Electrical Ghosts

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vmaks

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May 31, 2012
79
Pearson 31 Suttons Bay
'83 O'Day, 28 ft: Started with the Navman and Depth suddenly and randomly shutting off. Running the system on #2 "house" while sailing, reserving #1 for engine start. Tried putting switch on "all" and "#1" to see if problem went away. The only way to get it to work is to go down into the starboard cabin, switch on/off the light, and the equipment comes on again until.....who knows, a ghost arrives again.
1. House battery seems to be on it's last season, it won't start the engine but shows at least 12.5 v (maybe not holding it's charge?) and runs misc fine while under sail.
2. Only work done different since I bought the work last year is de-masted the rig for the Michigan winter. Inverter installed last summer but things seemed to run fine afterward and this ghost appeared only once or twice than disappeared for the rest of the summer/fall. Now it is constant.
3. Why does the starboard light trigger the system to come on?
4. Can a weak battery on the house cause intermittent off/on situations like this? Can the Navman GPS and Depth pull too much charge so the system shuts down as an emergency protection? (fall storage is w/in 4 wks for us, we hate to buy a battery NOW to just sit all winter until next May)
5. Can a bad switch at the control panel act intermittently vs just being good or bad? (switch is the old black on/off version)
6. Already checked: battery cables, ground on engine block, ground at mast, wires at mast, light wires on the starboard side

Anyone reading this from the Traverse City, Mi area who knows a good boat electrician would be helpful.
 
Oct 6, 2008
857
Hunter, Island Packet, Catalina, San Juan 26,38,22,23 Kettle Falls, Washington
I see in #6 where you checked the cables etc. but did you remove the cable from the battery post and check for misture and clean surfaces. Same with the cable ground joint.
Moisture can cause what you discribe and it's a free repair if that is the problem.
Ray
 

vmaks

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May 31, 2012
79
Pearson 31 Suttons Bay
No, I did not remove either cable you mentioned, just made sure they were snug. I will try to clean both when I get up to the boat next....4 hrs away. Thank you for your input. Possible that a "weak" battery could cause the same reaction?
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,941
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I see in #6 where you checked the cables etc. but did you remove the cable from the battery post and check for misture and clean surfaces. Same with the cable ground joint.
Moisture can cause what you discribe and it's a free repair if that is the problem.
Ray

Yes! I was going to guess corrosion at the battery cables. I had a ghost arrive on one of my older boats after I installed a new bow nav. light. So I assumed it had something to do with the new light.... and I ended up checking the battery last....:doh:

Wasted two days of hot sweaty work... Maybe you will get lucky and all you need is a little sandpaper on the battery terminals.
 
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