I just purchased a Catalina 22 and have questions about the electrical system. It appears simple - just a master switch, cabin lights, navigation lights, anchor light, and accessories switch. At first, nothing seemed to work, except the master switch and the battery. By examining connections and changing a few bulbs, I was able to get two out of three cabin lights working. I can't understand why the third one doesn't work. And, I have not been able to get the exterior lights to work either. I have tried changing bulbs and examined all the connections at the switch plate with no luck. It seems as though all the wiring is very well concealed through the hull, so I cannot inspect it. Any suggestions on how I can further DIAGNOSE and FIX the problem? Thank you!
12 volt power
- Thread starter Kevin Jeske
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Multimeter
Hi Kevin - The best way to troubleshoot electrical systems is by systematically testing along the line from the source with a multimeter (set to volts). Check voltage every step of the way to narrow down the problem. Best of luck! Trevor
Hi Kevin - The best way to troubleshoot electrical systems is by systematically testing along the line from the source with a multimeter (set to volts). Check voltage every step of the way to narrow down the problem. Best of luck! Trevor
More info please
By "outside lights" do you mean mast lights or the bow and stern lights? On my 1986 C22 the wiring runs behind the teak trim at the deck/hull joint. The feeds to the bow and stern light were tough to get to but possible nonetheless. You should get yourself a voltmeter so that you can test if the lights are getting power. Also, check all connections as they may have some corrosion. If you have an older C22 also make sure the fuses are OK. What year is your C22? The older models may have wiring actually in the cabin top which will be very tough to work with. You may have to run some new wiring.
By "outside lights" do you mean mast lights or the bow and stern lights? On my 1986 C22 the wiring runs behind the teak trim at the deck/hull joint. The feeds to the bow and stern light were tough to get to but possible nonetheless. You should get yourself a voltmeter so that you can test if the lights are getting power. Also, check all connections as they may have some corrosion. If you have an older C22 also make sure the fuses are OK. What year is your C22? The older models may have wiring actually in the cabin top which will be very tough to work with. You may have to run some new wiring.
wire test
Hi Kevin One thing to look for is corrosion at the wire connections. These connections can get moisture in the wiring. This moisture works its way between the wire and insulation. Check the wire at connections and splices for a green corrosion on the copper wire. This corrosion will give you a high resistance causing the lights to not work. When testing with a VOM there should be something less than 5 ohms resistance. I have had a simular problem on my trailer lights. I have fixt my trailer problem for ever. What I did was to cut out any green Corrosion on the wire ends. I place a three inch piece of shrink tubing over one end of the wire end. Next I twisted the wire ends together and soldered the wires together. Then I slid the shrink tubing over the soldered joint and shrunk the tubing over the joint. Next I covered the shrink tubing with clear silicone sealant. no more problems with wire corrosion. I also use a Dyaletric lub on the light socket pins. I hope that this will help you. Fair winds AL
Hi Kevin One thing to look for is corrosion at the wire connections. These connections can get moisture in the wiring. This moisture works its way between the wire and insulation. Check the wire at connections and splices for a green corrosion on the copper wire. This corrosion will give you a high resistance causing the lights to not work. When testing with a VOM there should be something less than 5 ohms resistance. I have had a simular problem on my trailer lights. I have fixt my trailer problem for ever. What I did was to cut out any green Corrosion on the wire ends. I place a three inch piece of shrink tubing over one end of the wire end. Next I twisted the wire ends together and soldered the wires together. Then I slid the shrink tubing over the soldered joint and shrunk the tubing over the joint. Next I covered the shrink tubing with clear silicone sealant. no more problems with wire corrosion. I also use a Dyaletric lub on the light socket pins. I hope that this will help you. Fair winds AL
More Info, Testing, & Multimeters
Randy: I believe my Catalina 22 is a 1982 model and you are right - the wiring appears to be through the cabin top. So, replacing the wiring will probably be a "challenge". Yes, by "outside" lights I am referring to the mast, bow & stern lights. The mast light could just be "burned out". I don't look forward to dropping the mast, but I guess that's the only way I will be able to solve that problem. Although I have a multimeter, I must admit I really don't know how to use it. Perhaps someone could tell me how it is supposed to work. Certainly, I know you set it to a voltage just greater than what you are trying to test (say, "20" for 12-volt). Then, you touch the black probe to one wire (I guess) and the red wire to the other. I wouldn't know which wire to touch with which probe. Does it matter? If done correctly, I guess I should get a reading. Is that right? Is it that simple? At least there's no danger of electrocution.
Randy: I believe my Catalina 22 is a 1982 model and you are right - the wiring appears to be through the cabin top. So, replacing the wiring will probably be a "challenge". Yes, by "outside" lights I am referring to the mast, bow & stern lights. The mast light could just be "burned out". I don't look forward to dropping the mast, but I guess that's the only way I will be able to solve that problem. Although I have a multimeter, I must admit I really don't know how to use it. Perhaps someone could tell me how it is supposed to work. Certainly, I know you set it to a voltage just greater than what you are trying to test (say, "20" for 12-volt). Then, you touch the black probe to one wire (I guess) and the red wire to the other. I wouldn't know which wire to touch with which probe. Does it matter? If done correctly, I guess I should get a reading. Is that right? Is it that simple? At least there's no danger of electrocution.
Kevin, Don't Worry if you get it wrong
The voltmeter leads are red is positive and black is negative. The light sockets are the center contact is positive and the outside is negative. If you get it wrong, using a digital VOM (Volt Ohm Meter), the voltage will read negative (so what!), while with an analog meter, the needle will deflect backwards. If this happens, just reverse the leads and then read the voltage. In short, you almost can't screw it up. The cheap digital VOMs are usually self ranging, and it takes a big over voltage (don't ask me how I know!) to blow out an analog VOM. The other No-No is to measure resistance (ohms) with the system energized. Steve Alchemist C-320
The voltmeter leads are red is positive and black is negative. The light sockets are the center contact is positive and the outside is negative. If you get it wrong, using a digital VOM (Volt Ohm Meter), the voltage will read negative (so what!), while with an analog meter, the needle will deflect backwards. If this happens, just reverse the leads and then read the voltage. In short, you almost can't screw it up. The cheap digital VOMs are usually self ranging, and it takes a big over voltage (don't ask me how I know!) to blow out an analog VOM. The other No-No is to measure resistance (ohms) with the system energized. Steve Alchemist C-320
New Wiring
Kevin, yur best bet msy be to run new wiring. Your mast wiring should have a connection at the base of the mast that you can check. In my 1986 C22 the wiring to the bow and stearn lights runs right at the deck/hull joint and then went up into the stern rail and bow rail. Also the mast wiring runs in the bilge and then up the mast support, which is wood in your boat. You could put in new wiring following that same path. It's a hassle but getting working lights is a real plus. Also try the C22 National Association site. You can google it.
Kevin, yur best bet msy be to run new wiring. Your mast wiring should have a connection at the base of the mast that you can check. In my 1986 C22 the wiring to the bow and stearn lights runs right at the deck/hull joint and then went up into the stern rail and bow rail. Also the mast wiring runs in the bilge and then up the mast support, which is wood in your boat. You could put in new wiring following that same path. It's a hassle but getting working lights is a real plus. Also try the C22 National Association site. You can google it.
A HAPPY ENDING . . .
Well, following all of the advice I received, I am happy to report that everything is functioning (including a bildge pump I installed - and hope I never need). It was not, however, without some challenges. The greatest challenge was the MAST LIGHT. After figuring out a clever way to access the bulb from a second store balcony at the marina Ship Store, I determined that the problem was related to the wiring in the mast. I thought it would be as simple as connecting new wire to the old wire and pulling it through. No way! Much to my surprise, I found an obstruction inside the mast whivh turned out to be an old bird's nest with plenty of big feathers! So, needles to say (pine needles), I had to lower the mast for the first time. Although it appeared to be daunting at first, it really wasn't so bad. More challenging than the mast was the "plug" that screwws into the socket mounted on the top of the cabin - you know - the one that looks like the bottom of a 12-volt light bulb with two screw-like heads for terminals. Well, I'm still not sure how you're suppose to stick the wires in there and screw it to hold them in place. I tried to figure out how it's supposed to work and can't really say I succeeded. The important thing, is it seems that I have "accidentally" figured it out because it seems to be working well. I've just NEVER seen a plug like that before. Certainly, if I ever have a problem with the mast light, I'll know where to look first! Thanks to everyone who provided encouragement.
Well, following all of the advice I received, I am happy to report that everything is functioning (including a bildge pump I installed - and hope I never need). It was not, however, without some challenges. The greatest challenge was the MAST LIGHT. After figuring out a clever way to access the bulb from a second store balcony at the marina Ship Store, I determined that the problem was related to the wiring in the mast. I thought it would be as simple as connecting new wire to the old wire and pulling it through. No way! Much to my surprise, I found an obstruction inside the mast whivh turned out to be an old bird's nest with plenty of big feathers! So, needles to say (pine needles), I had to lower the mast for the first time. Although it appeared to be daunting at first, it really wasn't so bad. More challenging than the mast was the "plug" that screwws into the socket mounted on the top of the cabin - you know - the one that looks like the bottom of a 12-volt light bulb with two screw-like heads for terminals. Well, I'm still not sure how you're suppose to stick the wires in there and screw it to hold them in place. I tried to figure out how it's supposed to work and can't really say I succeeded. The important thing, is it seems that I have "accidentally" figured it out because it seems to be working well. I've just NEVER seen a plug like that before. Certainly, if I ever have a problem with the mast light, I'll know where to look first! Thanks to everyone who provided encouragement.
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