3 quick questions. On the engine control for my Catalina 310 is the that doesn't do too much except enable the blower, glow plugs and starter. Both the manual and from the class I took they tell you not to turn it off while the engine is running or it could blow out the diodes in the alternator (Same thing for the battery A-B switch, but it at least has a label on it). Well, when I was checking out the boat the other day, my brother the non-boater, was in the cockpit and I was in the cabin and I asked him to kill the engine. This he promptly did by turning off the key, so I immediately yelled to hit the fuel kill switch which he did. This was a 1-2 second delay. 1st question - How long can it take for the diodes to be damages? 2nd question - How can I verify the diodes are still good? 3rd question - Is there a flip-up type safety switch cover I can buy and install over the key switch that I could put a warning on and add that little effort to make people think? Thanks Ray
Engine Key Switch on Catalina 310
- Thread starter Ray2325
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C310
1. Instantaneously 2. Start engine, rev to 1500 rpm, measure voltage either at alternator, behind the switch (if your alternator is wired to that) or the battery bank. If you see 14 or so volts, the alternator is still working 3. Put a dymo label on it, red background, teach your bro how to work the boat. A lot depends on how your boat is wried. In general, most times all the key switch does is energize a limited number of things, including the regulator for the alternator. If it's wired so all it does is turn off the regulator, that's fine. The problem with turning off the 1-2-B switch is that most boats are wired with the alternator output to the C post on the switch, so the switch does two things: alternator output into the switch and choosing what battery bank to take power out of. If the alternator OUTPUT is interrupted, that's what'll fry your diodes. Move the alternator out to the house bank and get a combiner or echo charger and you'll never have to worry about the 1-2-B switch ever again. If you get Mainsheet magazine, read the Nov. 2006 C34 Tech Notes.
1. Instantaneously 2. Start engine, rev to 1500 rpm, measure voltage either at alternator, behind the switch (if your alternator is wired to that) or the battery bank. If you see 14 or so volts, the alternator is still working 3. Put a dymo label on it, red background, teach your bro how to work the boat. A lot depends on how your boat is wried. In general, most times all the key switch does is energize a limited number of things, including the regulator for the alternator. If it's wired so all it does is turn off the regulator, that's fine. The problem with turning off the 1-2-B switch is that most boats are wired with the alternator output to the C post on the switch, so the switch does two things: alternator output into the switch and choosing what battery bank to take power out of. If the alternator OUTPUT is interrupted, that's what'll fry your diodes. Move the alternator out to the house bank and get a combiner or echo charger and you'll never have to worry about the 1-2-B switch ever again. If you get Mainsheet magazine, read the Nov. 2006 C34 Tech Notes.
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