On my recently purchased 1986 Catalina 22, a previous owner has wired all ground wires back to the negative cable from the battery with a 4 way connector. The battery is fully charged and I get current at the + connector on the system switch, with my negative test prong any of the ground wires. However, when I flip the system switch to on, nothing works - - - the mast is not up, so that circuit is not connected - - - but cabin lights and other accessories won't work either. I'm strictly an amateur at electrics, but it seems to me that the unconnected mast circuit represents an open circuit the way this thing is wired, so I won't know if my lights, etc. work until I step the mast and connect up the mast circuit. The previous owner assured me the lights worked when the boat was last used (2 years ago). Everything else he said has been true, so I have no reason to think otherwise. I've checked for corrosion, broken wires, loose connectors, etc. and found no problems there. Educate/enlighten me please!!
Ground issues at control panel
- Thread starter srreality
- Start date
Not knowing your system at all, and no pictures (hint, hint), here is my attempt to help. When you turn the main switch on, is there power to the secondary side of the switch? If not, it is a faulty switch. If there is power, follow the cable to find out where it goes. Probably to your electrical panel where there should be breakers or fuses, maybe terminating on a bus bar. Check for power at this panel between the bus bar and the battery negative. Are there any black wires (-) at the panel? If not then the previous owner should be 'keel hauled'. If there are black wires at the panel, check for voltage between the bus bar and the black wires. Hopefully this will get you started.
Cheers
Cheers
Another helpful thing to check is if the ground is actually attached to the battery negative. You can tell by finding a hot wire and using the ground side of the multimeter probe the ground wires/buss. If you get battery voltage then the ground from that point to the batteries is OK. Once that is determined to be OK take the ground probe of the multimeter and leave it attached to the ground wire/buss. move the positive probe to the next item in the circuit to see if that part has power. when you loose 12 volts that the item (switch, bulb, fuse, breaker etc.) you just tested for supplied power is the culprit. Kinda like looking for a kink in a pipe but you have to "see" it with the multimeter