a hot wire touches a grounded surface, respectively."
You need to inspect the wires connected to and near the circuit breaker. Trace the wires to their source. Then determine what fault occured causing the circuit breaker to trip, and save your boat. Fix that fault and you solve your problem.
Time to find a Digital Volt Meter and go to work.
Oh by the way, my boat is 54 years young.
The alternator supplies the house batteries, the 12VDC bus supplies the "helm breaker". The alternator does not affect the "helm breaker" if it's putting out 12VDC.
Have you measured the output voltage from the alt. ?
You have a circuit breaker on the helm pedestal ? Not likely unless someone on a day pass got to it first. I'm sure that the original factory installed helm circuit breaker was on your 12VDC breaker panel. I've got to wonder what you're looking at on the pedestal.
The ignition switch can only fail open or fail closed. This does not affect the circuit load.
Exactly. For starters we need a picture of the so called "circuit breaker" on the helm pedestal and a picture of your 12VDC breaker panel. No one ever complained about too many pictures. High res pics.
You supply the pictures and we'll tell you what's going on. If you can't be bothered to send the pictures (like so many others with problems) you can figure it out yourself. Oh yeah, that didn't work. Or the more likely outcome is to pay out $500.00+ (min. hours and travelling time) to have an electrician do it for you.
On my catalina 310, the 10 amp circuit breaker on the engine panel below the wheel is for the blower motor, sucking the hot air out of the engine compartment. Shortly after start up I would turn it on, shortly thereafter it would trip. After many episodes of this I replaced the circuit breaker with a new one and the problem disappeared. A multi meter check indicated that the cb tripped at just over 5 amps.
"Shortly after start up I would turn it on,"
I believe the fan is supposed to be turned on before the engine is run. This is to remove any explosive fumes from engine room, specially if it is a gasoline engine.
So, it appears that the blower motor may be at fault.
I believe the fan is supposed to be turned on before the engine is run. This is to remove any explosive fumes from engine room, specially if it is a gasoline engine.
So, it appears that the blower motor may be at fault.
A Catalina 310 or 350 would have a diesel engine. Fumes are a much lesser concern with them. The blower is mainly just to vent hot air from the engine compartment.
At one time (don't know about now as I haven't been to a boat show for a number of years) Hunter included an exhaust fan for cooling. I installed a cooler fan to put my alternator to work with the new exterior alternator regulator.
So it does exist. Why in everything that's holy would Cat have a circuit breaker mounted on the pedestal, out in the elements, rather than on the 12VDC panel on the interior as most boats have. Here's my 12VDC panel with three separate breakers which supply three separate circuits within the pedestal :
However, the OP says he removed the original 10A breaker and inserted a "50/55" amp" breaker which also tripped. Anyone able to explain what a 50/55 amp circuit breaker is ?
Until the OP can start answering a few simple questions and supply more info, we'll never know what's going on in the pedestal.
this is why I usually don’t bother trying anymore. It’s a waste of time dealing with unresponsive people
It's only been 24 hours. Not everyone is as tied to this site as others. Hopefully the OP will come around to satisfy our own curiosity.
Perhaps this is the 10 amp breaker he is talking about.
I assume " I thought the output was too high and replaced it with standard 50/55 amp one" means he swapped out the new high output alternator back to the old lower output alternator.
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I put the question into Search (Safari, system 27) and got this:
(There was quite a bit more amplifying information below that, but this was gist of it.)
"AI Overview
The 10-amp push-to-reset circuit breaker on the engine/helm instrument panel of a Catalina 350 protects the 12V DC power circuit feeding the engine preheat/glow plug system, fuel lift pump, and related ignition/engine control circuitry. [1, 2] "
(There was quite a bit more amplifying information below that, but this was gist of it.)
"AI Overview
The 10-amp push-to-reset circuit breaker on the engine/helm instrument panel of a Catalina 350 protects the 12V DC power circuit feeding the engine preheat/glow plug system, fuel lift pump, and related ignition/engine control circuitry. [1, 2] "
@Richard19068 , you are a scholar and a gentleman as evidenced by your English dissection on the overuse of pronouns. It was this confusion that left me thinking it was a larger circuit breaker (the 50/55 amp one) the OP installed whereas in truth, it looks like the previous, smaller alternator was re-installed. Mind you, I understand the jury is still out on the "gentleman" part of your moniker 
.
I would still like to see what the OP's pedestal electrical panel looks like. From the previous info we've received from the OP, elecrical circuitry is not their strong point. Big deal ! Brain surgery is not my strong point. Just depends on how your background reads.
.I would still like to see what the OP's pedestal electrical panel looks like. From the previous info we've received from the OP, elecrical circuitry is not their strong point. Big deal ! Brain surgery is not my strong point. Just depends on how your background reads.
My sentiments exactly. There have been some real prizes on here recently. Seems to be the new norm. If they can't help us to understand their problem, let them shell out the $500.00+ for a solution, as displayed so far in this case.
I have rarely been called either a scholar or a gentleman. I'll take that as a compliment. But, I do have to admit that when I first read the original post I said to myself, how and why would he put a 50 amp breaker in there?!@Richard19068 , you are a scholar and a gentleman as evidenced by your English dissection on the overuse of pronouns. It was this confusion that left me thinking it was a larger circuit breaker (the 50/55 amp one) the OP installed whereas in truth, it looks like the previous, smaller alternator was re-installed. Mind you, I understand the jury is still out on the "gentleman" part of your moniker
And now that it is the weekend I do hope the OP will chime in. I do see though that this is his first post since 2021 so maybe he won't. Very frustrating. Especially after he said "PLEASE respond..."