No Electric at cockpit panel - Hunter 28

[Lewis]

I attempted to start my engine by turning the key on at the cockpit panel. There was no power and no alarm. There was electric in the main panel in the salon but not at the cockpit panel. When I checked the connection between the Guest switch and the cockpit panel I touched a "fuse box" wrapped tightly in black tape and power returned. How do you open the fuse box? What would cause the intermittent loss of electic?

 

[Gord May]

Intermittant Open Circuits

are among the most difficult electrical problems to troubleshoot. Often the simplest solution is to merely replace the offending wiring with new.Your question, in itself, suggests that you may be better prepared to replace the circuit, than you are to troubleshoot & repair it.Regards,Gord May

 

[Dave]

Open Circuit

Your description of the circuit recounts a similar problem I experienced. Went out sailing and on returning tried to fire up the motor and nothing. No evidence of anything wrong, tried a different battery, still nothing, so I removed the panel in the cockpit and found the main power wire to the panel switch had come loose at a splice. The wire wasn't long enough and the stress of the "stretched" wire caused it to come apart. Simple fix was to splice in a piece of wire with good wire connectors, no problem since. I suggest you remove the offending wiring and replace as previously suggested.A book on electrical 12V wiring should help.dave

 

[Bayard Gross]

A wire fuse connector?

Since you described a ""fuse box"" wrapped in tape, I suspect you actually have an in line fuse connection as opposed to a fuse box per se.The connectors twist apart. Inside there is a fuse.I think if you twist apart this "fuse box" which I think is a wire fuse connection, you will find some corrosion on the fuse and spring ends. You may just be able to clean the fuse ends and apply some dielectric grease to prvent further corrosion. I don't think tape is necessary, but the tape nay be there to hold together broken plastic. In that case, I would replace the offending part.

 

[Gord May]

Bayard's post suggests

another possibility. The "taped fuse box" could also be a manufactured wiring harness multi-conductor plug connector.If so, cut it out, and permanmently splice the wires with a good tight moisture-proof (sealed) crimp termination.