So there we were all set to go on a moonlight sail with guests. Turned on the ignition. Nothing! Not only nothing but the entire electrical system died. No light, no instruments, no fridge, no nothing except anything direct connected to the batteries. Batteries fully charged. Acted as if there were a main curcuit breaker that tripped or a main switch. No circuit breaker and the main rotary switch (1-Both-2-Off) had no effect. Something major cut out between the batteries and the distribution panel. Any thoughts? I am about to go to the boat now and trace what's where. I will report back. By way of prologue, a week ago while coming back to port under power, belts slipping slightly as high-output alternator charged depleted batteries, we suffered a total loss of electrical power. Diesels being diesels, the engine never even hiccupped. The dash ammeter continued to show the battery charging but the battery monitor showed 0 amps. Then everything went back to normal and I thought no more of it, a transient glitch. Had not run the engine since then until I tried to start it yesterday and all went black.
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lost your ground?????
after comfirming that the batteries have voltage, check voltage between ab switch and engine block, if there is voltage there, your ground is ok and you will need to find a missing positive connection, next check voltage between positive terminal on starter and ground again. if there go to the next link in the chain and so on. good luck mike
after comfirming that the batteries have voltage, check voltage between ab switch and engine block, if there is voltage there, your ground is ok and you will need to find a missing positive connection, next check voltage between positive terminal on starter and ground again. if there go to the next link in the chain and so on. good luck mike
Open Circuit
If neither battery will power the cabin or motor, and the batteries are charged, the problem must be on the common side of the AB switch or, in the common, - side of battery supply circuit. Check the AB switch for + output first on the common terminal,"output", using the negative meter lead to a - battery terminal. Have something turned on when you do this as you can get a phantom voltage across a corroded terminal, wire etc, but no current to power the instrument. sail on... Tery
If neither battery will power the cabin or motor, and the batteries are charged, the problem must be on the common side of the AB switch or, in the common, - side of battery supply circuit. Check the AB switch for + output first on the common terminal,"output", using the negative meter lead to a - battery terminal. Have something turned on when you do this as you can get a phantom voltage across a corroded terminal, wire etc, but no current to power the instrument. sail on... Tery
Same Problem
Just yesterday I had the exact problem you describd. I traced every wire, looked at every fuse, etc. without discovering any problems (other than no DC power at all). Oddly, the inverter panel shows 13 VDC and the inverter does produce 120 VAC from it. I'm meeting the electronics tech late today at the boat....his gut, based on my description, is that the problem is most likely with the positive feed to the panel or perhaps the negative buss for the panel. I'll write again when I have the answer. Chick Weiss Catalina 36MkII; #1394 E. Greenwich, RI
Just yesterday I had the exact problem you describd. I traced every wire, looked at every fuse, etc. without discovering any problems (other than no DC power at all). Oddly, the inverter panel shows 13 VDC and the inverter does produce 120 VAC from it. I'm meeting the electronics tech late today at the boat....his gut, based on my description, is that the problem is most likely with the positive feed to the panel or perhaps the negative buss for the panel. I'll write again when I have the answer. Chick Weiss Catalina 36MkII; #1394 E. Greenwich, RI
There are no such things
as transient glitches. All the ideas above make sense. Check ALL connections. If you or anyone else have that kind of glitch in the future, it would be wise to check it out and fix it before you leave again. But you know that, now, right?
Stu
as transient glitches. All the ideas above make sense. Check ALL connections. If you or anyone else have that kind of glitch in the future, it would be wise to check it out and fix it before you leave again. But you know that, now, right?
Stu
Bilge Pump Operational?
Just wondering if the bilge pump works. Try pulling up on the float switch (unless you have a H40.5 that is cuz it's waaaay down there) and see if the pump runs. If it doesn't then you're getting closer to the source of the problem. Gut reaction if absoutly nothing works is like the first mike said - ground wire connection. The tech comments about the cable to the main panel is a good call too because all it takes is a loose screw. Looking forward to what the tech found.
Just wondering if the bilge pump works. Try pulling up on the float switch (unless you have a H40.5 that is cuz it's waaaay down there) and see if the pump runs. If it doesn't then you're getting closer to the source of the problem. Gut reaction if absoutly nothing works is like the first mike said - ground wire connection. The tech comments about the cable to the main panel is a good call too because all it takes is a loose screw. Looking forward to what the tech found.
Never mind
Thanks guys. Just got back from the boat. The problem was a not so easily found defective connection between the main switch and the negative buss connection to the switch/breaker panel. This had the same effect as a tripped breaker or open main switch. The bilge pump and VHF radio and radar detector are all direct connected to the battery and don't go through the main switch panel. They worked. Now, everything works.
Thanks guys. Just got back from the boat. The problem was a not so easily found defective connection between the main switch and the negative buss connection to the switch/breaker panel. This had the same effect as a tripped breaker or open main switch. The bilge pump and VHF radio and radar detector are all direct connected to the battery and don't go through the main switch panel. They worked. Now, everything works.
Problem solved...same reason
The main negative cable became disconnected from the negative buss behind the electrical panel. The cable then fell behind the nav station and cound not be seen. Reconnecting made all back to normal. Chick
The main negative cable became disconnected from the negative buss behind the electrical panel. The cable then fell behind the nav station and cound not be seen. Reconnecting made all back to normal. Chick
How disconnected?
How did it get disconnected is the $64K question, Stu. Each season I tighted every screw on the busses; did I miss this one? Also, it's not in a placed that I expect a lot of vibration. Who knows? I was advised to put in a better buss, a bar that better distributes the voltage. Chick
How did it get disconnected is the $64K question, Stu. Each season I tighted every screw on the busses; did I miss this one? Also, it's not in a placed that I expect a lot of vibration. Who knows? I was advised to put in a better buss, a bar that better distributes the voltage. Chick
Stu Jackson -- who knows?
The disconnect was quite invisible. What made it show up was pulling and pushing the switch panel. The lights would go on and off. It was a ring terminal fitted to the negative post of the main switch. It appeared to be tight. But I guess the nut holding the terminals to the post had loosened slightly creating a bad ground for that one wire. I restacked all the terminals and put that one at the bottom and really tightened the nut. Also the connection to the buss.
The disconnect was quite invisible. What made it show up was pulling and pushing the switch panel. The lights would go on and off. It was a ring terminal fitted to the negative post of the main switch. It appeared to be tight. But I guess the nut holding the terminals to the post had loosened slightly creating a bad ground for that one wire. I restacked all the terminals and put that one at the bottom and really tightened the nut. Also the connection to the buss.
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