Beneteau 323, battery switches are 3 handles, 2 red(one for engine start battery one for house battery), 1 black negative/ground. The black handle must have broken off when bumped as we moved some gear in the boat. I saw the handle had broken and fallen off. We were not at are home port as we were in transit to our new port( left Milwaukee and in transit to Sturgeon Bay). Of course this was midway and in the evening as we were getting ready to sleep. The handle was damaged beyond repair and I couldn’t see a way to manually manipulate the switch. Fortunately the switch had been bumped to the on position when it was hit ( couldn’t tell by looking at it but turning the red switches on I could use the batteries as usual, I start with starting battery and use the house battery for the house). We finished the trip and no problem with the batteries. As time allows will fix/repair this. In the meantime it doesn’t seem that there is any urgency as everything is working. On the rest of the trip I alternated using the house battery and start battery to start and run the engine for each leg of the trip. Everything thing went fine and batteries ok at the end of the trip. Would there be any problem using my battery charger with this negative/ground switch in the on position? This forum has been a help to us. There is a lot of valuable information in it. On a side note I thought during an early leg of the trip the dripless shaft seal was badly leaking. As I was soaking up water my wife was on the forum searching for an answer, it wasn’t the shaft seal. It was from a fresh water leak the evening before. Too long of a story but the shaft seal was bone dry the rest of the trip. My wife and forum saved the trip.
Broken negative/ground battery switch
- Thread starter Mike8193
- Start date
No worries keeping the ground switch in the On position at all. Most boats don’t even have a ground switch - the ground is just always connected.
Mike, glad you've found us helpful.
While I don't have a Beneteau, my impression from your quote is that you may not fully understand your electrical system.
Here's why:
Beneteau Wiring Diagrams - Maine Sail's corrections - Just in case you have a friend with a Beneteau and want to help him with his unusual switching Reply #8
One black and two red electrical switches
EDIT: Here is what the beginning of this link says:
If your vessel is wired like many Bene's you don't likely have "HOUSE" and "START" you simply have two battery banks that are in parallel when both switches are set to ON. Leave both switches set to ON, and discharge too far, and you're dead in the water. I have a number of Bene & Jenneau customers who've learned this the hard way..
Unfortunately many, but not all Beneteau's, have a bussed switch system where by HOUSE and START switches are permanently bussed together on the load side of the switches. Any time both red switches are turned ON both battery banks are in parallel. Many owners are unaware of this wiring scenario and incorrectly assume they have "isolated" HOUSE & START banks.. If your boat has this wiring it is best to correct this issue.
Below is what this wiring looks like. The issues are listed on the drawing,
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Beneteau is possibly the only boat manufacturer that switches the DC-. Since it is broken in the on position there is no problem. Replace if you wish, but it is not necessary.
Mike,
No problem with the negative switch handle broken & the actual switch being continuously in on position. I always leave mine in on position to power my DC refrigerator. I would plan to replace the switch at your convenienc; it is available through Beneteau spare parts. I believe that there is a black plastic cap,in the center of the switch, that has a nut underneath. You should be able to pry off the cap to expose the nut, allowing you to fit a socket wrench. That will allow you to remove the handle and/or operate the switch. That negative switch along with the two positive switches allow you to completely shutdown the entire DC system. Curious as to how you were able to start engine from either start bank or house bank; I can’t do that. The start bank & house banks on my boat are completely isolated; however, Beneteau. is known to have different wiring configurations on same models!
Has the shaft seal ever been changed? If not, I would plan to replace at your next haul out. Volvo recommends 5-10 year replacement cycle. I replaced mine a couple years ago’; cost of the seal is approximately $150. It can be done in water; however, I advise replacement on haul out. ; While you’re at it, Remove & inspect the shaft seal cooling water nipple; it is notorious for corroding & breaking.
Lots of good info on this forum; general stuff as well as Beneteau specific. Welcome aboard.
No problem with the negative switch handle broken & the actual switch being continuously in on position. I always leave mine in on position to power my DC refrigerator. I would plan to replace the switch at your convenienc; it is available through Beneteau spare parts. I believe that there is a black plastic cap,in the center of the switch, that has a nut underneath. You should be able to pry off the cap to expose the nut, allowing you to fit a socket wrench. That will allow you to remove the handle and/or operate the switch. That negative switch along with the two positive switches allow you to completely shutdown the entire DC system. Curious as to how you were able to start engine from either start bank or house bank; I can’t do that. The start bank & house banks on my boat are completely isolated; however, Beneteau. is known to have different wiring configurations on same models!
Has the shaft seal ever been changed? If not, I would plan to replace at your next haul out. Volvo recommends 5-10 year replacement cycle. I replaced mine a couple years ago’; cost of the seal is approximately $150. It can be done in water; however, I advise replacement on haul out. ; While you’re at it, Remove & inspect the shaft seal cooling water nipple; it is notorious for corroding & breaking.
Lots of good info on this forum; general stuff as well as Beneteau specific. Welcome aboard.
IMHO, I wouldn’t spend a lot of time & money reconfiguring the electrical switching system. It’s simply a matter of learning how it is set up & use accordingly.
Replacing the shaft seal isn’t too difficult of a procedure. The most difficult aspect is separating the shaft coupling from the shaft. I was hesitant to use the “socket method” between the shaft coupling & transmission coupling for fear of bending/distorting the transmission coupling. I used a plate type puller made by Buck Algonquin for that task; just realize that there is a nut inside the coupling that attaches the coupling to the shaft! Mark the relationship of the two couplings & the relationship of the shaft coupling & shaft to avoid alignment problems; however, it would be prudent to check the alignment before bolting the couplings back together. I purchased a 25mm shaft seal from a Volvo dealer. The instructions were decent. Lubricate it with the Volvo grease initially & annually thereafter. Be sure to “burp” the seal when you’re back in the water to expel any trapped air in the seal. There are a couple of great videos on You Tube that will walk you thru the process. Good luck!
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