I recently bought a 2000 Beneteau 331. The 12V plug at the helm doesn’t work. From what I can tell this is supposed to be controlled by one of the 12V switches on the panel that then goes to a switch that turns on the high current that the plug at the helm can draw. The line from the plug is very thick, it obviously can carry more current than the wires that go to the 12V panel. However I can’t find where the switch is located. The wire from the helm goes along the aft cabin ceiling, but I can’t trace it much further. Does anybody know where the switch is located.
12V Plug at helm
- Thread starter Scott Duncan
- Start date
Did it used to work? Have you measured 12vdc across the plug connecting wires? Turn on all switchs and see if voltage becomes present. If so, then turn off one by one until power goes away. You will find the one that provides power.
You can measure 12v at each switch as you turn them on. There may be a bad switch.
If all fails you can determine if the negative or positive wire is broken, then run a new wire to a switch on the panel and share with inside 12v plug.
You can measure 12v at each switch as you turn them on. There may be a bad switch.
If all fails you can determine if the negative or positive wire is broken, then run a new wire to a switch on the panel and share with inside 12v plug.
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The plug at the helm never worked. When I measure the voltage on the wires that go to the plug I see no voltage, so it isn’t that the plug itself is the problem. When I turn on all of the switches at the 12V panel the red light comes on, not sure if this indicates that the switch is working. On all the labeled switches the when the switch is in the on position the item that is supposed to be powered by that switch comes on. As I said in the original post the wires going to the plug are much heavier duty than tge wires that go to the 12V panel. Therefore at some location there is a circuit where it switches from the wires that go to the 12V switches and the heavier duty wire that goes to the plug. I am looking for someone who can tell me where that is located.
Ok, good detective work. Was the plug added by the previous owner? If not then the diagram should show all the terminal blocks that are factory installed. Since the two wires are different then , yes, there is a connection somewhere along the way. It should be accessible. Unfortunately I do not own a Beneteau, but I did add a cigarette liter outlet on the captains console and connected it to the screw terminal block that was behind the instruments.
I am not sure if the original owner added the plug. He has been unwilling to answer other questions about the boat. I have asked the Beneteau spare parts person about the location but have not heard back from them. I have opened the panel that allows me to look at the area behind the 12v panel and the unit I am looking for is not there.
Does the outlet wiring have an inline fuse? My guess is it is not a factory install. But the fact that is heavy gauge for the load, maybe it is. It could be that it is not switched, but simply added to a bus bar someplace. But hopefully it at least has an inline fuse. Maybe it has come loose or was disconnected from whatever it was tapped into. If you were adding the same wiring, where would you go to tap into a 12 v source?
There is no fuse near the helm where I can access the heavy duty wire. Since I can’t find where the this wire goes, which is what I am asking for, I can’t determine if there is a problem at the other end of the this wire.
